10. Ryan
On my drive back to Lanie’s the next morning, my mind rolls on a repeat of our kisses at the beach as well as our make-out session after dessert.
Neither of us took things to the next level, but that didn’t mean I didn’t think about the possibilities in my shower before bed last night and again this morning.
What the fuck is that woman doing to me?
I seriously can’t wait until she gets off work tonight to see her again.
Sure, I’ll see her before that, but Jared’s back in town and will be joining me any minute at the job site. We’ve got a lot to make up for and I’d rather keep whatever’s going on between Lanie and myself between us—for now.
Since I left after midnight last night, I fully expect Lanie to be asleep when I arrive.
I told Jared we wouldn’t get started until eight today, to respect the deal I’d made with Lanie.
He volunteered to swing by and grab coffee for us, so I’m setting up scaffolding and doing what I can with the twenty minutes or so before we can start.
When I reach Lanie’s back deck, I’m surprised to find her awake and drinking coffee wrapped in a blanket on a lounger. Her hair is in a messy bun and a beautiful smile spreads across her lips from behind the cup she’s drinking. “Hey, Ryan.”
“Mornin’, beautiful.” I grin in return, leaning in to kiss her on the lips. “I thought you’d still be in bed.”
“Well, there’s this hot guy working on my place. And with the banging and all, I figured I’d enjoy the peace of the morning before the chaos begins.”
“Hot guy, eh?”
Giggling, she takes another sip of her coffee. “That’s what you caught from that, huh?”
“Of course. It’s not every day I’m called hot.”
“Oh, please.” She swats at the air. “You know better than that.”
I pin her with a look that clearly says, “Do I?” and I’m merely rewarded with an eye roll.
Looking in the direction I arrived, she asks, “Is Jared joining you?”
“Should be here any minute.”
“Well, then,” she huffs. “Get over here and kiss me before I need to go inside and get out of your way.”
“You won’t hear me argue with that logic.” I smirk, pressing my lips to hers. She tastes of coffee and mint and it’s all I can do to keep from getting carried away.
When the distinct sound of gravel crunches from the side of the house, I pull away and whisper, “Rain check? ”
Her pout is adorable. “If we must. Though it will be nearly twelve hours.”
Waggling my brows, I tease, “Good things come to those who wait.”
“Way to be all adulty.” Leaning in she pecks me once more before standing up from the chair. “I’m going to head in and get something to eat. Can I bring you out anything?”
“Nah,” I say, glancing at the driveway, judging how long I have before Jared appears. “I ate at home. But can I steal another kiss?”
Her eyes dart to the side of the house as she grins mischievously. “Is it stealing if given freely?”
After a chaste kiss, the slamming of a door pulls us apart. “Well, Mr. Murdock. That’s my cue to let you get to work.”
She bops my lips with the tip of her finger then disappears into the house. I’m left staring at the sway of her glorious ass and adjusting my junk before Jared is any the wiser of just how much of an influence this particular client has on me.
It doesn’t take long to bring him up to speed with what I’ve done, as well as what we need to accomplish today.
Before I know it, we’re ripping off siding and making great progress.
With him here, we manage to remove nearly an entire side by lunch.
Even though I’m busy, I steal glances of Lanie through the window, and I’m fully aware of when she steps outside to leave for work.
Jared and I work seamlessly to remove the siding with precision and ease. Throughout the day he’s caught me up to speed with his brother and I’ve filled him in on the crappy situation about my job in Boston. We both agree that I’ve made the right decision.
As we’re finishing lunch, Jared stops eating mid-bite and gives me a funny look.
“What?” I ask, wondering if I have something on my face or something.
“There’s something different about you.”
What the hell is he talking about?
“You’ve been getting that dopey far-off look on your face—and I wasn’t born yesterday. What’s going on with you?”
Shrugging, I try to pull it off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jared cocks a brow and waits.
When I don’t dignify a response, he nods once then says, “Let’s try this again…
who is she? I’ve worked with you for the past three summers and I’ve known you even longer than that.
Either you’ve got someone on your mind, or you’re busy passing silent but deadly ones over there.
” Then the asshole reaches into his pocket and hands over some TUMS. “Here, I think you may need these more than I do.”
What the actual fuck?
“No thanks, old man. My gut health is just fine.”
“Then what’s goin’ on?”
There’s no way in hell I’m talking with Jared about Lanie. First, it’s incredibly new. Who knows if it’ll last. So of course, I do what I can to evade the subject entirely by shrugging it off. “Can’t a guy just be in a good mood?”
