by Laney Smith
“Tonight? No. I don’t have the wardrobe that woman has. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about the runways in New York and Milan. I can’t pick designers by sight. I don’t have the handbags or the shoes. I can’t compete with the way she looks. I’ll embarrass you,” she said as she tugged her ponytail. “Look, my highlights are almost gone.”
“I have butterflies beating the hell out of my insides right now . . . and every other time I’m near you. I melt when I hear your voice. It is not about what you wear . . . or don’t wear. It’s about you.” Ryan hugged her to him. He softly whispered, “It’s just dinner.”
Corlay hesitated as she thought over his proposal. “I’ll see if I can find someone to watch Nathan.”
“That’s my job,” he smiled. “I can’t watch him if he doesn’t come with us.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to the best radish place in the world,” he chuckled.
“We don’t have to go eat radishes,” she smiled. “That’s very sweet, but I do eat other stuff, too. When are you thinking?”
“When will you be ready?”
“Six, maybe six-thirty.”
Ryan looked at his watch. “An hour and a half?”
“If you will go away so I can get ready.”
“OK. You get ready and I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“No jokes about me stealing kisses from you?”
“No,” he smiled and shook his head. “That joke got old. I’m thinking of a better one. You better hurry. I’m dragging you out of that house in an hour and a half, no matter what condition you’re in.”
Corlay stretched her body up, attempting to kiss him. He turned his cheek, politely pulling away from her after she planted the kiss. He winked, smiling his flirty smile.
“I’ll be back.”
~TWENTY-SEVEN~
Though Ryan was excited about his dinner date with Corlay and Nathan, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed by the fact that the broker hadn’t called him back. He made his mind up that he wasn’t budging on the agreement. The guy had missed the window for the double commission. Ryan wasn’t typically spoiled or demanding. However, in his mind, he wasn’t being spoiled and demanding for his own benefit. Feeling disregarded, Ryan decided to ignore the thoughts that were souring his mood.
When he got back to his mother’s house, he shared events of his day with Frannie. She especially enjoyed hearing that he and Rick had spent time together. She also liked hearing that Scottie had been part of his day. Then, when he shared that he was taking Corlay and Nathan to dinner, her demeanor seemed to change.
“I think it’s so kind of you to spend time with that boy. I’m sure Scottie likes seeing that you have that fatherly side, as well.”
Ryan laughed. “Not really. She doesn’t want anything to do with kids.”
“Well, that’s not what she was saying when we did the women’s group.”
Ryan shrugged. “You won’t have to worry about it. She and I had fun, but in truth, we’re better off as friends.”
“No! Sweetie, I’m so sorry. Did she give you any reason?”
“Reason?”
“Yes. Did she say what you’re doing wrong? Maybe it’s something you can work on.”
Ryan scoffed. “My reason was because she is void of compassion. She’s empty, shallow and obsessed with using others to better herself. I don’t want to be a rung on her ladder.”
“Well, on the news, you two looked like you were having a wonderful time. Are you sure you’re not . . .”
“Mom, I’m sure.”
“Is this about that boy?”
Ryan’s head tilted to the side and back again. “That boy, yes. And, maybe his mom.”
“Ryan, please be careful. You don’t want to create any awkwardness in our family for that boy.”
“Awkwardness?”
Frannie nodded. “Rick already has children that are legitimately Priest babies. This boy will feel left out. He’ll never be a Priest. That will probably be hard for him. Just don’t create any bonds that you can’t break.”
“You’re a little too late, and you’ll be just fine. This kid will be just fine. Corlay is good people and she’ll be just fine. We’re all going to be just fine. So, get over the idea and everything will be fine.”
“Don’t you want to have children of your own?”
“I’m sterile,” Ryan shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what I want. So, on that note, I’m going to the shower.”
“You’re what? Are you sure? How strange. I’m sorry, Ry. I didn’t know.”
“Oh well! It is what it is.”
