Offbeat

by S. Moose

  “That’s a chance I’m willing to take. Thanks again. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Ok, goodbye.”

  Maybe Mandy is right and this plan isn’t going to go well. I can’t sit back here in California and not do anything. She’s too talented and smart to be locked away. Maybe she won’t forgive me and maybe she will. Life is about taking chances and this is a chance I’m willing to take. One day she’ll see it from my perspective and everything will be okay.

  Being away from her scares the hell out of me. To love someone as much as I love Bayleigh is intense. My love for her has the power to wreck me if I ever fully lose her. I want the type of love that’ll last forever and with her, I know it’s forever. It’s something I believe in with my whole heart and is what I’ve been holding onto. I want her to listen to me and understand why I do the things I do. She’s my world and when you love someone as much as I love her, you’ll do anything to keep them safe and happy. No risk is too great when it comes to a forever love.

  There’s a knock on my door at the hotel. I get up from bed and walk over to open it. When I do, I see Serena holding bags of food and a bottle of wine.

  “Well, well. I knew I needed to come here and feed you. You look like a mess,” she laughs and comes in, putting the food and wine on the table and getting comfortable.

  Serena’s been my friend since I came to California. She’s one of the only girls I trust to be here with me because I know she’s not a vulture like the other girls I work with. There have been rumors going around about us. I ignore the useless office gossip and enjoy the time I have with my good friend.

  “I was going to order room service, you know,” I tell her, taking a seat on the couch and grabbing the container of sushi. “Thank you, though. I needed this.”

  “I know. So, how’s Bayleigh doing?”

  I shrug, “She’s okay. We sort of hooked up and she had a meltdown.” I explain what happened on my last night and what I planned with Mandy. She listens with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

  “I’m not the type of guy who’ll stand around and wait. I need to take action. I need her to see where I’m coming from. She’s so damn stubborn and proud sometimes. I get that she’s in pain and she needs to find her way, but fuck, where do I fit?”

  “You’re being selfish, Tyler. All I hear is what you want and what you need. Stop and think about Bayleigh and not yourself.”

  Hearing her say I’m selfish leaves me defeated. My nerves are all over the place and my heart is sitting on the table, open for all to see the broken pieces. I’m left feeling raw and angry. The panic rises from inside me. Setting down the container of food, I walk to the window, placing a hand on the glass and looking down. A weird feeling comes over me.

  “And that’s why I left and I’m giving her the space she needs. We’re talking more than I thought and it’s actually really good.” I take out my phone and pass it to her. “Go ahead and see.” She opens my message app and reads the messages between Bayleigh and I. “So I’m doing everything I can. I guess I’m scared she’ll get used to the friendship and put me in the friend zone. Do I have a right to think that’ll happen?” I softly mutter.

  “I don’t know. To be honest, I think you coming back is a good thing. She needs to learn how to miss you again. Especially if she’s getting better. It takes time.”

  “I get it.”

  “Can’t rush something you want to last forever,” she tells me and pours us another glass of wine.

  As much as I love her and want her, I can’t force this to happen. Forever love means having patience and believing. I hate myself for pushing her. I’m heartless and I don’t deserve her, but she’s the air I breathe and the reason for life making sense. I have to keep myself busy and focus on our future. It’s the only way.

  The night goes on and soon it’s morning. Turning over on my side, I look at the empty spot next to me. I wonder what she’s doing and how she’s feeling. I wonder the same questions a thousand times and receive no answer. Normally, I would text her good morning or have a good day. Not today. The ball is in her court and I’m going to go with it. She’s made it clear she loves me and needs time. Whatever happened while I was home is gone and this is the start of a new beginning. I have to focus on my job and she has to focus on getting better.

  Even without my help.

  Today’s the first day as Damon Ridge’s personal assistant. I’m awake with fresh eyes and a new mind. Parking my car in the garage, I enter the building and in big letters I see Ridge, Fowler, Ziegler and Associates. This is the start.

  I wait in the lobby for Mandy and when I see her come in, we take the elevator to the eighth floor.

