Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Don’t overthink it
Ruby
I absentmindedly swirled the wine in my glass while one of Jaz’s reality programs played in the background. The worst thing about these dating shows was how addictive they were. I didn’t know any of the contestants, or even which couples were matched, but nine minutes in, and I was hooked.
“I’d never go on one of these shows,” Bri stated, shaking her head with distaste. “The fact the guys wear more self-tanner than the girls is a serious turn off.”
Seriously, some of them appeared more orange than brown – hard to miss when they spent most of their time in nothing but tight shorts. Apparently, shirts were banned on this show.
“I’d never go on a dating show, period,” Daisy added. “Relationships are messy enough. How humiliating airing it all out on camera.”
I raised my glass. “I can vouch for that.”
Jaz lowered the volume a few notches. “Is Noah still contacting you?”
“I haven’t heard from him for a while actually.”
Ryker’s warning seemed to have worked. I’d expected a follow-up text from Noah the next morning, once the alcohol had worn off, but I hadn’t received anything.
Speaking of texts... my phone went off against the coffee table. Picking it up, a smile stretched across my face seeing Ryker’s name on the screen. I’d always loved seeing it, but lately, I was beginning to crave it.
Ryker: Are you coming home for my mum’s birthday?
Ruby: Nope :( I’m working the night shift on Saturday.
Ryker: Damn. I was hoping I’d get to see you.
A weekend with Ryker and our families sounded a hell of a lot more appealing than a Saturday graveyard shift.
Though if I’d gone, we would have needed to keep all PDA to a minimum. While I was comfortable with our friends knowing about whatever this was, our parents were another story. They’d get way too carried away, and I doubt explaining it was just sex would go over well.
Ryker: What about Thursday and Friday? Are you working then?
Ruby: I finish at midday on Thursday and have Friday off, but it’s still not worth driving home for a day.
“Finally,” Jaz shouted, her attention locked on the TV. “That guy had to go. He was a total douche-canoe.”
“They’re all douchey,” Bri grumbled.
Douchey didn’t even begin to cover it. The guy’s entire back was covered with a tattoo of his mother’s face. Who in their right mind would date a guy with that type of judgement?
Ryker: What if I came to you instead? I could fly into Ohio and stay at your place Thursday and Friday. Then Stefan could swing by Saturday morning on his way home from college and drive me the rest of the way back.
Ryker had never spent time in Ohio. He’d picked me up and dropped me off after weekends spent at home, but he hadn’t ever stayed the night. Because of his football schedule, it had always been easier for me to visit him in Philadelphia instead.
Daisy nudged me. “You good, Ruby? You’re staring at your phone like someone died.” Her face fell. “Shit, did someone die?”
I slowly shook my head. “Ryker asked to stay here next week.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. Not at all. It’s just... new.”
“New is good, Ruby,” she pointed out. “And new with Ryker is great. Your mood has completely lifted since you started banging.”
“We haven’t had sex yet,” I told her.
Bri nodded knowingly. “Ah, so that’s why you’re freaking out. You know he’ll expect it if he stays, and in classic Ruby fashion, you’re already comparing yourself to the thousands of girls he’s been with before.”
I doubt it was thousands – at least I hoped not – but she’d hit the mark with the second part.
I wanted to sleep with Ryker – no matter how insane that sounded. But the idea of sleeping with someone – anyone who wasn’t Noah – was a lot. He was all I knew, and at the time, I’d thought I was all he’d known. I’d never had to worry about comparisons or exes with him.
But Ryker... he was a different ballgame altogether.
Between spending the afternoon with Gretchen, listening to her brag about hooking up with Ryker, and hearing my friends recap their rowdy one-night stands over coffee on a Sunday morning, I’d had my fill of spicy stories.
With those images in my mind, I spiralled, convinced I wouldn’t measure up to what Ryker was used to. Not experienced enough. Not fun enough. Not wild enough.
Would my usual moves satisfy him? Maybe he preferred girls who loved crazy positions. Or made lots of noise. Or asked him to do kinky things to her. I wouldn’t consider myself vanilla, but there were things to me – and certain parts of me – that were absolutely off limits.
Jaz paused her show. “My advice? Don’t overthink it, just go with it. This is Ryker you’re talking about. He’s bound to show you a good time.”
He already had. The real question was whether I could return the favour. Yeah, I’d given him a hand and blow job, but it was virtually impossible to stuff those up.
As I reread his last message, my attention caught on the selfie of Ryker and me linked to his contact name.
We’d taken it on my sixteenth birthday – minutes before I backed into his parents’ letterbox.
Before anyone noticed, we’d pushed Stefan’s basketball hoop over the damage and blamed it on the wind – a lie we’d carried with us to this day.
In that moment, I’d known he had my back. And even though things had shifted between us now, that hadn’t changed. This was Ryker – my Wheels. I could trust him.
Ruby: If you want to.
Ryker: Obviously I want to.
Ryker: Unless you don’t want me to...
Ruby: I want you to. :)
He texted back an excited GIF and followed it up with a message.
Ryker: Booking my flight now.
*
Dr. Spring hummed as she washed her hands in the sink beside me. She’d just finished her last surgery for the day, which meant I had too.
I’d planned on going home after my shift to shower and change, but we were running behind. Looks like I’d be heading straight to the airport to pick up Ryker, rocking dirty hair and scrubs.
Fantastic. Way to set the mood, Ruby.
“Have you given any further thought about Dr. Jefferson’s graduate program?” Dr. Spring asked.
I nervously wrung my hands beneath the warm spray. “Do you really think I’d have a chance?”
“Of course. Dr. Jefferson and I went to medical school together. I have a lot of influence with him.”
My eyebrows lowered. “I wouldn’t want the job because of preferential–”
“No,” Dr. Spring interjected, chuckling. “What I meant is that he values my opinion. All the candidates will come with a recommendation.”
“Oh. Right.”
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about the graduate program. The main thing stopping me from applying was the distance. It was somehow both a pro and a con. As courageous as I wanted to be, over two thousand miles from home was longer than I’d ever pictured.
“I did my residency in Seattle,” Dr. Spring said. “The music scene’s great, and sports options aren’t lacking if that’s what you’re into. I caught an NFL playoff game while I was living there, and apparently there’s an NHL team now as well.”
That piqued my interest – the football part at least. While the odds of Ryker getting drafted to the same state where I accepted a graduate position were slimmer than slim, at least Seattle had football.
Fingers crossed whichever team he was drafted to had a game scheduled there next year. .. assuming I got the job.
Dr. Spring shook her hands dry. “Take the next two days to think it over. Talk to your parents, friends, your boyfriend, and we’ll touch base again next week.”