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Chapter 163: A Million Dollars or Solve World Hunger
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Boys of RDA Chapter 164: Someone has Pizza
Someone has pizza.The smell trickles in through my opened door and my nose perks up. It's not uncommon for one of the kids to use their extra money to eat dinner here. It's a safer space than what many of them go home to. What is totally unfair is the fact it's against regulations for me to eat any of their pizza. During the school year I eat dinner here most nights, but over the summer I try to make it home. It means by four o'clock my stomach would consider ingesting anything in sight...or smell.I should get up and leave my office, but I can't will my legs to move. I like to spend my last hour with the kids before I hand over the operation of this place to John, the evening help I hired thanks to the successful fundraiser the RDA girls held in April. We're mostly volunteer supported but free people aren't always reliable. It's nice to have someone.Of course I can't leave now. If I go out there, I worry I'll finish up whatever cheesy goodness is left. My stomach uses the thou
Boys of RDA Chapter 165: What's the Scoop?
All big news depending on who you ask."Can't say I have. What's the scoop?""Del Fray Technologies was bought out this morning. An under the table thing. No one saw it coming."That is big news. Del Fray Technologies is a large employer in this neighborhood. Many of the kids' parents have worked there for generations."Do you know who?"John shakes his head. "Not a clue. Some investment firm, but it hasn't hit the papers yet."John attends the local community college business program and always has an update on things going on in the city. He heard about the new Jack-in-the-Box before anyone else, so I don't spend long questioning his words."Well there's no sense in speculating. Del Fray used to be a big supporter of the center, but those donations dried up in the last year or two. Let's hope the new owners will invest in the neighborhood again.""Let's hope they're not your typical fat cat who will suck every penny they can from the company to buy themselves a new ho
Boys of RDA Chapter 166: This is a Horrible Idea
"This is a horrible idea," I yell to Aspen as she walks through the doorway into the darkness.My words are lost in the rhythmic thumping of music playing over the speakers propped up throughout the warehouse. I'm twenty-four. That's four years too old to be at this party.A rave.A Friday night rave.Plus, what if I see one of the kids from the center? There isn't a logical reason for me to explain it away. What would I say? Official beer tester?"This is a horrible idea!" I yell into the open expanse since no one heard me the first time.I'm jostled as Marissa puts two hands on my shoulder bumping into me. "This is a great idea!"My eardrums throb, but I yell back. "I do not belong at a rave."She laughs using a finger to point at her ear signaling she can't hear me. "Okay isn't a rave, it's the hottest new dance club in town."She walks toward the floor leaving me alone to ponder who in their right mind names a club Okay. And dance club my ass. We're at a rave. I g
Boys of RDA Chapter 167: Secret Party Guy under the L. L. Bean
Grant's body moves to the music, our fronts facing one another, and I decide to go with it. Even though Marissa pretends to be upset, she'll enjoy having Ryland here when he shows up later... probably sooner than later. The feeling catches me off guard, but I'm glad Grant is here rather than on another continent. A rave-warehouse isn't where you'd expect to find him. Unless Grant is hiding a secret party guy persona underneath all that L.L.Bean, I have to assume he's here for me.Strictly in a friend way of course.I take a sip from the cup and spit the clear liquid all over the floor and Grant's shoes. Marissa laughs and shrugs at my confusion. He looks down on his leather sandals that probably cost more than a month's rent but doesn't yell. Instead he shakes his head and points to my glass. I hand it over and wait for him to sip the straight vodka. He doesn't spit it on the floor, but his lips pinch together in confusion and he hands the plastic cup back.The music goes on and
Boys of RDA Chapter 168: Good Castles are Made from Cobblestone
"I can't believe you took the time and materials to build your outer walls of smooth stone." Grant stops his character's movements to admire my work.The smooth stone towering high in the sky sparkles in the light. Some people paint. I build castles in online games. It's my masterpiece. I don't mind him appreciating the work."Why? What's yours made from?" I've heard about this huge castle Grant and the guys are so proud of."Cobblestone. The building block of all good castles."I laugh and take my character off the staircase to the second floor. "You mean the building blocks of all lazy castle builders.""How long did it take you?"I stop my character and bite off a piece of the turkey sandwich room service dropped off five minutes ago. "Months. Maybe longer. I made the structure out of cobblestone and then replaced each block as more smooth stone became available."I'm not sure if my dedication to this castle shows my good work ethic — I quarried the stone myself over m
Boys of RDA Chapter 169: That's Not How You Use Controllers
There is a snapping sound beside us and I whip my head in the direction of the sound. Grant rips the corded controller from the Super Nintendo console he keeps next to the newer Xbox. He wraps the long cord around his hand and then jerks the other free.Earlier I questioned the older system, which he reassured me he needed because it had the best versions of Mario and the original NHL hockey game. There definitely wasn't extra money in our budget for game systems growing up so I have no choice but to take his word for it."What are you going to do, tie me up with a controller?"With the sweep of his hand he brushes the wireless Xbox controllers out of his way. "Precisely.""No, really?"Grant closes half the distance between us on his knees. "Do you trust me?"My first response is to say no. I don't trust anyone. But I trust Grant."Sure.""Then take off your bra because you won't be needing it anymore tonight."I reach back, unfasten the material and let the straps f
Boys of RDA Chapter 170: What am I doing in Grant's Hotel Room?