Shaking his head, it’s obvious he doesn’t believe me, but thankfully he lets it go. “Okay… whatever you say, man. Are yo u ready to knock off this last side of the house?” With that our lunch break is officially over, and we bust ass to get as much done as we can before quitting time.
Freshly showered, I walk through the door of Pop’s.
I’m looking forward to seeing the girl that hasn’t been far from my mind all day.
The moment she spots me, her face lights up with the most beautiful smile and I’d be lying if that doesn’t make my chest swell.
She closes the distance between us with a cheerful greeting, “Hey, Ryan.”
When she stops in front of me and hesitates, it takes everything in me not to lean in and kiss her. But she’s working, so I can’t. Instead, I ask, “How was your day?”
A light laugh escapes as she looks around the crowded bar. “Busy. But that’s how I like it. Have you eaten?”
“No, but if you’re hungry, I’d rather wait and eat with you.”
“I’m starving, but I’ve got about twenty more minutes before my shift is over. Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”
“A Coke sounds great. Wanna eat here or somewhere else?”
Looking around the room she shrugs. “Here is fine,” she says as she walks me to a booth nearby. “If you let me know what your order is, I’ll put both of ours in before I get off, so we don’t have to wait. I skipped lunch and I’m starving.”
“Why’d you do a thing like that?”
“I wasn’t hungry on my break because I’d eaten a big breakfast. I figured I’d grab something on my next one as I usually get another break during a lull. However, we’ve been slammed since I returned, and obviously, that never happened.”
When another customer walks through the door, I quickly offer, “Don’t let me get in the way. I’m good just resting for a minute myself.”
She nods and flits to wait on the next customer. I find myself watching her move around the room until she goes to the back for something. That’s when I decide I’d rather not be a creeper. So, I pull out my phone and get up to date with my social media feeds as a distraction.
Eventually, she comes back with my Coke and takes my order. The moment she leaves, I make a mental note that our next date will not be here. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great place, but she deserves being catered to, not waiting on herself.
She proves my point when she eventually returns with two large plates piled with food. Instead of dropping them off at another table, she sets them on mine.
“Whew… I’m starving,” she mutters when she plops down across from me.
“Next time we go out, it’ll be a proper date,” I mutter, though I’m not sure if it’s a message for myself or a warning to her.
“Next time?” She raises a brow and a playful smile rolls across her lips. “What makes you so sure of yourself?” Then she shakes her head before tacking on, “And just how old are you? Who uses a word like proper?”
Oh, that little brat. The heated look in her eyes as they trace my lips, then back to mine. She knows good and well, what I mean .
Clearing my throat, I lean forward with my arms on the table.
“If I wasn’t clear last night, I’ll rectify that now.
” I pause and wait for her full attention.
“I like you, Lanie. I want to see more of you. I love hanging out with you, but I want to take you on a proper date—you know one where we both get waited on. One where you relax and are spoiled as well.”
Shrugging, she grabs a steak fry and plops it in her mouth. “This is still a date. It doesn’t matter who brings out the food.”
Shaking my head, I mutter, “Not the point.”
She raises a brow in challenge. “Do you consider this a date?”
“Any time I spend with you is considered a date,” I admit. “The point I clearly didn’t make, is that I want you to know I’m not being lazy and actually put effort into planning our time together.”
Rolling her eyes, she chomps on another fry. “Okay… but for the record, I don’t need grandiose plans or anything fancy. In fact, I prefer low-key dates with quality time to extravagant outings.”
“Same. But that doesn’t mean I won’t take you places where you can be spoiled, too. Heck, if you’re lucky, I may even cook for you.”
“Oh, now that’s something I can’t wait to see.”
Grabbing a fry of my own, I tease, “Be careful what you wish for.”
I’m a decent cook. In fact, I think I’m pretty good. I have to be if I want anything other than takeout or microwaved meals. But I don’t want her expectations higher than I can meet.
As we finish our burger and fries, she tells me about her day, and I fill her in on the progress of her home. I truly don’t think I’ve enjoyed spending time with anyone like this in forever. She makes me laugh and I feel so at ease with her.
When another waitress stops in to check on us, I order two pieces of pie to go. As soon as she leaves, Lanie asks, “Do you have a secret pie addiction or something?”
“Nope. I just know what I like, so why settle for less? Besides, last night I shared it with this amazing girl on our first date. It brought me luck and I’m not about to change things up.”
This earns me another laugh. “Hmmm…. So many things can be taken from that statement.”
Replaying my words in my head I realize there are so many truths. Unapologetically, I smirk with a challenge, “Take it as you wish.”