Can't Make This Up

by C. Morgan

  I changed into my Friday night outfit, sweats and a tee. I remembered the days when Friday nights were meant for short skirts and big hair. Those days weren’t all that long ago, but it certainly felt like forever ago.

  I grabbed a plate and dished up before sitting down at the table. This was the best kind of shopping. I could eat, drink, and shop while listening to my favorite playlist. I started adding stuff to my cart. That was nothing new. I often shopped but could never pull the trigger to actually check out. Tonight, I promised myself a few new outfits.

  The coming months were going to be wild. Everyone kept warning me I was going to be busting my ass until February. I didn’t quite believe it but I wanted to be ready. I wasn’t going to have time to go shopping, and if the warnings were true, even online shopping would be difficult.

  I opened another website without closing the first one. I might be able to afford a little more but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be a smart shopper. I wanted the most bang for my buck.

  I sang along to the old-school Madonna song while flipping through the pages. My music stopped when my phone rang. It was Naya. “Hey,” I answered. “I thought you were going out of town for the weekend.”

  “I am,” she said in a low voice.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Ryan is downstairs.”

  “And you’re whispering why?”

  “Because I don’t want him to hear me.”

  I sat up in my chair. “Naya, are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. I have to tell you something. Don’t be mad at me.”

  That was never a good way to start a conversation. “Why would I be mad at you?”

  “I talked to Ryan.”

  My stomach dropped. She didn’t have to tell me what she talked to him about, but I wanted to hear her say it. “You talked to Ryan about what?”

  “I didn’t give him all of the details. I just kind of gave him the condensed version of what is going on with you and his brother.”

  “Naya! I told you that in confidence. You can’t tell Ryan everything.”

  “He’s my husband,” she groaned. “I know I said I wouldn’t tell him everything, but this just kind of slipped out. He felt bad about what his brother is doing and wanted to help.”

  “This just keeps getting better.”

  “I’m sorry. I really am.”

  I sighed. “What happened?”

  “Ryan told him you had feelings for him,” she squeaked.

  I jumped out of my chair and almost spilled my wine. “He did what?”

  “I’m so sorry,” she said again. “He told him to figure out what he was doing and to stop screwing with you.”

  “Oh my god, he didn’t?”

  “I’m paraphrasing,” she said. “Ryan didn’t even want to tell me he talked to him. I got it out of him. He told me not to tell you.”

  I shook my head. “This is why this was bad. I knew it. I knew it was bad to take the job. I shouldn’t have done it. Now you’re stuck in this position. You’re lying to him and me.”

  “I’m not lying!”

  “You know what I mean. You’re lying by omission.”

  “I just hate seeing you in this situation. You are so good, and you deserve to be treated like a queen.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not being treated badly,” I told her. “Ryker isn’t doing anything wrong. I was the one who went to him the second time. I was flirting and gave him the go-ahead. Ryker really can’t be blamed for any of this.”

  “You’re protecting him,” she said.

  “I just don’t want to make a big deal out of this. I’m not exactly innocent. I’m not a naïve little girl who doesn’t know any better. My situation is complicated because of you.”

  “Me?”

  “You and Ryan are a part of this weird relationship between me and Ryker. It’s a foursome instead of a twosome. A normal relationship is difficult enough to navigate. This has so many added layers of messiness.”

  “There’s something else I need to tell you,” she said, and I could hear the hesitation in her voice.

  “Oh lord, do I want to know?”

  She laughed softly. “This isn’t bad. At least I don’t think so. Apparently, his mom knows.”

  I didn’t understand. “His mom?”

  “Ryker’s mom knows about the two of you. Ryker talked to his mom about you.”

  I flopped back down in the chair. “Why would he do that?”

  “He and his mom are close, and she figured it out at the brunch. She has a way of knowing things. It’s kind of creepy really. Ryker is a player, and he can be somewhat of a jerk, but he is a mama’s boy.”

  “That’s kind of cute,” I said with a smile

  “It is very cute,” she said. “I love that these big manly men are so close to their mom.”

  “Okay, you’ve disarmed me. Tell me the bad part.”

  “It isn’t bad. I just thought you’d be bothered to know she knew.”

  I sighed. “I’m sure everyone knows by now. I’m his latest conquest.”

  “I don’t think you’re a conquest,” she said. “Not in the way you think. His mom doesn’t think so either.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “According to Ryan, their mom thinks Ryker likes you more than any of the other women he’s been with. Did you know she used to be their father’s secretary?”

  I laughed. “Really?”

  “Yep. She worked for him in the early years. They hit it off and now look at them. They’ve been married more than thirty years.”

  “Are you saying that’s my future?”

  “I’m saying sometimes you meet people you’re supposed to meet. There is no rhyme or reason. I think it’s fate. I like to think fate brought me to Ryan. We are total opposites, but it is working out for us.”