The stark white ceiling is too bright. Do hotel staff repaint it every year? It wouldn't surprise me if they did. The bright morning sun reflects off the white surface. The thick curtains used by normal people to block out the morning light hang open and I roll over to try and hide from the sunny rays. My stomach rumbles as I bury my head in the pillow.If I didn't know better, I'd think I had a hangover.But all the choices I made last night were with a straight head. The vodka I consumed earlier in the evening had burned out of my system long before we reached this hotel room. If I'm suffering from a hangover, it's the emotional kind.Grant pulls on the covers, and a short snore escapes between his lips as he rolls further away. The loss of his body steals my warmth with him. I'm too old to continue playing this game. What in the hell am I doing in Grant Moore's hotel room?Again.I roll to my back and stare up at the ceiling resigned to the fact I'm awake.This.This r
Boys of RDA Chapter 171: Whose Side is he On?
He says "regular suite" like regular people will ever get to watch a game from one of them. I stalled for as long as possible, but we still made the game in time. Grant took a shower at my place even though I freaked out he wouldn't find it clean enough. His bathroom is spotless because someone cleans it for him every day. Drew and I argue over who has to wipe his spit off the mirror.While Grant showered, I hurried to try and sneak out before he finished. I was super close to making my escape, but Drew stopped me at the front door. I'm beginning to think he's on Grant's side in this whole debacle.He used a guilt trip of epic proportions, the size of which I haven't seen since he needed me as his wing man to help him score a date with Charlene Wilkinson back in twelfth grade. A few compliments on her new school wardrobe was all it took to get her to Mrs. Haverbush's house for an afternoon. But my work blew up on our faces when she realized we lived in a foster home. Drew couldn't
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Boys of RDA Chapter 246: Series Epilogue
Six months later"I thought you were painting this room silver?" Hudson asks dropping his half of the couch inside of our brand-new tiny living room. That's not fair. It's bigger than the apartment when I lived with Marissa. Living here will be like me having my own special mansion. Except this time the rent is higher.I put my end of the couch down and then promptly sit at the end of it. I've done my part of moving. This is why we hired movers. I don't know what it is about men wanting to lift heavy objects. Plus, it's not like there's much furniture to move. The old apartment came furnished. This stuff is new.I look at the wall, which shimmers in the bright light from our large open window in the new living room. "I did. It's Silver Fox.""This color is gray.""No, it's Silver Fox.""It looks gray to me."I shake my head in dismay. "Gray is darker."He nods slowly. "Uh-huh. Whatever you say."Hudson and I have been living together since he made the permanent move t
Boys of RDA Chapter 245: Finn Hooked You Up
A few weeks later"Wow, Finn hooked you up." My eyes blink a few times trying to adjust to the overpowering glare of so many television screens in one room.Hudson laughs as he steps behind me. "Ridge taught me you can never have too many cameras.""Well, you definitely put his words into practice." No less than thirty flat screen TVs line a wall in the room Finn and Hudson started calling the war room. I'm pretty sure Finn has a camera everywhere Aspen may go in San Francisco. There is even one in the comic shop. The transition has gone well for the most part. Finn and Aspen had a heated debate over her bodyguard situation.Once Hudson accepted the position, he didn't waste time. It's been less than three weeks and he has a war room set up and is spying on half the residents of the city. My man gets shit done."Are you happy?" I ask turning around so we are face to face.Hudson rolls his eyes and says something silently to the ceiling of the room. He's recently taken up pr
Boys of RDA Chapter 244: Full Marissa Style
The glass automatic door at the airport entrance slides open and I saunter in with a purpose. No woman has ever been as determined as I am to put a man in his place. Full Marissa style.And then maybe win him back. It depends on his response. I've been through tons of shit the last few weeks. I need someone who can handle me and won't chicken out.Aspen and Finn checked me out of the hospital and then took me back to my apartment making me promise I wouldn't leave when I asked to be alone. My mother even listened when I told her it was a great time to visit my brother in Washington. He'll love it.Besides my shattered heart, I'm medically fine. There's no reason for people to be stuck hovering around me. Hurt or not, I've still peopled too much these last few days, so it wasn't hard to press that I needed quiet time. I promised to head right into bed and sleep for a few more days.But I've broken many promises lately. And kept secrets. I am not the same girl I was last year. An
Boys of RDA Chapter 243: Horrible Timing