Ryan dismissed himself, feeling a twinge of guilt for lying. He knew his mother would love Nathan, if she would be open minded enough to give him a chance. Maybe if she believed Nathan was the best she would get from Ryan, she would be more willing to accept him. He could explain the rest, if ever there was a need. By that point, Nathan would have Frannie’s heart. Plus, maybe if there were any lingering doubt in his mother’s mind about Sasha’s story, maybe his little fib would put that to rest, as well. Sure, it was an untruth. Considering the personal nature of the issue, Ryan felt justified.
****
Ryan drove to the Brock house, and when he got out of his car and started for the door, he caught a glimpse of Corlay standing in the window, though she shyly ducked back out of sight. Rather than giving away that he had seen her, he casually scanned the neighborhood as he closed the distance between them. But he had seen her. Brief as it may have been, he saw enough to know that she did stir the butterflies. Just a brief glimpse of her made his breath hitch in his chest. A smile crossed his lips as he replayed the brief visual of her before she ducked behind the draperies.
Inside, Corlay hid beside the window, watching Ryan’s easy, confident stride as he strolled toward her door. Something about him brought her to life. Maintaining the appearance of calmness, watching from the window, within herself, she was jumping up and down, her soul clawing to escape her body and run to him. This time, he was coming to her door to spend time, not only with Nathan, but her as well. Though they had spent time together before, this was a formal understanding. There could be a kiss goodnight. She hoped there would be as the doorbell rang.
She stalled for a few moments, trying to regulate her breath before she casually sauntered to the door to let her date in. The two stared at each other for a second, each smiling a giddy, silly smile at the other. Then, Nathan came budging his way between them. Thank goodness for that kid. Otherwise, the two of them may have been stuck, staring at one another, for forever.
Ryan smiled at Corlay as the boy gripped Ryan’s arm, pulling him inside.
“Ryan, where were you?” Nathan demanded.
“I was getting ready so I can take you and your mom to find some dinner. Where were you?”
“Mom’s making me wear this stupid shirt,” Nathan spouted as he tugged at a button-down oxford. He kicked his leg out, showing his khaki pants. “These dumb pants, too.”
“You look nice. I almost didn’t recognize you,” Ryan teased.
“I have to get my shoes,” Nathan called over his shoulder as he started up the stairs.
“Get the leather ones. Not your sneakers,” Corlay called after him.
Ryan took a cautious step toward her. “Hi.”
“Hi. Are you nervous at all? I feel like I’m going to pass out.”
Ryan smiled and draped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him. “It’s just me. We’ve had dinner before.”
“It just feels so different. Before, I didn’t care if you liked me or not. I did, but . . .”
Ryan smiled as he pushed her back to get a look at her. “You care whether I like you or not?”
“Yes. Well, I don’t . . . I’m not trying to -”
“I do like you. We already know that. We know Nathan likes you. So, just be the you that we already know we like.”
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to
follow a girl that looks like she jumped out of the pages of a magazine? I feel so inadequate.”
Ryan slid his finger up her neck to the tip of her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. “Why? She wasn’t enough to keep me from wanting to be with you. I knew her before I knew you, and I’m standing here with you. Believe me, I could be standing there with her, if I wanted to be,” Ryan said as Nathan started down the stairs. Ryan smiled at Corlay, releasing her before Nathan saw the two embracing. “You blow her out of the water, trust me,” he winked and shifted his attention to Nathan. “Hey, nice shoes. Are you finally ready?”
The three set out for a night along the River Walk. At first, they casually strolled along the water way to the restaurant. After dinner, the threesome made their way to one of the crossover bridges to wave at the people on one of the boats as it passed through the stone tunnel beneath them.
“I want to do that,” Nathan said as he turned and looked up at his mother.
Corlay shook her head. “Not tonight, sweetie. It’s getting late. You need to be in bed.”
“Mom, please?”
Ryan turned his body, leaning his back against the railing as he stared into Corlay’s eyes. Trying to whisper so Nathan wouldn’t hear him, he said, “Yeah, please?”
