Tall, Dark, and all Mine

Chapter 1 - Ashley





Ashley was getting ready to go to work. She hated her job, but she had a two-year-old daughter that she took care of on her own. This was her life and until she was done with school, she needed to make as much money as she could. She did her make-up heavy so people would be able to see her across the room then slid into sweats and a plain T-shirt before grabbing her gym bag.

She opened her room door and headed down the hallway. Ashley sat the bag on the couch and called out, "Becky where are you? Mommy is getting ready to go." Her baby came running over to her and hugged her tight.

"You be good for grams okay."

"K mommy." Becky smiled up at Ashley and you could see the love in her green eyes. Becky looked a lot like her.

Ashley picked her up planting kisses on her cheek. She giggled and set her back on the floor. Becky took off running, as she was a playful child and would do everything with a laugh.

She yelled out, "Mom, I'm leaving for work. I'll be home an hour later tonight."

Climbing in her car, she looked up to see her mother walking towards her. Blowing out a breath, she sat with the door open.

"We need to talk soon young lady. You know how I feel about your job. Ashley, anything is better than dancing. You have a daughter now."

Ashley pinched the bridge of her nose. This happened a lot between them. She had to let her mother know she was moving soon. Looking up as calm as she could, Ashley smiled and said,

"Mom, I can't do this right now. I am going to be late thanks to you. As I have told you before, we will be moving soon."

Her mother’s eyes looked sad, but she had to stay strong and really move out. It would be better for her to raise Becky in her own place. Ashley made enough money to pay for a babysitter, but she had to find someone that she can trust.

Driving to work with a small headache and thinking it was time to ask Ginger one of the dancers where there were places to rent. She needed her privacy and Becky would have her own room. With that thought in mind, she hurried out of her car.

Working at the pink diamond wasn't the best job, but it paid very well. She made enough to pay a month’s rent in one night. Ashley didn't like her job, but it helped her take care of her daughter alone. Every time she thought about Becky’s' dad, Doug, and how he left her, she would get pissed off.

Walking inside she headed to the back of the club to the dressing rooms. She walked in and saw two of her friends. As she was dressing, she chatted with Caramel and Blue Kush.

Ashley checked herself out in the set of mirrors that ran across one wall. She had to make sure her schoolgirl outfit looked okay. When she heard her name being called she hurried out to the stage.

Her heart was beating in her chest as she tried to breathe normal so no one knew she hated it, and she always looked over the customer’s heads. She started by slowly moving her hips in a circle and sticking her nail between her teeth. She looked shy and made the outfit work.

Jumping onto the pole and slowly sliding down, she stopped half way to take her top off before continuing downwards. She kept a smile on her face and moved as sexy as she could. She must not be too bad because she made enough to support her and her daughter.

Ashley didn't need Doug or her mother. She needed Becky and her own place. There were things she wanted to do, but not at her moms.

At three in the morning, she was finally leaving to go home. The bouncer, Chuck, walked her to her car and made sure it was safe for her to leave. She could not wait to get home and see her baby.

Becky was her life and she did not know what she would do without her. Ashley started driving home when her car began sputtering. She looked down at the gas gauge and saw she was out of gas. Cursing herself for being so stupid, she pulled to the side of the road.

Her car stopped three blocks from the gas station. Grabbing her purse, cell phone, and keys, she locked her car up tight and started walking. The night air actually felt good. It helped she was in sweats and a T-shirt tonight or it would have been chillier.

She saw headlights come up behind her, but ignored them, trying to get to the gas station quickly. A dark colored car pulled next to Ashley with the window down on the passenger’s side and the interior light on. The floating voice that came out of the car was rough, but soft at the same time.

“Would you like a ride to the gas station? It is three blocks from here still and it is late.”

Ashley looked at the man inside. Oh, her heart leaped to her throat and she had a hard time swallowing. He had dark skin and white teeth, his eyes looked like melted chocolate. She couldn't help but smile back at him and climb in the car.

Ashley climbed into the car and he turned the lights off and started to drive, but he kept the window down, which helped her relax as she felt he was giving her some control over something.

“Thank you so much for the ride, my name is Ashley.”

"Nice to meet you, I'm Dallas. Why are you walking out here this late?" He asked waiting at a red light next to the gas station.

She felt like such an idiot, but she said, "Um, I ran out of gas."

He chuckled and pulled into the parking lot of major Ps. "I'll wait here for you." He smiled at her.



Fifteen minutes later, she was climbing out of the car. She was slow because Dallas was already walking towards her car. She stood with her hands crossed over her chest and watched him open her gas tank cover and pour the gas in. He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled, showing his perfect teeth and said, "This will get you to the station for more gas. I hope that you pay more attention in the future." She could hear the laughter trying to come out when he talked.