I hate to be a bad friend — who am I kidding, I'm always the bad friend — but Aspen could not have picked a worse time to make her visit. And I love her. She was here all day yesterday. Getting water, refilling water, fluffing my pillow and accidentally pulling on my IV before doing it again while apologizing for pulling on the IV. Hudson and I haven't had two minutes to ourselves. I tried to fake sleep yesterday afternoon, but then they stood around the bed looking and me and whispering."Do you need your pillow fluffed?" she asks for the thousandth time. It's become her filler question. What she asks me if she doesn't know what else to ask.I shake my head, giving Finn my best "calm her down" look, but he doesn't notice. He's so madly in love with Aspen he thinks everything she does is adorable. "I'm fine, Aspen. Relax."My best friend is definitely more put together than Hudson in the last two days, but not by much. Her hair is flat on one side, a little curly on the other, an
Boys of RDA Chapter 242: A Scene I Never Want to See Again
A STEADY STREAM of beeps wakes me up to a stream of light.A hospital. It's the place I've woken up the last two days. I can't complain. It's one hundred times better than a concrete floor in an abandoned factory in Oakland. Even still I fight the panic as my brain comes into consciousness. The hospital therapist says eventually there will come a day when I don't wake up ready to flee, but I'm not sure I believe her.My awake body is heavy and sluggish. Yesterday I spent most the day sleeping as my conscious mind worked around what happened after I was taken from the sidewalk in front of Cosmo's.Hudson was shot. I watched it with my own eyes. What I didn't know at the time was the bullet grazed the side of his body and most of his injury was due to the shock of being shot. Even though my mind didn't want to believe it at the time, he led the charge to rescue me. And yes, he absolutely shot Jimmy in the head — a scene I never ever want to see again, but one that plays on repeat e
Boys of RDA Chapter 241: Kidnapped
Breathe. I hit reality with a start. Tears form as I blink my eyes to open them. My shoulder hurts, a tingling stiff sensation like I slept on it wrong. At one point I must have broken out in a cold sweat and my skin is clammy, moist yet chilled. My knuckle scrapes the hard ground underneath my body as I sit up and the events of what happened flood back. It wasn't a bad dream. I've been taken right from the front of Cosmo's. Kidnapped.They shot Hudson.I have no idea how long I slept or where I am. No longer in the van, the room is dark around me and it takes longer than I want for my eyes to adjust. Of course, there's no positive to be found when they do. Sawdust and dirt smells permeate the air. On the ground there's not only cold hard concrete but sharp pieces of wood. I wipe a few from my pants legs only to have them stick to the skin of my fingers.As I try to stand, there's a clink of metal. I tug my foot to find it doesn't move. My leg is bolted to the ground with thick m
Boys of RDA Chapter 240: Forgive and Forget
"Are you sure you won't walk in there and start crying?" Hudson asks as we stop in front of Cosmo's Comics and Café.I take a deep breath and check myself before I answer because frankly he's probably right to be worried. It's been two days since we met with Drew at the restaurant in Oakland and I spent most of that night crying. I haven't talked to anyone since then. More than likely they think I've been taking this time to apologize to Hudson. He promises he's forgiven and forgotten and even understands why it took so long.Hudson spent the last few days consoling me as I came to terms with finally admitting what happened that night and saying goodbye to Drew if only in my own mind. He's been perfect. He didn't push or yell at me to do it faster or tell me I was being ridiculous. He listened and held me when I needed him. I couldn't ask for a better man.Hudson is everything I've ever wanted in a guy. Sensitive enough to figure out when I'm hurting, but strong enough to tell me
Boys of RDA Chapter 239: Final Answers
"That's your answer?" Hudson's eyebrows lift.I hit my knee against his. "Hudson."He sighs in agitation."Well, Drew, the way I look at it Amanda doesn't have much to tell. It sounds to me as if in her story you were a friend who was there to help her out. Who didn't want to get involved in a police investigation. But before I can trust her opinion that you're a nice guy, I need proof."Drew laughs even though it's inappropriate for the time. "I don't think I'm a nice guy, but thanks, Amanda.""Um, you're welcome?""I started working construction jobs part time when Clare and I were in foster care." He stops talking right as the story gets good."But you don't do construction work now, do you?" Hudson asks the exact question I've been thinking.It's like pulling teeth to get facts out of Drew, but what he doesn't understand is Hudson will have no qualms telling Ben if he's not satisfied with his answers."Yes and no. From time to time my boss asks me for extra favors
Boys of RDA Chapter 238: Truthful Memories
"Sorry, Dean, I've got to get home. Lots of Christmas prep to do."There's no time to chase another raid with so much work to do for Aspen's Christmas celebration. They overdo it for most holidays, but the big ones are the worst.He nods, accepting the answer. I rarely take him up on offers for more raiding or the hundred times he's asked me out for coffee. "Okay, see you next time." He waves, following a large group of people making their way to cars and bikes before heading toward the wharf.I step onto the sidewalk outside the baseball stadium to look for a cab. The road is eerily quiet since there isn't baseball in December and the people from the raid snatched up the cabs. Even though Grant, Clare's boyfriend would kill me, I scroll through my phone and find the Uber app. If I have to call for a ride anyway, I should at least make it a cheap one. He'd be pissed over how close I am to his neighborhood without someone here with me, but it's too late to worry about that now.
