11. Lanie
This guy… from the moment he arrived at Pop’s, he’s kept me on my toes. Sometimes he’s a bit cocky, other times completely humble. One thing is certain, I’m really starting to like him. He makes me feel like I’m the only one in the room and when he smiles… I feel it deep in my core.
Right now, at this very moment, he’s waiting patiently for me to take a quick shower and change.
I had someone spill their drink on me early in my shift and I’ve felt sticky all day.
We’ve decided to come back to my place to watch a movie.
But now as I stare at myself in the mirror, I’m left with a major dilemma… look cute or get comfy?
I’ve already taken off what little makeup I wear, and I won’t be refreshing it—especially if it means I keep him waiting longer. But do I put on leggings? Or stick with shorts and a t-shirt ?
He did say this was a date, so maybe I should put some effort into things.
Okay… shorts it is.
Quickly, I slide them up my legs and throw on a t-shirt. My hair’s still wet, but that will just have to do. It’s not like we’re going anywhere. I take the few necessary minutes to run a brush through my hair, then rush downstairs.
When I approach, I’m happy to see he’s made himself at home.
He took his shoes off at the door, so his large feet are propped up on the ottoman and his head is resting against the back of the couch.
He’s got the TV on and he’s completely immersed in the recap of a baseball game from earlier this evening.
The moment he spots me, he mutes the television and sits forward. “Feel better?”
“Much.” I sigh in relief. “Are you hungry? Do you want any snacks for the movie?”
Patting the seat beside him, he says, “I’m stuffed. Here, come put your feet up. You’ve had a long day and I’m sure you could use the rest.”
“I’m gonna grab myself some iced tea, want some? I have that, wine, or water. I need to make a trip to Costco before my sisters come to stock up on things.”
Standing to join me in the kitchen he asks, “When do they get here?”
“The twins will be here this weekend. Then next Thursday we leave for Lizzy’s graduation in Tacoma. That reminds me—that Sunday. We should be able to host a party here, right? Dad wants me to make sure we’ll have access to the deck for the grad party.”
Nodding in understanding, Ryan smiles. “I can make that happen. I’m not sure where we’ll be with the siding or the roof, but now that we’ve been warned, we’ll do our best to make it functional for you.”
So relieved everything is working out, I throw my arms around his neck and hug him fiercely. “Thanks. This is the first big event we’ve had since Nana’s funeral and I’m determined to make it a success.”
“Just let me know what you need, and I’ll do what I can to make it happen.”
When he pulls me in closer for a hug, I completely sink into him. I had no idea just how much I needed this… and God, Ryan gives the best hugs. He’ll never know just how much this small gesture means to me.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve got my shit together, other times I have no idea just how fragile my emotions are until I’m smacked in the face by the smallest act of kindness.
In order to get through the days since losing Nana, I’ve just kept placing one foot forward and didn’t let myself focus on anything but the task at hand.
His strong arms hold me close and his masculine scent washes over me. Inhaling deeply, I enjoy his warmth as it sinks into me and his steady heartbeat calms me. As if he can sense my need, he squeezes harder and I sigh, “Thanks.”
I’m not sure how long we stand like this, but eventually he pulls his head back to look me in the eyes. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I needed that. ”
A sly grin tips his lips. “Any time… now tell me about these sisters. Just how many do you have?”
“Three. Raven and Sloane are twins. They just turned nineteen and are both attending Gonzaga. Lizzy is the youngest. She's graduating from high school and turns eighteen next month.”
“Wow… and you’re how old?”
“I turned twenty-one in April… I know my parents were crazy to have four of us in less than five years.”
“I only have one sister, Jessica. She graduated last year and is working on her nursing degree at Wazzu.”
“Is she at Pullman or one of the branch campuses?” I ask, knowing he means Washington State University.
“Pullman. She’ll be in Spokane eventually. She’s staying on campus this summer and won’t visit until August—if she even bothers to come home.”
“I can’t imagine not spending a summer with my sisters,” I admit. “Even after I become a teacher, I hope we can still do this—at least until we’re all out of school.”
“What grades do you want to teach?”
“I think I wanna teach middle school. I’ve done some internships at both the elementary and middle school levels and I love that age.”
“Uh… when I look back at middle school, I could’ve sworn we were just a bunch of hormonal jerks who thought we knew everything.”
“Ha…” I laugh. “You’re right. But they’re also the most challenging students to reach.