She flashed him a flirty smirk. “You’re nothing but trouble.”
He smiled as he reached for her, pulling her to him. “We’re standing on top of the Tunnel of Love. Did you know that?”
“Hmm . . . What does that mean?”
“Are you guys hugging?” Nathan asked.
Ryan looked over at the boy and smiled. “Yep.”
Nathan pushed his face back between the rails, looking down into the water. Holding Corlay to his left side, Ryan reached into his pocket with his right hand and took out some change. He held it out to Nathan.
“Do you want to make a wish?”
“Yes, I do,” Nathan answered in a funny voice as he gathered the coins and ran to the opposite side of the bridge.
“Don’t hit anybody,” Ryan advised. “Make sure they go in the water.”
“Ryan, you sound like a grown up.”
Ryan smiled at Corlay and rolled his eyes. He wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her to his center, placing his feet on the outside of hers. He motioned with his head.
“If we’re going to do the boats, we should go pretty quick. They’re going to stop the rides soon.”
Corlay stared up at him and smiled. She brushed her thumb over his lower lip. His eyes shifted over to Nathan as he lowered his head and softly kissed Corlay’s lips. His eyes met hers and she saw the tenderness in them.
“Does this feel wrong?” she muttered.
Ryan pressed his lips together and shook his head as he watched Nathan. “No. It doesn’t.” He swallowed hard, looking into her eyes and smiling, flashing her a wink.
Corlay studied the floral vines that grew along the wrought iron railing. The sweet fragrance floating on the warm night air danced in the soft, cool breeze. The cobblestone ground beneath her feet and the romantic lighting created an ambiance straight out of a fairytale. She laid her head against Ryan’s chest in the comfort of his arms. She liked the way it felt, him holding her on a bridge over a waterway; the “Tunnel of Love,” no less.
Ryan could feel Corlay’s breath against his neck as they both watched Nathan entertain himself. Ryan looked down at Corlay. He glanced at Nathan, as he had done before, as he lowered his head and softly kissed her. This time, instead of kissing her and backing away, his mouth lingered for a second before he pressed his lips to hers, again. She felt his tongue brush against her lips. Their eyes locked as she smiled and caressed his tongue with hers. Ryan’s mouth covered hers as his eyes closed and his tongue gently stroked hers. She could feel his chest heaving, just like hers was as they stole an intimate moment, encouraged and fueled by the romantic forces that surrounded them.
“We’ll never be what we were before this moment,” Corlay said when they broke the kiss.
Ryan bobbed his head from side to side as he thought about her statement. “If you were to tell me that’s what you wanted us to be, then I could do it. I might not like it that much. But, I could do it if that’s what you wanted.”
Corlay nodded her head as she folded her lips over her teeth. “I do. I do want us to be that.”
Ryan jerked his head back and arched his eyebrows as he looked at her. “O…K.”
“And, I want this . . . and whatever else comes beyond this point.”
“That just stopped my heart.”
“You knew I wasn’t seriously wanting to go back.”
Ryan bobbed his head as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. He heaved a breath as he squinted and wagged his finger at her. “You just threw every circuit I have.” He smiled a flirty smile and shook his head. “You did that on purpose. I’ll get you. Just wait. I don’t forget.”
Corlay giggled as Ryan glanced over at Nathan.
“Hey, Nate? Do you want to go ride the gondolas?”
“What?”
“The boats. Do you want to go ride the boats?”
Nathan dropped the gravel he had collected from his hands and started toward his mother and Ryan. “Yeah! Let’s go! Let’s go, Ryan.”
“Look at your hands,” Corlay fussed as they walked over the bridge.
Predictably, Nathan dragged his hands over his khaki pants, leaving dark earth ribbons across his thighs. Corlay dropped her shoulders as she looked at Ryan with a hopeless expression.
“I can’t believe he just did that. Now, he’s a mess.”
Ryan tilted his head and proudly smirked, muttering so-as-to avoid being overheard. “He’s a ball player. Get used to it.”
“Ryan, can you give me a piggyback ride?”
