Ryan's Love (8 page)

“
Ryan
darling, I was just wondering how everything was going with your
employee,
”
Rachel said coming into the room without asking
permission.

My
eyes go straight to Ryan and she was looking at me with an amazing
hurt look in her eyes, like she knew I was going to agree with
Rachel
’
s label of her to me.

“
Actually, Ryan is doing just fine. Isn
’
t that
right Ryan,
”
I say looking at her and winking.

I
don
’
t know if she caught it because she was looking down
now, kind of defeated like.

“
Yes,
”
she mumbled.

“
Great. Since she
’
s doing ok why
don
’
t you come back out here so we can catch up.
I
’
d love to pick up where we left
off,
”
she says as she tries to snuggle up to
me.

I
quickly step aside and grab her hands so they
weren
’
t touching me.

“
Look
since you chose to intrude on an obviously private moment, I guess
I
’
ll have to lay it all out to you now. Whenever Ryan
will have me, I plan to make her mine. You have no right to touch
me ever again. Please leave her and I alone. We have some important
things to discuss. So if you would do me a favor and shut the door
on your way out; I have some important things to get
to,
”
I
say and turn to a slack-jawed Ryan.

I
didn
’
t wait to see her leave. I simply walked over to
Ryan.

“
I
brought this for you,
”
I say handing her a water, then sitting down in a
chair beside the bed.

“
Ryan, you didn
’
t have to do that for
me,
”
she says peeking up at me thru her massive amount of soft
waves.

“
Yes
I did. Now where were we,
”
I say smiling down at
her.

She relaxed a bit and we began to
talk.

She
told me all about her life growing up. About how much her father
doted on her mother, he treated her like a queen. But one day he
came home from work and said that she had to get out of Boston with
the kids and never look back. She said that her parents
didn
’
t know that she was listening when they were having
this argument. Anyhow, she said that after what seemed like hours
of her father begging her mother to leave with them and her asking
why; and saying that she would never leave him. He finally yelled
at her and said that he doesn
’
t love her. That he
could never be with a black woman like her, that she
wasn
’
t good enough for him.

Ryan
cried into my chest as she told me all this. I wanted to tell her
how messed up her father was. How she shouldn
’
t let his
nastiness affect her life. But I didn
’
t say anything. I
simply held her and whispered how special she was to me in her ear;
and after a few moments like this she looked up at me and
smiled.

“
Thank you for holding me like this,
”
she says snuggling up
into my chest.

“
Honey, I don
’
t mind. I want you to
know that I
’
m here for you.
Whenever you want to talk I
’
ll
listen.
”

She
glances up at me with thoughtful eyes and smiles sleepily then lays
her head on my lap. As she is laying there she begins to tell me
all about herself. What she likes and what she
doesn
’
t. Everything from food to sports. I stroke her hair
gently to let her know that I
’
m here and
I
’
m listening. She talked until she was tuckered
out.

“
I
’
ve been rambling on like a crazy person.
Don
’
t you have anything you want to tell me about
yourself,
”
she says now looking up at me, while her head was still in
my lap.

It is taking all that I have to not
flip her over and ram myself up into her sweet virgin
heat.

“
I
don
’
t mind listening to you talk. Everything you said is
helping me get to know you better.
”

“
Really. I thought you might think I was crazy and run me
out of here again,
”
she mumbles shyly.

I turn her soft chin up so she is
looking me in the eye.

“
I
would never do that to you again,
”
I say
matter-of-factly.

“
Ok,
”
she utters.

“
Now
where were we. Oh right, well my mother and father met and quickly
fell in love. Had us three hooligans and lived happily here in
Boston. My dad took over Callahan & Callahan fully when my
grandpa died. I did use to enjoy coming to the office with dad when
I was younger; I used to want to be just like him. A smart lawyer
with a family that loved him. But as I got older I changed and my
dreams changed. So I hurried off to the Marines as soon as I
could.
”

“
Why?
What changed? Don
’
t you want a family
anymore,
”
Ryan asks
me.

“
Well
I just felt like my dad was pressuring me to do something I
wasn
’
t fully ready for. I mean I did want to work with him.
I just wasn
’
t ready. I
didn
’
t want to settle down until
recently,
”
I
say.

She
grins at that last statement and closes her eyes.
“
I
’
m glad
you
’
re here with me.
”

“
Me
too. Baby, Me too,
”
I say.

