His joke instantly lifted my serious mood, making me laugh. "Well, you won't have to worry about that as long as you can get someone else to do it for you."

"That shouldn't be a problem," he replied.

I blushed, at a loss for words. How had our conversation turned so inappropriate?

Trying to ease the awkwardness, I said, "Ashton, whoever ends up marrying you will be really lucky."

"Then why won't you marry me?" He always knew how to catch me ...