“Yes,” he said as he scooped Nathan up, flipping the boy over his shoulder. “Then, it’s my turn next.”
Nathan covered Ryan’s eyes with his dirty hands, making wild animal noises in his ear. When Corlay reminded them that Nathan’s hands were filthy, they both shrugged her off and continued their fun. As the two played, Corlay grabbed Ryan’s arm, squeezing with enough pressure that it got Ryan’s attention. He pulled Nathan’s arms down and looked at her with his sweet smile.
She jutted her chin out. “I don’t want to ride the boats, tonight. Can we do it next time?”
“The line? It goes quick.”
Corlay passed him a pleading glare. “It’s the parties in the line that concern me.”
“I won’t let anyone mess with you.”
“Please?” she pleaded and subtly pointed to Nathan.
“Ah! OK. Hey, buddy,” Ryan said over his shoulder. “What if we come back tomorrow to ride the boats. The line is a little long and I don’t think we can do it, tonight. But, tomorrow, we can ride as much as you want. How’s that?”
The child rocked his body from side to side. “I’m Nathan-saurus Rex,” the boy said before hysterically laughing at himself.
Corlay watched her son, laughing at his antics. “He’s so tired.”
Ryan cut his eyes over at her. “Maybe we should talk about this sudden plan change a little later, huh?”
“Mister Brock,” Corlay offered.
Ryan scrunched his face and shook his head. “Oh, I don’t care about that. I’m not worried about him. Do you want to ride?”
Corlay shook her head and muttered. “Nathan. I don’t want him to -”
“OK. Tomorrow, then.”
“Tomorrow. Yes. But, I’m not ready for tonight to be over, already.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“Ryan should spend the night at our house,” Nathan chimed in. “Can he, Mom?”
“I can’t tonight, Nate,” Ryan said as he smiled at Corlay.
Corlay playfully pouted at him.
“One day, maybe,” he offered as his eyes met hers.
By the time they got back to Corlay and Nathan’s house, Nathan was sound a
sleep in the backseat of Ryan’s car. Corlay called to her son, hoping to wake him. There wasn’t a lot of room for a mother to maneuver to retrieve a sleeping seven-year-old child from the backseat. This was especially true for a mother who was wearing a skirt.
As though he could read her mind, Ryan stepped around her, reaching into the backseat, scooping Nathan out. He toted the sleeping boy up the sidewalk, into the house and upstairs to his room. Corlay watched from about midway up the stairs as Ryan removed Nathan’s shoes and covered him with his blankets. Ryan brushed his thumb over Nathan’s forehead and gently patted his arm before he turned out the light and closed the door. As he started down the stairs, he noticed Corlay standing on the stairs, looking up at him.
He stopped and smiled at her. “Hey! Are you coming up here?”
“No. Just waiting for you.”
“Really?” he flirted as he slowly descended the stairs toward her. “Did you need me for something?”
“Maybe.”
Ryan stretched his neck, his chin sliding toward his shoulder, a seductive smile tugging the corners of his mouth. “What can I do for you?”
Without giving her a chance to answer, he lowered his mouth to hers. She sighed, a soft moan escaping her throat as their lips pressed together. When he looked at her, the look in his eyes promised trouble - but the fun kind of trouble.
“Would you like something to drink?” Corlay offered.
Before he could answer, she started down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. Ryan followed her, watching as she put ice into two glasses. She shyly smiled at him.
“We have water, water, or water.”
“You have water? Wow! Tell me it comes straight out of the tap?” he joked.
Corlay giggled, pushing her hand against his stomach. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” he said as he lifted himself up, sitting on the counter top.
“Oh, yes you would,” she giggled as she offered the glass of water. “So, how long does it take you?”
Ryan paused for a moment as he raised the glass to his lips, drinking the water as his eyes locked on hers. As he drank the water down, he tried to figure out what she was referring to. He decided against assuming. After he drank the water, he lowered the glass, cupping his hand over his mouth, wiping away the splash from his upper lip.