The TLC Song, "No Scrubs," wakes me from the groggy sleep I'd been pulling myself from at a slow pace. There's no point in waking up early on a Saturday morning. My phone rests on the towel I threw on the floor after last night's shower."Hello?" My thick voice cracks from sleep.Cody laughs on the other end. "Still like those Saturday sleep ins? Are you going to make it to lunch?""Of course, Cody. It's steps from my apartment." Isn't it funny how quirks you found cute while dating become fucking annoying when you aren't? Like Cody's constant need to check in and make sure I'm running on time. I used to think it sweet he looked out for me, now I recognize it as the patronizing behavior it is."Okay, I'll see you at twelve o'clock.""Got it." We hang up and I throw back the covers not ready to face the world, but I need to get this done and over with.When Cody texted me last night after running into him and asked me to lunch, I didn't see the harm in agreeing. Now I'm not
I smile up at him, my entire body lighter with the recent revelation. "It's been a hell of a year, huh?" I laugh a little. "But I'm doing well and I hope you are too." My smile grows with every word. I'll probably always have a snarky comment to make about Cody when the time calls for it, but he's not a factor in my current life. I don't even picture him with devil horns any more. Well not all the time at least. It's a start."Really?" he asks a little tense. Maybe he remembers the threats I made against him after I saw the pictures... oops."Yeah, really. Hey, did you ever land the account from the guy in New York?" Cody put a lot of overtime in schmoozing with their fund manager. It meant a big pay raise for him but more late nights too.He finally relaxes and takes a sip of his coffee. Colombian roast with no sugar but a splash of cream. "Of course. Did you think anything less of me?" He laughs at his boast and leans over the small table getting into the conversation. "I saw A
The elevator could get me upstairs faster, but I need the stairs to help calm down so I don't physically harm Ryland as he follows behind me. It doesn't work. Being tired from walking only serves to make me more pissed. My body vibrates with emotions. If I wasn't clenching my fists so hard, they'd probably shake.For the first two flights of stairs, I work on ways I'll address his shitty behavior in a calm and rational way. By the third floor, my feelings bubble over and I lose my control."What the fuck was that, Ryland?" I'm yelling, but there isn't a better volume to figure out what the hell he's thinking.Ryland keeps walking. "You like a guy to dress that way?" After all the male posturing I had to witness, that's what he focuses on?He finally stops walking and I push on his chest... well the top of his stomach because he's a tall, stupid idiot. "Are you really that insecure you're bothered because Cody wore a tie?""No!" He starts walking again punching in the code to
The little blue Corvette idles on the street in front of Cosmo's Comics & Café, but I'm reluctant to get out. The fog's already lifted from the city and temperatures are above fifty-five. It's set to become a beautiful day in the Bay. I have three spectacular friends waiting inside on plush couches with a sugary breakfast of French toast smothered with caramel and chocolate. Four months ago I'd be out of the car by now. Today my feet won't move in their direction. I love my friends, but there's someone better beside me."You'll call me when you girls finish for the day, right?" Ryland turns on the hazard lights, the little dings with each blink filling in our silence.I blow out a breath against the window, fogging up a small area, which quickly disappears. "Yeah.""You're going to be late."Aspen texted me last night with news she had a surprise for us this morning. I don't like surprises. At least surprises I don't know about in advance. "We could go back to your place and pl
Except there's a problem. The sandy blond haired man delivering our food is not wearing the normal Zazie's uniform and logo. Nor does the bag he carries. When he starts to pull out black Styrofoam containers rather than the normal white, my brain clicks on and I face the facts. This is not Zazie's."Aspen, what is this?" I ask, remaining calm for a few more seconds. She better tell me there's been a mix up.Her hands go up, fingers spread in demented over excited jazz hands. "The big news. Breakfast Burritos! Finn and I had them last week and I thought I'd die they were so delicious.""From Los Tres? I've heard they're amazing, but haven't made my way to that side of town." Amanda rolls up the sleeves of her pink long sleeve t-shirt with a large lion on the front.I reluctantly take my burrito wrapped in aluminum foil from Aspen when she hands it to me. "Breakfast burritos? But this is brunch." I'm sure the burrito is delicious, but I'm equally as positive it isn't smothered in
With Ryland's condo door wide open, I tromp back and forth between our places in different dresses. The charity event is a big night for the youth center and my planning skills. I need to look the part of a fancy-put-together woman. Plus, I love to dress up. There might be three weeks until our Casino night, but if I wear a dress from Simone, I'll need it hemmed. It's also a great opportunity for Ryland to practice his boyfriend skills by pretending to care what I wear with fake oohs and ahhs. So far he's done well.The light blue dress I have on drags on the floor behind me, but I kind of enjoy the train feel of it. As long as no one steps on it and I fall on my ass. On second thought, maybe the train's a bad idea.Ryland sits stretched out on his couch watching ESPN on the television, but he turns his head when I step into the living room. His hand goes up and he circles his index finger silently asking me to spin."The purple one looked better with your eyes," he says and then
He stands beside me and I look up to meet Ryland's eyes, my new position making me even shorter. I expect to find passion, but it's a predatory stare he locks on my fingers wrapped around the steel bar of the elevator.Hard cool metal touches my skin as Ryland drags the pair of handcuffs from the top of my shoulder down to my wrists. His lips follow the same trail and he places kisses until he reaches my elbow and it's too far to bend over. My knees go a little weak and I'm glad I didn't try on the heels with the dress.Two clicks blanket the elevator as Ryland opens the cuffs wrapping the chain under the elevator rail and then attaching one to each of my wrists. So we're doing this in the elevator then.My body tenses as Ryland stands behind me in a position I can't see from my side view. His hands wrap around my ankles lightly as he slowly rubs his fingers up my legs raising my dress with them. I want a better angle, but his hand won't let me up when I try to stand. The materia
The wooden surface of Simone's desk in the Raven Digital Arts lobby glistens from the overhead lights. The team Finn paid to come and clean in preparation of tonight's long awaited charity event did their job. Even the floor shines so brightly it's blinding.Ryland pushes the box I'm grabbing dishes from out of his way and leans against Simone's large receptionist desk. "Everything looks great, Marissa. You did a good job on this event for Clare."Grabbing the box, I pull it back toward me and line up a stack of small paper plates on the last few inches of the desk. "You haven't gone past the lobby. How do you know?"He grabs a few napkins from the box and places them on top of the plates, forcing me to adjust them to the side where they belong. It's more aesthetically correct. "As your boyfriend, I'm required to compliment you on a job well done."I chuckle once and throw the now empty box under Simone's desk where no one can see it. "Well, yes, but you should wait to see the