nurse. I need to help, to try and save. And Ryan needs saving.
Knocking on the door startles me from my thoughts. Eyes going wide, I look at my mom with a silent plea.
But it’s Ade that stands and opens the door.
“Hello.”
His deep, whiskey smooth voice does strange things to me. Pulls and tugs at emotions I’d thought long dead. Nerves assault my body, make my fingertips go cold and my breath hitch, and I have to be honest… maybe I’m not being completely altruistic with this thing either.
I don’t want to be, but I’m very attracted to the man.
Dressed in distressed jeans and a white button down shirt my heart literally skips a beat as I take him all in. I grab my chest, feeling that sense of déjà vu all over again, like I’ve seen him before. Before the bar, before that night… long ago, but the memory is so fleeting and dissolves before I can latch on to it.
Brushing dark curls out of his eyes, he looks around until he spots me. I can’t move off the couch, my feet have forgotten the most basic of functions.
“Hi,” he says with a soft smile and it’s there in that smile that I see the guy I’d sat across from eating sushi with.
The one who makes me laugh and forget everything except how good it is to be alive.
I smile back.
“Welcome.” My mother lifts her hand just slightly. “I hear you’ll be taking my babies to the zoo?”
Face still open and pleasant he nods. “That’s the plan, ma’am.”
Cheeks flushed, eyes twinkling with something that looks suspiciously like adoration, mama turns to me and nods-- as if to say ‘I like this one’.
“Good, it’s not healthy for my daughter to stay home so often.”
“Mama,” I warn and clear my throat.
“What? It is true,” her accent thickens, becomes high pitched with laughter, “you hide yourself in your books and work. You’re too gorgeous to stay so hidden.” Swiveling in her seat, she nods. “Am I right, Ryan? She’s gorgeous, no?”
His lips twitch and I wish the ground would just open up so I can drop into it. Why is mom fishing? Doesn’t she realize how pathetic that makes me look?
Cringing, I say, “Mama, stop, please.”
Ryan nods, but his eyes are on my face as he says, “Yes, yes she is.”
Shuffling my feet, I pretend to look for my purse, knowing full well it’s sitting on the floor beside the couch. After a minute I bend over and pick it up.
“Javi, baby,” I kneel in front of him, he doesn’t stop turning his pages, “would you like to go to the zoo today and see the leo’s?”
His brows flicker.
“I’ll buy you ice cream.” Curling my fingers against my chest, I wait.
Cocking his head, he stops turning the pages and meticulously begins to first close, then roll up his comic. Standing, he tucks it into his back jean pocket and heads to the door.
I look at Ryan, the moment of truth, what will Javi do?
“Javi,” I lick my lips, “this is my friend, Ryan.”
Ryan stands completely still.
Javier’s eyes roll slowly toward Ryan’s brown boots.
I nod at Ryan to say hi.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he says just as slowly as I had earlier, “Hello, Javier.”
Ade steeples her fingers and places them against her lips. The anticipation in the room so thick it makes my toes tingle.
Without looking up, Javier walks to the door and grabs his worn Spiderman cap, plopping it on his head. Crisis averted, in his own way, he’d said ‘hi’ back.
Relaxing, I wave at my mom and Ade. Tears glisten in mama’s eyes.
“Okay, we’ll see you guys later.” I blow air kisses and then hook my arm through Ryan’s, leading him toward the door.
“Good to meet you,” he cranes his neck one final time back at them.
“Go. Go.” Mom air kisses back. “Be safe. Don’t rush,” she gets out just as I’m closing the door behind us.
“So I
Knocking on the door startles me from my thoughts. Eyes going wide, I look at my mom with a silent plea.
But it’s Ade that stands and opens the door.
“Hello.”
His deep, whiskey smooth voice does strange things to me. Pulls and tugs at emotions I’d thought long dead. Nerves assault my body, make my fingertips go cold and my breath hitch, and I have to be honest… maybe I’m not being completely altruistic with this thing either.
I don’t want to be, but I’m very attracted to the man.
Dressed in distressed jeans and a white button down shirt my heart literally skips a beat as I take him all in. I grab my chest, feeling that sense of déjà vu all over again, like I’ve seen him before. Before the bar, before that night… long ago, but the memory is so fleeting and dissolves before I can latch on to it.
Brushing dark curls out of his eyes, he looks around until he spots me. I can’t move off the couch, my feet have forgotten the most basic of functions.
“Hi,” he says with a soft smile and it’s there in that smile that I see the guy I’d sat across from eating sushi with.
The one who makes me laugh and forget everything except how good it is to be alive.
I smile back.
“Welcome.” My mother lifts her hand just slightly. “I hear you’ll be taking my babies to the zoo?”
Face still open and pleasant he nods. “That’s the plan, ma’am.”
Cheeks flushed, eyes twinkling with something that looks suspiciously like adoration, mama turns to me and nods-- as if to say ‘I like this one’.
“Good, it’s not healthy for my daughter to stay home so often.”
“Mama,” I warn and clear my throat.
“What? It is true,” her accent thickens, becomes high pitched with laughter, “you hide yourself in your books and work. You’re too gorgeous to stay so hidden.” Swiveling in her seat, she nods. “Am I right, Ryan? She’s gorgeous, no?”
His lips twitch and I wish the ground would just open up so I can drop into it. Why is mom fishing? Doesn’t she realize how pathetic that makes me look?
Cringing, I say, “Mama, stop, please.”
Ryan nods, but his eyes are on my face as he says, “Yes, yes she is.”
Shuffling my feet, I pretend to look for my purse, knowing full well it’s sitting on the floor beside the couch. After a minute I bend over and pick it up.
“Javi, baby,” I kneel in front of him, he doesn’t stop turning his pages, “would you like to go to the zoo today and see the leo’s?”
His brows flicker.
“I’ll buy you ice cream.” Curling my fingers against my chest, I wait.
Cocking his head, he stops turning the pages and meticulously begins to first close, then roll up his comic. Standing, he tucks it into his back jean pocket and heads to the door.
I look at Ryan, the moment of truth, what will Javi do?
“Javi,” I lick my lips, “this is my friend, Ryan.”
Ryan stands completely still.
Javier’s eyes roll slowly toward Ryan’s brown boots.
I nod at Ryan to say hi.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he says just as slowly as I had earlier, “Hello, Javier.”
Ade steeples her fingers and places them against her lips. The anticipation in the room so thick it makes my toes tingle.
Without looking up, Javier walks to the door and grabs his worn Spiderman cap, plopping it on his head. Crisis averted, in his own way, he’d said ‘hi’ back.
Relaxing, I wave at my mom and Ade. Tears glisten in mama’s eyes.
“Okay, we’ll see you guys later.” I blow air kisses and then hook my arm through Ryan’s, leading him toward the door.
“Good to meet you,” he cranes his neck one final time back at them.
“Go. Go.” Mom air kisses back. “Be safe. Don’t rush,” she gets out just as I’m closing the door behind us.
“So I
Similar Books