  “You ready?”

  “Yeah,” I answer, “so ready.”

  Stepping off the elevator, Mandy brings me to Damon’s office and once inside, my jaw drops. I’m working for the sexiest man on this planet. He’s tall with dark brown hair, chiseled jaw, muscles galore and deep brown eyes. I look down and move a little to see if my panties are still on.

  Oh shit.

  “I know. Hot, huh?” Mandy whispers. “Morning Damon.”

  “Wait! Mandy,” I utter, trying to get her attention before he sees me.

  He looks up and smiles at us. “Ladies, good morning. And I presume you’re Bayleigh.” He looks at me with familiarity and I feel so small. I should walk away now and never look back.

  “Hi Damon. Sir. Boss man,” I instantly turn red and curse myself. “Present,” I raise my hand a smile. In the corner of my eye, I see Mandy trying to hold in her laugh.

  Getting up from his chair, behind his mahogany desk, Damon walks to me and shakes my hand. Wow, his hand is soft.

  “Nice to meet you. Thanks Mandy,” he winks at her and she leaves, mouthing be good. I shake my head and Damon guides me to sit down. “So, today’s your first day.”

  “Yes it is,” I confidently say, “thank you again for this opportunity. It means the world to me. I want to apologize about the other day at the gym. That was extremely rude of me.”

  “No worries,” he smiles, “you’re feisty and seem like you don’t like to quit.” If he only knew. “I like my employees to be fighters and I think you’ll be a good fit. I’m glad to have you.” Damon sits back down and hands me a packet. “Inside, you’ll find some necessary paperwork, your company credit card and keys to your company car.”

  “Credit card? Car? What?”

  He nods, “Yes. As my personal assistant I will need you to travel with me at times and you need to look your best. Our firm is all about being professional, and having fun of course. Our clients are multi-billionaires and expect the best, so we show them the best.” I look down at my outfit and cringe. “You look fine, Bayleigh,” he tells me, “and the car will be used for whatever you need to. Working for me, I don’t want you to use your own vehicle or money. If you and Mandy go out for lunch or happy hour, use the card and if you run an errand for me, use the card and car. See where I’m going?” I nod, still in shock that these perks are being given to me. “Also, there’s a card for my driver, Johnson, so whatever you need, please call him and he’ll be at your disposal. Like I said, the information is all there, so be sure to read it over.”

  “No problem. I got it.”

  “I’m a very laid back and fun man, but I expect the best. My door is always open and I expect you’ll have questions, so be sure to ask. I’ll need you to attend meetings with me and take notes, review anything I write to make sure I don’t sound like an idiot,” he laughs. “In case I am absent, I’ll need you to still attend any meetings or functions. Other than that, there will be basic, every day assistant tasks, and like I said, if you have questions, ask.”

  “Got it,” I smile. “So, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “What happened to your other assistants?”

  “Well,” he leans back and smirks, “I’ve had a few and all of them were let go because of incompetence and one want
ed me for herself,” he laughs. “I’m a smart man or else my name wouldn’t be up on the door alongside my best friends. I work hard and expect my team to work hard. I’m honest and expect honesty. Get it?”

  “Yes, sir.” Saying this causes him to smile. We talk about some other tasks and he shows me to my office. I’m stunned. My desk is huge and there’s a long couch against the wall along with a bookcase, two chairs in front of my desk, and a view of Rochester. “Wow,” I exclaim, “this is awesome!” Turning around, I look at Damon, “Thank you again.”

  “You’re welcome. Get comfortable and settled in. We have a meeting at noon,” he winks and heads out of my office.

  Turning on the computer and taking out the information from the packet, I read everything over and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Breathing easier, I turn my chair to face the outside world and spread out my arms, feeling free.

  Starting at noon until five, we have meetings and seeing Damon in action is brilliant. He’s confident with his words and people listen. We don’t have time to talk between meetings and I keep the notes clear and to the point. In the packet he gave me this morning, it states he doesn’t want essays, he wants the major points, any problems and solutions. In addition, he wants me to add any of my thoughts if I have any, and then all the notes need to be typed and emailed to him, but to store the paper notes in a safe place.

