me.
I’d
turned my attention to my cell phone and the text I’d received from Jay that
read, Hi, sexy. Distractedly, I
wrote, Hey you, back to him. I almost
couldn’t believe my own audacity. While my friends were plotting how to get me
home safely, I was busy paying attention to Jay.
“It’s no
problem,” Ryan said. “She obviously can’t drive.”
Evidently,
Ryan would drive me home, and Maureen would pick me up in the morning and take
me to the office where my car was. I had to admit that for all of the negatives
of my job, making amazing friends was one positive.
Ryan
opened the passenger side of his black SUV, the make and model of which I
couldn’t decipher. I was careful to keep my legs together as I climbed in and
fastened my seatbelt. He gently closed the door after me. He came around to the
driver's side and hopped in. He softly smiled at me as he started his car, and
the Beatles came on the stereo. It was The
White Album , and to my surprise, he quietly sang along to the lyrics of
“Dear Prudence.”
“You’re a
Beatles fan?” I had regained my coherence as the sound of my favorite band of
all time filled the car.
“Big time. You?”
“Of
course, and this is my favorite album, actually.”
When
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” piped through the speakers, Ryan and I both got lost in
song, and no doubt looked completely foolish, but I couldn't have cared less.
It was such a rush. I never would have pegged him as a lover of classic rock. It
gave me momentary pause. I was starting to feel like I had more in common with
Ryan than I did with Jay. How on
earth was Ryan still single? For a split second I wondered if he’d allow me to
set him up with someone. But then for some reason I cringed at the very thought
of him on a date.
When we pulled
up to my apartment building, Ryan quickly jumped out of the driver’s side and
appeared at mine in seconds flat. He helped me out of my seat and onto the
street. He made sure I safely inserted the key to my apartment building door,
and when I did, he winked at me.
“I had a great
time tonight,” he said. All of a sudden, it felt as though we were at the end of a date.
“Um,
so did I. Thanks again for the ride, and I’ll see you later this week. I owe
you one.” I winked and walked in the door, and he shut it behind me.
It
was a peculiar encounter, but I supposed was just being a good friend, and I was
grateful for it. I wasn’t used to having quality male friends in my life, and I
was still warming up to the idea of being friends with Ryan at all. I liked
having him around. It seemed like a good safety net to have a big, strong, dare
I say powerful man as a buddy of mine. It certainly couldn’t hurt and would
probably come in handy some day. Ryan was right, the night was great, and so I
decided not to analyze it any further.
9
The
day after the ceremony, Maureen and I were nursing wicked hangovers. Penny was
out of the office, so our productivity was well below where it should have been.
The events at the end of the night before were fuzzy, but it dawned on me that
I’d completely neglected Jay, somewhere in the commotion of getting home. We’d
exchanged texts back and forth, but I passed out before saying goodnight. I
checked my messages and noticed that he hadn’t written me either, so my guilt
switched over to mild irritation; I’d been wasted for the first time in
ages—what was his excuse? It only added to my concern over how casual our
relationship had become.
The final days
leading up to New York blurred together; it felt as if time were flying yet
simultaneously standing still. One day meshed into the next with no real break
to collect my thoughts about my impending travels. Luckily, I’d gotten the time
off work with no problem. I had no choice but to lie on my request-off sheet.
If
I’d
turned my attention to my cell phone and the text I’d received from Jay that
read, Hi, sexy. Distractedly, I
wrote, Hey you, back to him. I almost
couldn’t believe my own audacity. While my friends were plotting how to get me
home safely, I was busy paying attention to Jay.
“It’s no
problem,” Ryan said. “She obviously can’t drive.”
Evidently,
Ryan would drive me home, and Maureen would pick me up in the morning and take
me to the office where my car was. I had to admit that for all of the negatives
of my job, making amazing friends was one positive.
Ryan
opened the passenger side of his black SUV, the make and model of which I
couldn’t decipher. I was careful to keep my legs together as I climbed in and
fastened my seatbelt. He gently closed the door after me. He came around to the
driver's side and hopped in. He softly smiled at me as he started his car, and
the Beatles came on the stereo. It was The
White Album , and to my surprise, he quietly sang along to the lyrics of
“Dear Prudence.”
“You’re a
Beatles fan?” I had regained my coherence as the sound of my favorite band of
all time filled the car.
“Big time. You?”
“Of
course, and this is my favorite album, actually.”
When
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” piped through the speakers, Ryan and I both got lost in
song, and no doubt looked completely foolish, but I couldn't have cared less.
It was such a rush. I never would have pegged him as a lover of classic rock. It
gave me momentary pause. I was starting to feel like I had more in common with
Ryan than I did with Jay. How on
earth was Ryan still single? For a split second I wondered if he’d allow me to
set him up with someone. But then for some reason I cringed at the very thought
of him on a date.
When we pulled
up to my apartment building, Ryan quickly jumped out of the driver’s side and
appeared at mine in seconds flat. He helped me out of my seat and onto the
street. He made sure I safely inserted the key to my apartment building door,
and when I did, he winked at me.
“I had a great
time tonight,” he said. All of a sudden, it felt as though we were at the end of a date.
“Um,
so did I. Thanks again for the ride, and I’ll see you later this week. I owe
you one.” I winked and walked in the door, and he shut it behind me.
It
was a peculiar encounter, but I supposed was just being a good friend, and I was
grateful for it. I wasn’t used to having quality male friends in my life, and I
was still warming up to the idea of being friends with Ryan at all. I liked
having him around. It seemed like a good safety net to have a big, strong, dare
I say powerful man as a buddy of mine. It certainly couldn’t hurt and would
probably come in handy some day. Ryan was right, the night was great, and so I
decided not to analyze it any further.
9
The
day after the ceremony, Maureen and I were nursing wicked hangovers. Penny was
out of the office, so our productivity was well below where it should have been.
The events at the end of the night before were fuzzy, but it dawned on me that
I’d completely neglected Jay, somewhere in the commotion of getting home. We’d
exchanged texts back and forth, but I passed out before saying goodnight. I
checked my messages and noticed that he hadn’t written me either, so my guilt
switched over to mild irritation; I’d been wasted for the first time in
ages—what was his excuse? It only added to my concern over how casual our
relationship had become.
The final days
leading up to New York blurred together; it felt as if time were flying yet
simultaneously standing still. One day meshed into the next with no real break
to collect my thoughts about my impending travels. Luckily, I’d gotten the time
off work with no problem. I had no choice but to lie on my request-off sheet.
If
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