2. Ryan
I”m watchingthe clock in my meeting. I need to get out of here as soon as possible if I”m going to make my flight. I know Rory says it”s okay to arrive late, but I hate doing that. As it is, I”ll just make the start of dinner. I”ll have to keep my bags at the restaurant.
“Sorry, guys, I have to leave in fifteen minutes, I have a car collecting me to take me to the airport. So, can we finish this up now?” I”m getting irritable. I hate being under pressure to be anywhere; whenever I do, it ends up in chaos. I hate chaos.
Ten minutes later, I am sat in the car and heading to the airport. I lean my head back and close my eyes. Taking deep breaths, I try to calm my heart rate down. Breathing techniques really help, but I think I”m getting to the stage where I”m too old to be doing all this wheeling and dealing myself. I need to pass some of the work down to my staff. I need to take a leaf out of Rory”s book. He moved to LA and met Jess. They are the perfect couple, and he works from home a couple of hours a week; the rest of the time, he has trusted people to look after his business. He is living the dream.
I might talk to him about moving closer to him. I miss him. We”ve been friends since kindergarten, and it”s been hard the last six years. I know we can afford to fly back and forth, but it doesn”t happen as often as I want because I am always so busy. Yeah, I think I”m going to ask for his help in moving over and working fewer hours. You never know; I could work for a charity or do something rewarding.
Before I know it, I”m stepping off the flight. There was a very short delay, but I am in a cab on the way to the restaurant. When we pull up, I look at the venue. It”s beautiful, there are trees on either side of the doors, they are lit up, and Jess and Rory”s initials are in lights. Beautiful. Someone has really taken their time with the decorations.
As soon as I step inside the door, I am accosted by the beautiful smell of Italian food. Not your junk food crap, but real Mediterranean cuisine. Someone steps in front of me.
“Hi, you must be Ryan.” She takes my bags. “I”m Alison, and I”ll put these somewhere safe so no one falls over them. Everyone is waiting for you. They have just sat down so you didn”t miss much.”
“Thanks, Alison,” I say as I follow her into the room where my friends are.
“Hey, Ryan, you made it,” Rory stands and comes over to give me a bear hug. “So glad you made it.”
“Did you doubt me, Roy?” I hug him back.
“They put you on the end just in case you were late.” Rory laughs.
I lean over and kiss Jess”s hand. “Beautiful, are you sure you want to marry this man tomorrow? We can always run away together.”
She laughs. “Sorry, Ryan, Rory is far more relaxed than you are. I couldn”t cope with your pace of life.”
“Well, that might be changing soon.” I wink at her and then turn to Rory. “I know you are getting married tomorrow. I also know you aren”t going on your honeymoon for a few days after. Can we take some time to catch up? I have a proposition for you.”
“I hope you aren”t thinking of taking him away from me, Ryan,” Jess says. She is a sweet-ass woman until you cross her. I vowed never to do that when I heard her talking to someone who had.
I hold my hands up in the air. “Absolutely not. I promise.” She smiles at me and goes back to talk to her best friend, Rachel.
“No problem, we can catch up after the wedding. We are staying at the venue tonight, and it’s your job to get me to the wedding on time.” Rory sits down.
“That’s great, thanks, bud. And you’ll be there… that’s a promise.” I need to focus on the wedding first; my life changes can wait till after his big day. I head back to my seat and sit down.
The appetizers are sent out, and Malcolm, Jess”s brother-in-law, asks, “How did the stag do go? I was pretty peeved I had to miss it.”
Rory and his friends came out to me in Vegas. We had a great time. The nightlife is to die for, and I know I would miss it if I left. You get to hook up with random women who are going home the next day, and you don”t have to worry about making excuses. Although there was one woman who I didn”t want to let go, but she snuck out of the room while I was in the shower, and she had given me a wrong number.
“We had a great time,” Rory says, looking at me. “Some more than others.”
“Hey, I”m single and ready to mingle.”
“What did happen to that woman you took back to the hotel that night? You seemed to be connecting really well, but I”ve never heard you talk about her.” Rory is shouting down the table, and I really don”t want to talk about it. I need to cut him off right now.
“Ah, you know what it”s like. Once you fuck them, you leave them.” I cringe because she did that to me and I was pissed off about it. But sure I”m never going to see her again, right?
Wrong!
I look up and see the woman from that night. She heard every word I said and now I want to apologize, but she scurries off without saying anything. Shit, what do I do now?
The appetizers are removed, and I just want to go and find her. Who is she? Does she work here? That would be such a coincidence. Instead, I go to find the bathroom.
I can hear two women talking.
“What”s wrong with you, Lily? You always do the front of house stuff. I”m the back end girl, remember. I”m not used to being out there. Is it something to do with the hunk that came in last? Do you know him?”
