51. Ryan

Chapter 51

Ryan

No matter how hot it’s been to talk about being with other people in the past, watching a string of guys hit on Kayla and her friends is fucking horrible. I don’t like it one bit, but they can handle their own, and waste no time making it clear they’re only interested in each other’s company tonight.

Her friends take turns to visit me at the bar, first for beers, then for shots, and soon I’ve met Allie’s fiancée Mel, as well as their other friends Katie and Anna. Kayla keeps her back to me the whole time, and I’m impressed with her stubbornness, but also want to have a little fun. When the bar is quiet, I head over to collect their empty glasses.

I tap her on the shoulder and clear my throat. “Excuse me, miss?”

“What?” she sulks, and I take a deep breath and roll my shoulders back.

“Uh, my name is Ryan, and I couldn’t help but notice you from my spot behind the bar over there. I was wondering, would you like to go out with me sometime?”

She blinks at me like I’ve asked her to jump off a chairlift. “What are you doing?”

“Shooting my shot,” I beam. “What do you say?”

“Are you asking me on a date? ”

“Yes, I am. Can I take you out for dinner and drinks, hold your hand while I walk you home and, if I'm ever so lucky, maybe give you a goodnight kiss?”

The collective gasp from her friends has me hiding my smile behind my fist.

“No,” Kayla says, twisting her barstool away from me.

“No?” her friends shriek in unison. God, I love these people. I duck around her to ask again.

“I think we could have a really nice life together,” I tell her, then cough obnoxiously. “Did I say life? I meant night, sorry.”

“Do it! Do it!” her friends chant, banging the table until her face breaks into a smile.

“No seeing me in the dark.” She prods me in the sternum, but I grab her hand and hold it there. “You’re too tempting. It’s dangerous.”

The idea that we’re only drawn to each other in nocturnal hours is hilarious. I don’t think there’s an hour of the day we haven’t fooled around one way or another.

“Breakfast then.”

“Deal,” she says quickly, slapping her hand over her mouth as if that will take it back.

“Tomorrow?”

“Not unless you want this lot to join us,” she says.

“Are you all staying with Kayla?”

“No,” Katie tells me. “We’re in the three-bed rental.”

“Nice. And is she staying with you, or will someone help her get home?”

“We think you should help her get home,” one of the other friends says.

“No problem,” I say at the same time Kayla speaks.

“Absolutely not. No. Not allowed to take me home. No way. ”

“OK ladies. If there’s one thing I know about Miss McInnes here, it’s that we don’t argue with her, ever. What Kayla wants, Kayla gets, but I’m gonna need some reassurance from one of you that you’ll text me and tell me she got home safe. Deal?”

All four of them shove their phones in my direction and I make a big scene about saving my number in all of them, telling them I hope they keep in touch. Kayla does her best impression of a scowl, and before I get back to work, I tap the little snowflake dangling at the hollow of her throat and give her a wink.

“Cute necklace, Bunny.”