  Finishing my email, I press send and gather my things. I head to Damon’s office to say goodbye and see Mandy sitting down, talking to him. Knocking on the door, I get their attention and smile, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” I look at Mandy and the look in her eyes confirms my initial thought. Damon’s the Mystery Man. I know her too well and how she’s been acting.

  “Have a nice night and good job today,” Damon tells me with a smile.

  “Thanks. Mandy, I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Sounds good,” she responds.

  With a final wave, I head out of the office and to my car. When I get back home, I feel different. It feels good to be out of the house and doing something. I have a job and I’ll be making money. I look around my house and check my dad’s office. No one’s home yet. Grabbing an apple from the counter, I have a funny feeling. Looking around, I don’t see anything out of whack. Shaking my head, I ignore the feeling and head to my bedroom. Opening my door, I drop my purse and cover my mouth.

  “Ryan?” I let out. Tears flood my eyes and I’m shaky. “Ryan, what are you doing here?”

  His green eyes meet mine and all I can do is break down and cry.

  “Bayleigh,” he simply says, “hi.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  Ryan walks around my room, touching my dresser and the pictures on my wall. He’s not talking to me and I have to sit down. This isn’t happening. Ryan Scott is not here. It’s been two years since I’ve seen him. After that night he up and left. No one’s heard from him and now he’s here as if nothing is wrong.

  “I’m back,” he easily says. There’s something different about him. I’m not sure if it’s the calm in his voice or the bright green eyes that soothe my nerves.

  “You’re back?” I repeat to him, “You think you can come here and be in my room as if nothing happened?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m doing.”

  “You’re an asshole, Ryan!” I yell. “You do not have the right to come back into town and into my life. I’ve been through hell and needed my best friend.”

  “You have Tyler. He’s your boyfriend, right? And best friend.”

  I squint my eyes at him, “Low blow.”

  “How so?”

  Throwing my hands in the air, I shake my head and ignore his stare. I’ve known the Scott brothers my whole life and never was able to tell them apart. Everything about them is the same, except when we got older, Tyler was the one who got good grades and did sports while Ryan got in trouble all the time and barely made it through high school. When we first met, Tyler smiled at me and something sparked inside. I mean, we were only five years old, and then I met Ryan, and we clicked too. I love both boys and when Ryan left, it was like a piece of me went with him.

  “Care to explain why you’re back?” The thing about Ryan is he’s always up to something and I know his reason for being back isn’t going to make me happy.

  “Ready?”

  “For?” He leans close to me and looks at my lips. I’m paralyzed. What the hell is he doing? “For what?”

  “Let’s get lunch. I’m starving for sushi.”

  “I don’t want to get sushi!” I scream and plop on my bed, crossing my arms. I know throwing a tantrum isn’t cute.

  “Well, I’m hungry so you can sit there and pout like a child, or come get delicious sushi with me.” He kneels in front of me, brushing his hands down my legs. “What do you say?”

  “I want answers, Ryan.”

  He taps the tip of my nose, “Soon, sweetheart. Now, about that sushi?” The cockiness oozes out of him, and a smirk plays on his face again. “Get your ass up, Bayleigh Renee. I’m starving.”

  “You have issues.”

  We make it out of my house and I’m stunned to see the car in front of me. Growing up this was his dream car and he worked so hard for it. I wasn’t sure if he would even be able to get it. This sexy beast is amazing. A 1975 Camaro and it’s all shiny and pretty.

  “Macy’s my world. I never let anyone touch her or ride in her, so consider yourself lucky.”

  “Oh I do.” I laugh and I’m not sure where all of this is coming from. It’s a little confusing and hard to understand. I take a moment and sit down, thinking about the encounter from the moment I saw him until now.

