[i]“I'm really sorry about that, sometimes I say really stupid things. I wasn't reading it, anyway, I can't concentrate and it deserves my whole attention – do you like books? I can get you a voucher, to make up for being a dumbass? Uh...” [/i]

She couldn't help but look at the girl and smile hesitantly. It seemed they both were having some issues with this whole social thing. She brushed her bangs out of her blue eyes and leaned slightly closer to the woman as she rambled about books. It was kind of endearing. At least she wasn't the only one who rambled. Ashley picked up her glass and took a sip, studing the other's face more openly now. Her greenish eyes really were stunning.

"I do love to read," she replied, but was quickly interrupted as the girl continued. "You're not a dumb ass." She crossed her legs and turned her chair so that she was facing the other more.

Curiously she watched as the other scribbled something on a card and slid it toward her. She looked at it and raised an eyebrow, pocketing the card.

[i] “Why does it matter what a couple smoothies do to your figure? You look fine, and you're tiny. Not that, I mean, I did it again, I'm so sorry. It's not that you're small or young or anything." [/i]

Ashley blushed as the girl continued to ramble yet again, though now she was talking about her figure. She looked down at herself and then back up at the girl. "Hey, relax," she said. "I'm not offended. I think I could tell the difference if you were being rude or not." Before she could say anything else, the girl interrupted her.

[i] “I'm just going to shut up and drink my smoothie now. Sorry.” [/i]

Watching, the girl leave the bar, she could not help feel a small amount of regret. They hadn't even given each other their names. So much for meeting people and making friends. Ashley pulled the card out of her pocket and smiled. It had the name of a bookstore, the girl's name and a couple phone numbers on it. One of them looked like a personal number; maybe a cell phone.

She reached down and picked up her purse and got her phone out. She dialed what she hoped was the girl's cell number and waited for the other to pick up. If she did pick up, she planned on trying to be witty and saying something really interesting, but her throat closed up on her and all she managed to get out was, "free books... good. Thanks... uh... hi." She wasn't even sure if she got the answering machine or the woman. She looked at the card again. Charlotte.