Page 24 of Return on Love

“Sure. I’ll be back Sunday evening and sort out your key issue.”

Alex won’t be back till tomorrow night. Who else do I know in Boston? Not many people, now that I think about it. And I’m left with two equally terrible options. There’s Dad, who could possibly be at home, and there’s Ryan, the one who hates me and complains about me to my boss and to whom I’ve only recently said words which weren’t too polite. I choose the lesser of the two evils.

Chapter 10

“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”—Yoda

I’m sitting inside the cab to escape the cold when I see the black Mercedes stop by the office some ten minutes after my call. I awkwardly exit the cab as Ryan pays the driver without saying anything. He motions for me to follow him into his car.

Yeah. I didn’t call Dad. Not to bear his disapproving look again. Ryan is marginally better than that. When I called him, he just said he’ll be right over. Honestly, if it’d been me, I’d have refused, and I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d made some excuse for not coming. In fact, I half expected it. I mean, our last conversation had been anything but pleasant.

I sit beside him. I wonder what he was doing when I called. Was he with his wife? Or playing with his daughter? He doesn’t seem angry. But he also doesn’t look not angry. It’s just his usual face when he’s with me. Some inscrutable tight expression.

He turns on the engine and pulls out of the parking lot.

“Um, thanks a lot for coming over. You can drop me at some hotel, and I can stay there for the weekend till Gabriel comes back with my apartment keys. Or at least till Alex is back from his trip.”

No reply. He doesn’t even look at me. Is he upset because I overheard him complaining about me? Or because I almost shouted at him before leaving. Hell, why should he be upset? I should be the upset one here. But he is going out of his way to help me, so I guess I can’t really be angry with him right now. This situation is really messing up with my brain.

“Which hotel are you taking me to?” It’s an important question because the company will not pay for it so I don’t want to go to an expensive one. Especially since I’m not even sure how long my job is gonna last.

“I’m taking you home.”

“Home? Who’s home? In case you didn’t hear me, I don’t have my apartment keys.” The dude just doesn’t listen, does he?

“My home,” he replies in the same expressionless way, staring into the road.

“What? No!” I almost a squeal.

He slows the car and stops by the curb. He turns to me, and I see those blue eyes looking directly into mine. The eyes like the ocean, but… is that hurt I see in them?

“I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you first. The decent hotels in this area can be quite expensive, and I don’t want to take you to an average one. Are you uncomfortable coming to my house? I understand if you do.” He clenches his jaw and swallows a little after. I can see his Adam’s apple bobbing.

There’s the weird expression again, and he looks away. I reflect on his question. Am I uncomfortable? Not really. I don’t like him, but I don’t feel uncomfortable or unsafe with him. On the contrary, he gives off very safe vibes. My lips spread out involuntarily into a smile as I remember those brawny arms around me. Definitely not uncomfortable.

He’s still waiting for a response. “No. That’s not it. I don't want to be a bother. That’s all. I’m sure you have some weekend plans with your family.”

He squints his eyes. “Nah. I wanted to be at home. That’s why I’m skipping Steve’s wedding as well.” He starts the engine. “So, we good?”

“Um. Yeah. Sure.”

His house is not too far. It’s a nice, cozy bungalow with a cute garden. I can almost see Jen playing and running around as we walk to the door. I wonder what he told his wife. Would she find me weird for coming over? I wouldn’t blame her if she did. I notice that there’s no other car parked outside. Maybe she’s not home or is traveling somewhere.

I hear a bark from inside as he puts the key in the lock and turns it. Perfect! He has a dog, too. He’s living the life I always dreamed of. A nice bungalow in a pleasant neighborhood, with a daughter, a dog and a spouse. I feel angry at the unfairness of it all. Why does he get everything? He had friends drooling all over him throughout grad school. I’m sure his parents aren’t like Dad, always ready to judge and crush your hopes. And a dog!

He opens the door, and a Golden Retriever flies over him. Ryan is down on the floor, and the dog is licking his face like there’s no tomorrow.

“Easy, Max. Buddy, come on. Slow down.”

I look at Ryan. He’s smiling! The man can really smile. In my presence! Or maybe Max has made him forget that I’m there. Dogs can do that. Fill you with so much love that you forget your enemies.

After a few minutes, Max turns to me, and wags his tail furiously as Ryan disentangles himself and lets him go.

“Stay, boy,” Ryan commands, and he sits down. His enormous eyes are focussed at me, his mouth open, tongue hanging out, tail still wagging. Ryan looks at me. “Are you okay with him, or shall I put him on a leash?”

“Oh, I love dogs,” I say and bend down a little, patting my thighs as a sign for Max to come to me. He looks at Ryan for permission. Oh, he’s such a good boy, I can almost eat him up.

“Fine,” Ryan grunts, and Max is on top of me. I lose my balance. I’m used to Lily’s terrier, but Max is big and strong and heavy. And my high heels cannot balance me. Déjà vu. In an instant, Ryan’s arms are around me again. I can smell his perfume and feel his biceps. But this time, he leads me to a chair as he scolds Max for his inappropriate behavior.

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