I don”t hear a response.
“Oh my God, he wasn”t your one-night stand in Vegas was he? The one that you talked about all the time? The one that you wished you hadn”t run out on?”
“Shh, don”t say anything.” I hear her voice and I know without a doubt that it”s her. It”s the same voice that told me to fuck her time and time again. I remember the feel of her lips wrapped around my cock. I know if I go outside now she is going to be embarrassed, but I need to know how to find her again. I”m not letting her go this time. She was too good for that.
I open the door and walk out, but there”s no one there. Walking back into the room, I see her talking to Jess. “How is everything going? Are you enjoying the meal? Is there anything you need?”
“No, Lily, everything is beautiful, you”ve done a beautiful job.” Jess is looking up at her in awe.
“Great. I have some things to finalize for tomorrow, so I”ll be out the back. Alison is going to organize the mini speeches tonight if that”s okay,” Jess looks at her like she”s not sure. “Are you sure you”re okay, Lily? Are you not feeling well?”
“I”m fine, honestly. I just need to contact the caterers and make sure everything is in order. I”ll be here until you leave. And I will see you tomorrow morning bright and early. It”s going to be your big day, and it starts early.”
“Okay, thanks, Lily, this place is fantastic.”
“Yeah, the food is exquisite.”
“I hope you and Alison had something to eat on us.”
“We did, thank you,” Lily looks down the table and as soon as she sees me, she looks at the floor. Then she scurries out. I lean back in my chair. “Rory,” I shout, so he can hear me.
When he looks at me, I nod my head for him to come over to me.
“What”s up, dude?” he asks, kneeling beside my chair.
“Who was that talking to Jess?” I nod down the corridor, which is where she just went.
“Oh, you mean Lily? She is our wedding planner. Why? Don”t tell me you have her in your sights? She”s too good for you, man.”
I look back at him. “You know she”s the woman from Vegas and she just heard what I said about her?”
Rory looks at me and then down the corridor. Then he starts laughing. He”s laughing so hard that he falls over. I watch him struggle to catch his breath.
“It”s not fucking funny. I really liked her and now I”ve fucked up.” I can”t believe I said something so crass just to look good in front of my friends. I”m a shit. It wasn’t even true.
“It can”t be. She”s so sweet and so organized. I would have recognized her or did she recognize me?”
“Well, dude, you were extremely drunk that night.”
“Listen, Ryan, it can”t be her. She doesn”t seem the type to talk to a man near the end of an evening and then say she’ll go back to your room with you, fuck you and then leave. She”s not like that. She is so sweet and caring.” Rory is still smiling at me. It doesn”t matter what he thinks about her, I know she’s the woman who ran out on me. The woman that I still think about when I”m at home on my own.
“Maybe I”m mistaken.” I look at him and he laughs again.
“Nah, dude, you know it”s her.” He walks back to his seat laughing and I know that we will be having words about this tonight.
I don”t see Lily for the rest of the night. We”ve had some funny stories and it”s been a great night, but I can”t get Lily out of my head.
As everyone begins leaving the restaurant, Rory and Jess are left with me and the Maid of Honor, Susie. Jess comes over to me. “It”s great to see you again, Ryan. I know that Rory misses you so much. You need to come more often.” She hugs me.
“Good luck for tomorrow, you are going to look beautiful. I can”t wait to see this guy taken off my hands.” I laugh and hug her again, just as Lily comes out.
“Lily, come and meet Ryan. I think he”s the only person in the party that you”ve not met.” Jess rushes over to Lily and brings her over to stand in front of me. She looks up at me and smiles.
Holding her hand out to me, she says, “It”s good to meet you, Ryan. I hope you will enjoy your stay and the wedding.” She hands me my bag and then turns to Jess. “I have settled everything with the management and there is a car waiting outside to take the four of you home. I”ll see you in the morning, Lily.”
Jess hugs her and then Lily turns and walks away. Jess frowns slightly. “I think she”s coming down with something, she”s usually really chatty.” She shrugs her shoulders and moves back over to Rory. “Come on husband to be, let”s get me and Susie home then you and Ryan can get to the hotel.
We all leave and get into the waiting car. And just as we pull away, I look back and see Lily watching us go. I”m going to make it my mission to have her as mine. I know it”s not going to be easy, but I want her pretty bad. Now I”m even more determined to train someone else up with my part of my business so that I only have to work a couple of hours a week and live in LA. Especially if I have Lily to wake up to.
“Lily, hope you are on for the ride of your life,” I whisper to the window.
“Did you say something?” Rory asks.
“No, let’s get to the venue and have a drink. You”re getting married in the morning. I can”t wait.”
I”m coming for you Lily.