I love finding ways to make connections and helping students be the best they can be .
Sure, their frontal lobes haven’t fully developed, so they aren’t always thinking clearly, but I love the content at that level.
I love math and that is one of the most fundamental ages to influence.
I’ve had both good and bad math teachers, trust me.
But I think I can make a difference. My endorsement will allow me to teach both middle school and high school.
But enough about me. Have you decided what movie we’re watching? ”
Shaking his head, he replies. “I’m game with anything.”
“Really? If you’re up to it, Charlotte Anne’s latest romantic suspense just came out on Passionflix and I’ve been dying to see it.”
“Will it matter if I haven’t read the books?”
“From what I’ve been told—no. Though I’m sure the book is better.”
“Okay, then, let’s get settled on the couch and you can introduce me to one of your favorite author’s works.”
Oh, my heart.
His eagerness at watching something I’m passionate about makes my chest tighten and my belly flit with thousands of butterflies. If I wasn’t already falling, this would definitely be cause.
Reaching up on my tiptoes, I pull his face to mine and kiss him quickly. The moment our lips touch I know I could easily get lost in him. However, he must sense the same thing because, after all too short of a time, he breaks our kiss.
Leaning his head toward the living room, he says, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for kissing you, but I think we’d better go watch the movie before things get carried away. ”
“Would that really be a bad thing?”
Ryan growls and steps away from me completely. “Oh, Lanie, what am I gonna do with you?”
Just about anything you want. My inner vixen screams, but I’m fairly certain he meant that as a rhetorical question—so I playfully wink then turn and grab a glass from the cupboard.
Within a few minutes, the movie’s cued up and we’re settled on the couch.
I’m snuggled into his side and his arm drapes over my shoulder.
It takes a few minutes for my body to relax.
Between that kiss, his delicious scent, and the promise of more, I’m no longer sure the movie will hold my interest. But his steadying breaths settle me and shortly after the opening credits roll, the plot pulls me into the storyline I’ve been obsessed with for years.
Eventually, I’m so sucked into the movie, my heart races as the characters struggle with their first major dilemma. Hell, I even flinch when the other shoe drops, and they’re left in despair.
When Ryan notices, he chuckles. “Don’t you know what’s coming next?”
“Yes, but I feel the same way when I re-read the books, too. I get so lost in the moment, I forget what’s coming next.”
“I wish I could do that,” Ryan grumbles. “I don’t think I’ve ever re-read a book on purpose, once I started reading chapter books.”
Leaning forward, I stare into his eyes in disbelief. “Really?”
His chin pulls back to his chest as the “What?” flies out of his mouth, clearly in defense mode.
“You’ve never re-read a book?”
Rubbing a finger down the bridge of his nose, he shakes his head. “I know what happened, so what’s the point?”
“But don’t you ever just want to feel the emotions of the book again? Like being transported back into that world and getting lost?”
“Uh… all I have to do is read the title or be reminded of it and I remember it all.”
“That’s just… weird,” I admit when nothing else comes to mind.
He has the gall to chuckle. “Tell me how you really feel, why don’t you.”
“Does that work for everything? Or just things you read?”
“Oh, I’ve been known to forget things… trust me. Like I’ll know something is happening on the twelfth but won’t actually realize that the twelfth is tomorrow if that makes sense. But mainly just things I read.”
“I’ll bet that comes in handy for school,” I grumble, wishing I only had to read things once.
“It has its perks.” He shrugs. Then points to the TV.
“Are we gonna find out if their plan works? Or do you want to turn it off? I’m kinda invested and need to know how they take down this terrorist. I already know it will have an HEA, as it’s a romance.
But I wanna know how they take those bastards down. ”
“HEA? You’re speaking my language.”
“Hey, everyone deserves their own Happily Ever After, don’t ya think?”
On instinct, I poke him in the chest .
“Hey, what was that for?” He peers down at me confused.
“Just checkin’ to see if you’re for real.”
Before I can pull away, he grabs my wrist and pulls me close to him. When we’re only a breath away from each other, he whispers, “I’m very real. Flaws and all.” Leaning in, he kisses me chastely then maneuvers me so that I’m back in my original position beside him.
I’m sure my expression remains confused because my mind’s reeling from his abruptness.
“Don’t worry, sweet girl. There’s plenty more where that came from. But let’s finish the movie first.”
Hmmm… I’m not quite sure what to make of bossy Ryan .