"You know," said Scott the next day as he was preparing a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, "I never properly congratulated you on your graduation."

"Well," said Ashley, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug that she was in the process of slowly lifting to her mouth, ‘I don't know about that."

Scott's mouth twisted into a wry smile as he shot an eye at Olivia, who was totally concentrated on her iPad game.

"I meant something a little more…traditional."

"Traditional, huh?" she asked. "And what sort of traditional ‘thank-you' did you have in mind?"

"Dinner out, possibly. Some place nice."

Ashley considered the thought, and decided that being shown an evening out on the town by a man like Scott would be far from the worst way to spend her Saturday night.

"That sounds great," said Ashley.

"Wonderful," said Scott. "You and Olivia can go out for some more shopping if you'd like to pick out something new to wear- my treat of course. You guys can grab some lunch while you're out."

"Why does Ashley need a new dress for tonight?" asked Ashley, setting down her iPad in preparation of pancakes. "Are you guys going out on a date?"

"Just a little thank-you for her hard work these last few months," said Scott, flipping her pancakes on the griddle and closely inspecting their golden-brown exteriors for any flaws before scooping them onto a plate next to the stove. "I think she's earned it, right?"

"Uh huh," said Olivia, her attention distracted by the nearly-done pancakes.

"Thanks again," said Ashley.

"Think nothing of it," said Scott, portioning out a few cakes on each of their plates. "An assistant like you? Worth your weight in gold."

* * *

Ashley returned from the shopping trip with Olivia feeling drained. Olivia was in an especially enthusiastic mood, and, as far as Ashley could tell, was beginning to get to the point in a young girl's life when clothes and fashion become a major priority. Olivia asked all throughout the trip for fashion advice about what goes with that, what's in style, and how to pick out items that look, as Olivia said, "hot."

But if Ashley was being honest with herself, she didn't really have much of a fashion sense. She found herself thinking back to her high school days, when she'd be happy putting on nothing fancier than a pair of slim cut jeans and a frumpy t-shirt, a pair of worn-out Chuck Taylors completing the look. In college the look largely remained the same, the only difference being the two or three college hoodies that she cycled through throughout the week. It was only in these last few years, when she began to "finally blossom," as her dad put it in awkward terms over dinner one family visit, that she started paying attention to fashion.

But Ashley knew she'd be no help to Olivia. After trying on a few dresses and settling on a simple, black cocktail dress with subtle, gold accents, she kept her phone close, switched surreptitiously through teen fashion sites for suggestions for Olivia while the girl was flipping through racks.

After a time, bags in hand, they stopped for a quick lunch of Thai food in the Castro and headed back home. During the drive back, Olivia talked endlessly about her clothes, thinking out loud about what to wear for her first day back, which wasn't for a few weeks.

Yep, thought Ashley, this girl's definitely going to be a teenager soon.

They arrived at the house a little later, the living room air filled with the subtle strains of a Mozart symphony Scott was playing through the room's speaker system as he flipped through the latest New York Times by the back window.

"There you are," said Scott as he folded the paper shut.

"Hey, dad," said Olivia, dropping her bags on the ground and plopping on the couch.

"I talked with Sarah's mom; she said that she's fine with you staying the night whenever you want to head over."

"Cool," said Olivia, her eyes on the phone in front of her face.

"You pick out something good?" asked Scott to Ashley.

"Yeah, I think so," said Ashley. "Thanks again."

Scott held up a hand. "Think nothing of it. Our reservation's at seven, so go ahead and relax until then."

Ashley did, spending the afternoon lounging her room, aimlessly checking her usual sites, her mind on the events of last night.

I can't believe I let him do that, said Ashley, biting her lip as thoughts of how good it felt for Scott to be inside of her. But I don't regret it a bit.

When the early evening arrived, she showered and got dressed, spending some time straightening her strawberry blonde hair and applying her makeup. Going through her underwear drawer, she picked out a pair of matching black lace underwear, admiring for a moment in the mirror how her body looked.

Geez, she thought, when did I become so self-obsessed? It's like I'm thinking about my audience now…

But she quickly put the idea that she was dressing for someone else out of her head. Slipping into her dress, she stepped into her heels and walked into the living room, where Scott was waiting for her, dressed in one of his usual dark, well-fitting suits.

"Wow," he said, his eyes on her body, his voice hushed.

"Looks good on me?" she asked, her voice unsure.

"You look…absolutely beautiful," he said, rising from his seat and walking towards her, his eyes locked onto her. "Let's get going. I can't wait to be the envy of the city."

Ashley felt her face go a deep red.

The two made their way to the car that was waiting for them outside, the sun descending in the sky above them. A short drive later, they were at Saison, one of the most expensive and trendiest restaurants in the city. Scott led Ashley inside, where she was left breath-taken by the sophisticated interior, not to mention the patrons, who all appeared to be cut from the same upper-crust cloth as the men and women from the parties that Scott had been taking her to.

"Cheers," said Scott, raising a glass of wine that, from what Ashley could glean from a quick glance at the menu, cost more per bottle than a week of rent at her old apartment.

"Cheers," said Ashley, tapping the rim of her glass against his.

"Well," said Scott, "I hope you've found the last few months as enjoyable as I have."

"I have," said Ashley. "It's been an…odd arrangement, to say the least, but I think it's been working out well for both of us."

"So," said Ashley, sitting up in her chair as she cast a quick glance at the bustling restaurant floor. "What're you going to say to everyone when we don't end up getting married?"

"That…I hadn't thought about. I'll probably just say you ran off with the pool cleaner."

His face stayed still and calm as he said this, and Ashley, for a moment, wondered if he was joking.

"Oh, stop," she said, giving him a playful slap on the arm, a lilting laugh escaping her lips.

"If you want me to stop, you'll need to quit encouraging me with that smile," he said.

Ashley pressed her lips together in a firm line though the brightness of her eyes betrayed that her change in expression was only superficial.

The two worked their way through their meal, which Ashley thought was just about the most delicious food she'd ever had, and all served bit-by-bit tasting-menu style. Soon, they finished their desserts, and the wine that Ashley had been slowly sipping over the course of the evening was beginning to do its work on her.

"So, what's next," she asked, her mouth curling in a sensual smile as she regarded Scott's gorgeous features, his stunningly blonde hair, the way his suit fitted his body.

What's gotten into me? she thought, I know I shouldn't…but all I want is more of what I got last night.

"I was thinking we could go for a stroll in the park," said Scott. "That is, unless you can think of a better idea."

"Oh," said Ashley, her leg stretching out under the table and brushing against his. "I can think of something."