  I feel Ryan’s stare and I don’t get nervous or panic. This is really starting to bother me. Something about him is pulling me in. He’s a puzzle that I want to put together. I want to know why I feel okay around him and why I’m not a hot mess right now.

  “Are you going to tell me why you’re back?”

  “I don’t think I need a reason,” he answers, starting the car and heading to the sushi place we’ve been to thousands of times. “I’ve been gone for a while. I miss my mom and Tyler.”

  “Oh.” I’m sure he forgot to add me. I guess he didn’t think about me when he was gone. Sure, I’m a little hurt he never contacted me after the rape and didn’t ask if I was okay. I mean, I’m just his best friend, so whatever.

  His hand rests on my knee, “I missed you too, Bayleigh. Just because I never called or anything doesn’t mean I didn’t ask about you. My mom kept me updated.”

  “Then why didn’t you ever call me?”

  He sighs and stares at the road, focusing on driving and not on my questions. “I’ll tell you when it’s time. For right now, I want to enjoy my time with my best friend. We have a lot to catch up on.”

  The rest of the car ride is quiet as he drives the few minutes it takes to get to the restaurant. We walk in and are immediately seated in a booth. Putting in our drink orders and a few appetizers, we look through the menu and mark down what we want on a slip of paper.

  “So, tell me where you’ve been.”

  “Pretty much everywhere. I went backpacking through Europe and celebrated New Years in Hong Kong. Then stayed with friends in Colorado. Went to Vegas and now I’m here.”

  My eyes widen, “Wow, that’s cool. You seem different.”

  “If you’re trying to tell me I’m hotter,” he leans in and winks, “I already know.”

  Rolling my eyes, I shake my head and listen to him talk about his adventures. I’ve known Ryan my whole life and there’s something he’s keeping from me. I take a sip of the hot green tea and lean back in the booth. Part of me hates him for abandoning me. While the other part is throwing up her arms and celebrating because he’s back. Things with Ryan have always been easy and comfortable. He challenges me and never lets me fall, except after I came to, he was nowhere to be found. He left a letter saying he needed to get out town and away for a while. That was the l
ast time I heard from him.

  “Why did you leave, Ryan? I mean, did you even come see me when I was unconscious in the hospital?” He looks down and drinks his tea. “Really? You can’t answer.”

  “Listen,” he says, gripping the tea cup. “I’m back and I’m sorry for leaving without saying anything. The memory from that night kills me. Hearing someone hurt you and left you for dead fucked with my head, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I didn’t want the image of you hurt and in a hospital bed to stay with me.” He reaches over and touches my face. “This is the face I always want to remember.”

  “You left me.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. I couldn’t deal with the guilt.”

  “It’s not your fault . . .”

  “It is and will always be my fault,” he cuts me off. “I was supposed to be with you and I was supposed to make sure nothing happened. But my dick was more important. You were so close to the apartment. I didn’t know something would happen,” he stops talking and looks down. I see his hands trembling, so I grab them and rub my thumb on his hands. “When I got the call from Tyler, I had to leave. Hearing his voice yelling at me, telling me I was worthless and what happened to you. I had to go. Everyone’s better off without me.”

  “Not me,” I tell him. “I needed you and still do. Things happened when you were gone.”

  “Yeah I know,” he whispers, “I’m sorry you and Tyler aren’t together. Are you okay?”

  “No,” I honestly tell him, “I don’t want to let him go, but I had to. When I’m ready to be with him, we’ll be together again, I hope.”

  “You will be. I have no doubt.”

  After we’re done eating, Ryan and I get into his car and he drives back home. The car ride is quiet and I’m not sure what to say. There is so much going on in my head. How can I forgive Ryan for leaving?

  When he pulls into his driveway, I hurry out and rush to my house. Before I reach the porch stairs, Ryan grabs me and pulls me to his body. He holds me tight, gripping my hair with one hand and holding me with his other.

  “Don’t be mad. Please don’t hate me,” he whispers, “please. There’s a reason why I left. There’s so much I need to tell you. For now, I need you to understand I miss you and now I’m back. That’s all I can tell you right now.”