This man had Ashley thinking of things that could never be. He was smoking hot and she wanted to taste the inside of his mouth so bad her breathing was short. She had to get her mind off Dallas like that. It wasn’t as if she was ever going to see him again, it was time for her to pay the man and get the hell out of there. Ashley could not trust herself around him and she has never wanted to act the bad girl.



“Would you like me to give you the money back for the gas now? We are back to my car.” She looked at him through hooded lashes. He was standing there with a huge smile on his face.



“No, I would like for you to give me your phone number. I am a gentleman I promise.”



She blurted the first thing that came to her mind. “I have a two year baby.” She wanted to slap herself for saying that. Her face was bright red and she knew it from the heat pouring off her.



He laughed and said, “Okay that is fine. Ashley I just want to call you. Relax a little and hey, we can do something so your baby can come along too.”



Wow, this man really wanted to spend time with her and he was willing to take a child out with him. She smiled and held out her hand so he would give her the phone. Ashley added her number then used his phone to call hers. She didn’t like unknown numbers. She saw Dallas laughing, but she didn’t care. If the number came up and she did not recognize it, most likely she would not answer. This was already a bad idea because her mom was going to flip out that her daughter is a stripper that likes black men.



That took her by surprise. She looked up at the tall, dark, stranger that just happened to help her out. Yeah, he was someone she wanted to get to know better, but she would let him know that he could only be a friend. She had to tell herself that as well. She climbed into her car and headed back to the gas station in her own car this time. She knew when she told her mother it was not going to end well.



Ashley pumped the gas as fast as she could and sped home. Pulling in the driveway, she climbed out of her car and closed her door with her ass trying not to wake her mom. She had to get in the trunk and then she would have to find a way to close that softly. With gym bag in hand, she made her way inside the dark house. As soon as she stepped in and closed the door behind her, the light came on.



She knew this was not going to end good tonight. Her mother had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for her to come in. What could be so damn important, she thought as she walked into the living room and stood in the doorway. The look on her mother’s face said it all.

“Do you know what time it is? What if something was to happen to your daughter while you were working this late? Where in the hell have you been? You know what? Do not answer that. I do want you to here this, as long as you live under my roof, you will quit that filth that you call a job and you will be here to take care of your child. Do you understand me?” She was tapping her foot on the hard floor glaring at Ashley.

“Let me tell you something mother, we are moving out on Friday so you don’t have to worry about what I do. You do realize you are the one that begged me to come home. I was going to fend for myself and get my shit together. No, you wanted to play super mom and then run my life and that is not happening. I will let you help me and give me advice, but don’t worry. Your perfect image will be restored. Good night mother.”



She heard Carolyn saying something about how that was only two days from now. How did they find a place so fast? That was the first time she ever got one up on her mom. Usually whatever she said, Ashley ran with it like the wind, but she was tired of being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. This was her life and she was going to start living it the way she wanted to.



Ashley wasn’t able to sleep, so she lay in her bed and watched Becky sleep. Her little body moving slightly with each breath she took. When you walked in the room, you could smell a baby all around. She smiled at how proud she was of having such a beautiful little girl. Doug has missed this precious gift and she did not feel bad for him, but she did for her daughter. She deserved a daddy that would love and protect her. Ashley could not provide her daughter with that and she vowed that she would make it up to her.



The sun started to filter through the window curtains and she decided to jump in the shower before Becky woke. When her daughter got up, she was leaving for a while. She got the text from Ginger last night and she planned to go check them out. Hey, money talked and she had plenty of it to get into a place. Her heart was beating with so much joy she wanted to scream from the rooftops that she was finally on her own again. Well she would be on her own soon, if it all went okay looking at the places.



Two hours later Ashley was ready and putting Becky’s shoes on. Her mother came out of her room and looked at them before walking to the kitchen. Ashley smiled at her daughter and tied her shoe. She was going to say something to her mom and she wanted to make sure Becky was not in the room.



“Baby girl, go in your room and find your light jacket. The pink one okay?” she nodded her head and ran to her room



Ashley walked to the kitchen and said, “I don’t care what we are going through, she doesn’t know. You need to act the same around her. She had a huge grin on her face when she saw you then you walked away without a good morning. Please mother, grow up.”



Becky came running with the jacket that she asked her to get and they walked outside hand in hand. She hoped today was the day they would find their own slice of heaven, so to speak. They would be so much happier with more room and Ashley being able to be an adult and not a child still. Her mother never thought of her as an adult and when she had her baby, oh boy, everyone thought she was going to blow her heart out.