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
"Clare?" I can't think of another red haired person who Simone could have attached herself to, but she doesn't seem Grant's type."If I knew her name I wouldn't ask you, Marissa." Grant takes another bite of his crab cake and he's lucky he stuffed his mouth before more attitude came out of it.I pop a hip. "Leave Clare alone. She's nice and I like her. She's not your type and if you sleep with her and don't call her the next day, she'll never hang out with us again.""That wasn't my plan at all, Marissa. Have a little faith."Really? It wasn't his plan at all. I bet. "What happened to Natasha?""Who?" he asks taking a bite like the clueless man he is."The girl you were texting the other night at Ryland's?" Why are men so stupid sometimes?He finishes chewing with a large swallow at the end. "Oh Tash... yeah it didn't work out."I knew it. Grant isn't a mean guy. He's not even what I'd call a player, but his ability to forget about women is legendary. Not a single girl
"Have I told you how much I love the gold heels, Aspen?" I ask as we stand on the packed elevator together.She sticks her foot out and twist. "Thanks."Next time I get to dress up, I'm going with heels. Aspen's at least three inches taller with the gold ones. My closet is sparse when it comes to high shoes because Cody hated it when I stood over him. I bet with a pair of stilettos I'd barely pass Ryland's chin. There's a whole new world of fashion available to me.We step off the elevator and even at the late hour The View is full of people. Most stand around the large open windows, but a few mingle in the middle by the circular bar with leather chairs."Wow, we'll never find a place to sit, Aspen." Heels or not my feet are tired.She practically skips off the elevator. I guess the shoes aren't bothering her after all. "Don't worry, Finn had a table reserved.""Damn it." Ryland's curse is quiet, but he's close enough I hear it."What?" I ask leading him to the side away
Finn thinks for a moment and then nods, and Trey agrees."Wait. So now the seventh movie will be the first?" Simone can't let it go.Trey groans and throws his head back placing a hand at his hairline. "We need to stop talking about this."Simone and Trey start to argue back and forth over whether she's allowed at Star Wars day. I'm still confused on why she even wants to be there.I lean back into Ryland and whisper. "Are you going to this movie day?""Yeah, I haven't been able to go since college." He pauses in thought for a minute. "Do you think you'll be able to go that long without me?"I put on my best sad face. "It will be hard, but I'll manage...somehow," I answer sarcastically."Will you really move with me when I sign to a new team? Away from your friends? I'll practice every day during the week and then travel for games."Is he trying to talk me out of it? "Sure, and who knows. Maybe you'll get an offer from an American team."He laughs, but it's humorless.