Author's Note: The original version of Chapter 1 has had extremely good feedback yet I began discussing this story with an extremely talented writer and we decided that there was a better way to tell this story. This is a second version of Chapter 1 and while the beginning has been tightened up and the grammar / spelling issues fixed, the major changes come during the third part of the story once Ashleigh gets to Steve's house.
To the talented Katie Ames: thank you for everything you have done on this story and the others we are working on. You have taken a good story and made it outstanding. It is an absolute pleasure collaborating with you and I am looking forward to everything we create together!
So, to everyone reading, we hope you enjoy this new version of Chapter 1. Stay Tuned for Chapter 2.
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I can still remember the first time I saw her. It was right before the holidays last year at the grocery store closest to my house. As I wheeled my cart towards the checkout, there she was; standing at the end of the line, smiling to the customers as she bagged their groceries and laughing with the checker.
She looked to be about 5'4", with a tiny feminine frame, and what looked like A-Cup, or possibly small B-Cup, breasts under her company-issue blue polo shirt. She had her brunette hair pulled up into a ponytail and her big, beautiful eyes sparkled as she spoke and laughed. Her mouth was stunning, with nice, full lips that helped form an infectious smile across her face. Her skin was tan, smooth and flawless. She absolutely radiated with youthful beauty. She was an absolute angel and immediately made me long for my days in high school.
The customer in front of me finished and I moved forward. As they boy was checking out my groceries, she enthusiastically said hello to me, a cheery greeting she most likely extended to everyone that came through.
I smiled back and said, "Hello, how are you?" I was just being friendly but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk to this beautiful girl, even if it was just in a casual setting.
"I'd be better if I was at home in front of a nice, big fire," she said as she began bagging my groceries.
"That does sound like a good idea," I replied, "I think I'll have to head home, cook myself dinner and sit in front of a nice fire myself."
"Cooking dinner for yourself," she started to ask, "what's that consist of, warming up a TV dinner?" she laughed at that last part.
"Do you see any pre-packaged foods here?" I asked pointing to the fresh food she was bagging up. "Nope, I cook everything from scratch."
"Oooh, a cultured man," she said and then smiled with a small laugh.
"Well, I try," I said back with a smile.
The checkout boy told me my total and I paid and moved towards the cart with my groceries and she said, "Well, have fun with your dinner and your fire," and then flashed me that knee-weakening smile.
"Oh, I will. Have a good day," I said before leaving. As I passed behind her, I looked back and down and saw that she was wearing black tights and some of those Ugg boots. The tights looked practically painted on and showed off her toned legs and perfect, tiny ass. I was blown away by how stunning this girl looked.
She whipped her head around and caught me checking out her perfect ass and legs. "Busted," I thought to myself and I caught her eyes and she just smiled again and said, "Have a nice day."
Over the next few months, I continually ran into her at the grocery store and I always made sure to get in her line. Her name, as spelled out on her nametag, was Ashleigh. She eventually got moved to the checkout position and that's how she learned my name. After a session of checking our groceries and paying, she looked at the receipt with my reward card information and said, "Have a good day Mr. Harris," followed by that infectious smile again.
"Mr. Harris? Jeez, no one calls me that," I said. "Well, I was always taught to call my elders by their proper titles," she said back to me with a smile.
"Elders? Wow, you really are trying to make me feel old, aren't you?" I said.
She laughed at that and said, "What are you, 30? 31?"
"I'm 36," I said, "and please, from now on, just call me Steve."
"You got it," she said. "Well, have a nice day, Steve."
I smiled and grabbed my purchases and left.
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May came around and the weather was much warmer now and men everywhere were benefiting as women were dressing in skimpier clothes and showing off their bodies more. I took my weekly trip up the grocery store on a Friday evening, but when it was time to check out, I was saddened to see that my favorite grocery girl wasn't working. I checked out and began walking to my car when I heard a sweet sound come from behind me. "Hey, hold up."
I turned around to see Ashleigh skipping towards me.
"Oh, hey, I didn't think you were working today," I replied.
"Oh, so it's not a coincidence you always end up in my line," she teased.
"Ha-ha, you got me," I laughed back, "busted."
"It's cool, I figured as much," she said with that beautiful smile.
"So, what's up?" I asked.
"Oh nothing, I just finished clocking out and I saw you, so I thought I would say hi," she said. She was such a vision. It took all my mental strength to stop myself from checking out her entire body. "What are you doing this weekend, cooking yourself dinner again?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, I ran across some new recipes, so I thought I would give them a shot," I replied back with a smile. "What about you, any plans?"
"Well, actually today is my birthday and me and a bunch of friends are going out to celebrate the big one-eight," she said beaming. She always seems so cheerful, it makes me wonder if she is ever in a bad mood.
"Well, happy birthday," I said, "I bet you'll have a blast."
"Thank you," she said, "I know we will. We can get crazy sometimes."
"Ha-ha, I bet," I replied, secretly lavishing the fact that she was now technically legal, even if I didn't stand a chance in hell. It's not that I'm ugly or fat, I actually think I'm rather good looking and I definitely try and stay in shape. "So, is that all you're doing for your birthday?"
"Well, I'm actually headed home to do something with the fam before we all go out, but that's pretty much it," she said.
"Well, what are you hoping to get for your birthday?" I asked.
"Well, I have a good feeling I'm getting a new car from my parents and I'm so excited. I think they want to make sure I have something new and reliable for when I go off to college in the fall. I think it's going to be a birthday slash graduation present," she said.
"Wow, that's awesome, what more could you want," I replied.
"Well, actually, there was something else I wanted too," she said, her smile turning me into putty.
"Oh yeah, what's that," I asked.
"A nice, home cooked meal by candlelight," she said with a gleam in her eyes.
"You want your parents to cook you dinner and then y'all eat it by candlelight," I said, completely clueless.
"No, silly, not from my parents," she said as she playfully pushed me on the shoulder, "from you."
"You want ME to cook you dinner?" I asked completely stunned.
"Yes I do, that's my birthday wish which means you can't say no," she said faking a stern face, putting one hand on her hip, and shaking her finger at me with the other.
I laughed, smiled and said, "Well, if that's what the birthday girl wants, who am I to argue?"
She jumped up and clapped a few times and squealed, "Yeah! Ok, give me your phone."
Without hesitation, I reached in my pocket and retrieved my phone and handed it to her. She pulled out her own phone and then dialed a number with my phone. Her phone began to ring and she then disconnected both phones. "So, how about seven tomorrow night, does that work?
"Seven is fine with me, do you want me to pick you up?" I asked.
