Chapter 38
thirty-eight
point taken
T wo days later, Ryan could still smell her powdery perfume, taste her sweet mouth, hear her soft moans. It was driving him up a wall. He kept his phone within arm’s reach all day Saturday. But no call from Elissa.
He’d been worried until the kiss on Thursday. She kept turning down dates. He told himself she was dealing with a lot, but a part of him, the part he thought he’d healed over the past five years, kept muttering she was one more person who put him second.
“Do you think if you keep staring at it, it’ll miraculously ring?” Iz asked as they cooked dinner.
“No,” he grumbled.
Iz cocked a perfectly manicured eyebrow at him and waved the spoon.
“Maybe,” Ryan amended.
“That girl is busy right now. They heaped a shit ton of extra work on her. The best thing you can do is give her space. She’ll be back.”
Iz was right, as usual. And Ryan was wrong, also as usual. But dammit, he wanted to hear her voice. Wanted to see her face. Wanted to feel her pulled tight against him. Wanted?—
It didn’t fucking matter what he wanted. Not right now. What mattered was what Elissa needed. And right now, she needed him off her case. She would call when she could. She’d promised, and Elissa Wright kept her promises. He’d bet anything on that.
But maybe she needed what he needed. A little alone time. A little one-on-one. Sex. Fuck, he needed sex. With her. It had been too long.
Iz plated some huevos rancheros, and Ryan dug in. Teo was at his sister’s in Glendale for the weekend—some kid’s fifth birthday, if Ryan remembered correctly.
“So, how’s the job?” Iz broke the silence.
“Sucks. Putting a smile on every day is hard enough, but meaning it is impossible.”
“But it gets you closer to your goal.” Iz waved their fork at him. “I know you know this, my dude, but there are half a million people in this city who would gladly trade places with you.”
“I know, I do. Doesn’t mean I have to like my job.”
“Lots of people hate their jobs.”
Ryan sighed. True, lots of people hated their jobs. He never imagined he’d be one of them. His privilege was showing.
“And I guess it will be a ‘character building’ experience for me. God, at least tell me the writer gets more creative later.”
“You’re a jerk.” There was no rancor in Iz’s voice, and a small smile played on their lips.
“I know, but I’m a lovable jerk.”
“You’re lucky you are.”
“Yeah I am. You’re one of the best things in my life.”
“Only one of? Has the lovely Elissa replaced me in your teeny, tiny heart?”
“Shut up.”
Iz shoveled a forkful in their mouth, but their knowing eyes locked onto his. Ryan refused to play this game anymore. He allowed the silence to grow, knowing Iz had a lower tolerance for the quiet than he did.
“I like her for you. I think you two bring out the best in each other,” they said, almost once Ryan gave up.
“I like her too. But I miss her.”
“That’s a good thing, you know. Missing someone.”
“How so?”
“If you miss someone, it means they matter. It means you notice when they’re not with you. Do you miss me when I’m gone?”
“Most of the time.”
“Only most? I’m hurt. Devastated!” Iz smiled to take the sting out of their words. “What about your parents?”
“Never. I miss Nonna.”
“Me, too. She was awesome! Best hugs ever. Alex?”
“Sometimes. We never had the strongest relationship, but we had some good times, and he never made me feel forgotten.”
“How often do you miss Elissa?”
Every fucking day. It hit him right in the gut as his brain answered Iz’s question.
If she wasn’t by his side, he missed her.
Every second of every day. But he wasn’t ready to admit it to Iz.
Of course, he didn’t need to admit it to Iz.
His best friend already knew. It was painted on their face, just like their red lipstick.
“Point taken.” He was in love with Elissa. Simply, utterly, wildly in love with her.
“You should tell her.”
“I did. And she still had to work.”
“Not the missing her. The other thing.”
“What—” Some days, he hated having a friend like Iz. Someone who knew him well enough to know exactly what he was feeling before he did. But today wasn’t one of those days. “Never mind.”
“Give it another month, max. Tax season will be over, and she’ll have more time. I see you two together. She’s almost there, too, dude.”
Doubtful, but still his heart hoped. As long as it didn’t drag his brain along for the ride, he was willing to let it.
His phone rang, and Elissa’s name popped up on the screen.
“Nice talk. Gotta take this.”
“Tell me again how?—”
He flipped Iz the bird and slammed the door to his bedroom shut.
“Hi, Elissa. I was starting to worry.”
“Sorry. Oh god, I’m sorry. I lost track of time and?—”
“It’s okay. I know you’re busy. I’m glad you called. So what were you doing that you lost track of time?”
“Trying to organize things for Karina. I was so busy doing the stuff, I forgot to put it into any particular order. I can’t imagine briefing her on Monday with how messy the files were.”
“Did you get it done?”
“Yeah I did.”
His libido skyrocketed. “Does that mean you can come over tonight?”
“I would be a danger to myself and others if I try to drive tonight. And I still need to put together a PowerPoint for her.”
“I could come over there.”
She sighed over the line, and his heart plummeted. He knew, more or less, what she would say before she said it.
“I promised Jules I’d go to bed early.”
Part of him wanted to hate Jules. But she was right, and most of him appreciated they both had Elissa’s best interests in mind. One of these days, hopefully very, very soon, her best interests would include a half dozen orgasms delivered by him.
“Jules is right.”
“What was that? I don’t think I heard you.”
“You heard me. You can even tell her I said so.”
She giggled over the line, and he flashed back to the first and last time he’d stayed the night, cuddling and talking and laughing long after they both should have fallen asleep.
“I miss you, Elissa.”
“I miss you, too. I promise, as soon as tax season is over, I’m all yours.”
“All mine. I like the sound of that. I’m gonna hold you to it.”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
She yawned over the line. He should let her sleep.
“Goodnight, Elissa. Talk to you tomorrow?”
“It’s not even seven.”
“Do you need me to put Iz on the phone? You know what they’d say, and it will be three against one.”
“No fair ganging up on me. I can make my own decisions.”
“Yes, you can. But the best decision is that you get some rest. And Jules is scary. I don’t want her coming after me with the bat you keep by the front door. If you don’t listen to her for your own good, do it for me.”
An exaggerated sigh wafted over the line. “Fine, I’ll do it for you. But I expect to be rewarded the next time I see you.”
“That’s my good girl. I think I have just the incentive.”
“What?”
“Nope. It’ll be a surprise.”
“You’re a tease. Goodnight, Ryan.”
The line went dead before he could admit the secret Iz had figured out.
I love you.