Page 2 of Faking it with My Boss' Son

‘‘I think we should leave now, too. It is getting late. The days are short these days.’’ I glanced at my watch.

‘‘I’ll call my driver. He should be here in the next ten minutes. I’ll get him to drop you off at home.’’ Ryan took out his phone and texted his driver to pick us up.

We strolled through the campus one last time while we waited for the car to arrive. We had spent ten long years of our life in this place. Stepped into this place as kids and stepped out of it as adults.

‘‘I’m really going to miss this place,’’ Ryan sighed, looking around at the large brick building and sprawling green courtyard.

‘‘This place is going to miss you too, Ryan. This city will never produce another great soccer player like Ryan Pearson.’’

Ryan blushed a little as I praised him.

‘‘You flatter me. I wish my dad would understand that my interest is in sports and not in managing a software company like him.” He sighed, putting his hands into his jean pockets.

‘‘You can’t convince him otherwise?’’ I raised an eyebrow.

‘‘Convince who? My dad? You must be kidding!’’ Ryan sneered. ‘‘You’ve met the man; you know what he’s like.’’ Ryan and I walked out of the school slowly toward his car.

‘‘So, have you booked your tickets?’’ I asked with hesitation.

Ryan nodded yes.

‘‘When is your flight again?’’

‘‘Next Friday, 10 am.’’

He opened the car door for me. I stared out the window as we headed to my house, my heart heavy.

I held back my tears. I didn’t want to show my sadness and make Ryan upset. He was not feeling good about all of this either, and I had no desire to make things harder for him. I gave him a plastic smile as I watched the distance to my house getting shorter and shorter.

‘‘Did you see Lucas? Wasn’t he a little perturbed about seeing us?’’ Ryan asked suddenly, raising his eyebrows.

Ryan was a little bit unpredictable, and he often said whatever came into his mind. It was something I appreciated about him. So, it didn’t feel weird to me when he asked me about Lucas, but I was a bit curious.

‘‘I didn’t notice. And I don’t see any reason why he would be perturbed about seeing us together. He knows we are good friends. Besides, this isn’t the first time he has seen us together. He should be used to us hanging out.” I shrugged my shoulders.

‘‘Exactly my point. That is why it confuses me. Maybe it was kind of an odd time. I mean both of us alone, on the campus. Maybe he got the wrong idea…’’ Ryan pondered.

‘‘You’re overthinking.” I laughed, “I know Lucas. He’s a nice guy. I am sure he doesn’t think anything like that. Even if he did, when have we ever cared about what other people thought about us, right?’’ I said enthusiastically.

‘‘Right,’’ Ryan grinned.

The driver stopped the car in front of my house. Ryan stepped out of the car with me and gave me a warm hug. ‘‘Stay in touch, Michelle,’’ he said softly.

‘‘I will. You too.’’ I cleared my throat.

‘‘Always.’’

Ryan squeezed my hand warmly and started to walk back to the car. He stopped, turned back, smiled weakly, and then stepped into his car. The smoke from the exhaust began to whirl in the air as the car drove away.

I stood there, inhaling the cold air and the smoke. I tasted my salty tears and looked at the car until it was out of my sight. The traffic was getting thinner as the day went on, and I had no idea when or if I would see Ryan again. I had a feeling that I was saying goodbye to him for the last time. He’d get busy with his life and me with mine, and we would just be a good memory in each other’s lives. I had no idea what the future held for either of us. All I knew was that what I felt now was not a good feeling at all.

Chapter one

Ryan

Thirteen Years Later

I never miss my early morning run, no matter how tuckered out I am. My athletic career came first. After playing soccer at USC, I now play for the Los Angeles FC Soccer team. We are in the off-season right now, so our practices mainly consist of weight training and cardio to make sure we stay in shape for the season. I also coach private lessons and a little league team during the off-season to make some extra money and stay busy. My dad would nag me now and then to take early retirement from sports and join his company as CEO, but I never listened. The happy-go-lucky person that I am, I’d laugh it off, which always made my dad go bonkers. Soccer was my passion, and nothing would get in the way of it.

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