Chapter 6 (Ryan)

After
that special night Ryan and I spent together, I thought that I
should take things slow with her. I definitely wanted to get close
to her, but I don
’
t want to scare her
off in the process. So I first started to go to the office as much
as I could to help out so I could see her. I would stop by her desk
and ask her how her day was going. Then I would bring her some of
that white tea from Whole Foods that she told me she loved. Then I
asked her out for lunch, which she eagerly said yes to. We both
enjoyed each others company. We laughed and talked so much that I
almost got her back late to work. I thought maybe she would be
reluctant to go out with me again because of it, but she
wasn
’
t. We went out for lunch a couple more times in the
next two months. We even had an early dinner one evening. We spent
so much time together that I couldn
’
t go anywhere without
my mom asking me was Ryan with me. Usually that would have got
under my skin and pissed me off. But since she was talking about
Ryan I couldn
’
t help but smile. I
am really beginning to fall for her. So much so that I
can
’
t take it anymore. I have to get next to her or
I
’
m going to crawl out of my skin.

“
Ryan, I was thinking how about we eat in
tonight,
”
I say purposely not looking at her.

I
didn
’
t want her to see the need I had for her on my
face.

“
But
I thought you made us a reservation.
”

“
I
did. But I was thinking how nice it would be to just enjoy a night
in on this cold rainy day. You know eat and sit in front of a warm
fire.
”

“
Well, I guess that would be ok,
”
she
said.

I
breathed a sigh of relief. I didn
’
t know if she would
agree to being alone with me in such an intimate setting. And I
wasn
’
t going to say anything that would change her mind. So
I quietly drove the rest of the way home.

~
~
~

“
Ryan
Honey, what are you guys doing here? I thought you were taking her
to that restaurant tonight,
”
my mom said hugging me, then turning
and hugging Ryan.

“
I
was but, we had a change of plans. We thought it would be nice to
come here for the night. Isn
’
t that right
Sunshine,
”
I
say.

We both look down at her waiting for
her to answer.

She looked up at me like she was too
nervous to answer. But she finally did.

“
Yes
we did,
”
was all she said as my mother dragged her off to the
kitchen.

I
assume to help finish cooking dinner. I hope that she
doesn
’
t mind. I wanted to spend the whole evening with her,
but I do love the fact that mom likes her; and that she likes mom.
You really can
’
t ask for
more.

“
So
when are you going to ask her, Son,
”
my dad says to me as he pats me on my
back.

I turn looking at him, not knowing
what he is talking about.

“
What
do you mean, Dad?
”

“
Son,
don
’
t give me that. I
’
ve seen how you look
at her. It
’
s the same way that I look at your mother. I know
that look. You love her,
”
my father says to me with a look of
strength, and fatherly love.

Do I?
Do I really love her? She is perfect for me. Her smile lights up a
room. She makes my heart thump whenever I think about her. When
she
’
s not around me I can
’
t help but worry if
she
’
s alright. Damn right I love her. I want her to be
mine forever. I just have to get her to admit that she loves me
too.

“
I
d
o
n
’
t know Dad. But I do love her. I just
don
’
t know if she loves me too,
”
I say.

“
Oh
son please. That woman has always looked at you with such love.
I
’
m surprised that you haven
’
t already
noticed it.
”

“
What? Since when?
”

“
Oh
how about since the first day you came home. I saw the two of you
in the pool; and when she left dinner to go with you. She looked
like someone who was totally devoted to you and that was the first
day. I know that you guys are trying to take things slow seeing how
that first day ended; but Son hear me when I say,
don
’
t wait too long. A beautiful woman like that will
catch someone
’
s eye sooner or
later,
”
he says with a knowing smile on his face.

“
Dad,
”
I start to say, but I stopped before I finished when My
Sunshine walked back into the room.

“
Dinners ready guys,
”
she says then flits her way back into
the kitchen.

Then her and mom starts bringing out
dinner. It looked like a dressed salad, lasagna, and
rolls.

My Dad
leans over and whispers to me,
“
Hey what was that
Sunshine stuff about?
”

I grin
like an idiot and say,
“
Its nothing. She just reminds me of sunshine on a
nice warm day. Plus it is a little weird calling her Ryan in
certain situations.
”