  I rubbed a hand over my face. “Are you telling me to go after him now? Did you not just tell me to stay away?”

  “I know. I think you have to follow your heart. I might have been too hasty. I didn’t know he had feelings for you.”

  “I don’t want to think about this anymore,” I told her. “The up and down is making me crazy.”

  “I have to go,” she whispered. “He’s coming back, but I wanted to let you know what happened.”

  “Thank you. Are you still going out of town?”

  “Yes, we’re leaving in the morning.”

  “Have tons of fun.”

  “What are you doing this weekend?” she asked.

  I laughed. “Absolutely nothing. I’m giving myself the weekend off. I’m going to be a total couch potato. I’m going to read and watch TV.”

  “That sounds like a very good plan.”

  “You’re going to be laying out on yet another beach and working on your already perfect tan,” I teased. “Have I mentioned how much I hate you?”

  “You love me. Next time, you have to come with us.”

  I snorted. “Not a chance in hell.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You guys are newlyweds. The last thing I want is to be the extra in your little party. You guys need this time alone. Enjoy your second honeymoon and don’t worry about me. I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be drunk on good wine and eating all the good food before it’s Monday and I have to pretend I’m watching what I eat.”

  She burst into laughter. “All right, I get it. You enjoy your me-time.”

  After the call ended, my music came back on. I poured myself another glass of wine. Knowledge was power. If Ryan was right and Ryker really did have feelings for me, this changed everything. It could also make things very awkward. I was still of the firm belief that working for him and sleeping with him could get messy.

  The feelings we had for each other right now could fade and then we were right back to square one. We would be forced to decide if we could work together. If we couldn’t, I had to quit.

  I thought about the few exes I had. I sure as hell could ne
ver work with any of them. After a breakup, the feelings soured. It was just human nature.

  If Ryker did have feelings for me, wouldn’t he have mentioned it by now? I had to assume he did not want to act on them. I wasn’t going to show my cards first. We could be at a stalemate for a long time.

  I pushed aside the thoughts and feelings. I didn’t have the time or energy to deal with any of that. I was shopping. That was my only goal for the moment.

  I opened another website that specialized in jeans for curvy girls. After flipping back and forth between the various sites, I finally narrowed down my choices and hit the buy button.

  “Whew! That was fun.”

  I loved that I could shop from home. I closed the laptop and left it on the table while I moved to the couch. I stretched out with my feet propped up on a pillow. Flipping through channels reminded me I wasn’t missing out on much when I didn’t get the chance to watch TV.

  I turned off the TV and turned the music back on. Doing laundry and housework was always so much better at night with a glass of wine. I tackled my chores with wine-fueled enthusiasm. The way I saw it, if I got the chores done now, I could truly spend my weekend being a complete sloth.

  Monday was the big day. The season was going to be underway and the team essentially owned Ryker for the next several months. If they owned him, they owned me. We were a pair. I was his sole support staff.

  It was going to be a wild ride. Even though everyone kept warning me about how exhausting it was going to be, I was excited for it. I was looking forward to the challenge.

  Truthfully, I felt like I had something to prove. I had to prove I wasn’t just a pity hire. I wanted to show Ryker I was capable of being the best assistant he’d ever had. I wasn’t going to be like the others and give up before the job was over. When I started something, I finished it.

  Except laundry.

  I wasn’t great at finishing the laundry apparently. I pulled out the clothes that had been tossed into the dryer days earlier. Everything was wrinkled. I grabbed another fabric sheet and started a fresh cycle.

  It was three glasses of wine later before I finally crawled into bed with a happy little buzz. My life was good. Sure, I had a bit of a love-life problem, but the rest of it was good. I felt fortunate. I wished I could call my parents and tell them all about my job and how well I was doing.

  “Dammit,” I muttered.

  With just a single thought, my happy buzz evaporated. Before I could think of much else, I closed my eyes and forced myself to go to sleep before I could go down that rabbit hole of sadness.

  I wanted to hold on to the happiness. As usual, Ryker’s face floated into my subconscious thoughts.

  I wished like hell he could be my happy place.

  Chapter 28

  Ryker

  I heard the front-door alarm beep once. I didn’t bother getting out of bed. I knew it was my housekeeper. She would avoid my room for as long as possible, allowing me to sleep in just a little later.

  I lay in bed and told myself I had to get up. I had stuff to do and couldn’t loaf around all day.

  I got up, pulled on a pair of shorts, and went in search of the housekeeper. “Doris!” I called out.

  She popped her head out of the pantry. “I’m here.”

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning. You’re up early.”

  “I wanted to let you know I start my busy season next week.”

  “Already?” she said.

  “Yep.”

  “Same schedule?”

  “Yes, please. I’ll have the lights set to turn on. Don’t panic if they come on while you’re in here.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “It was one time.”

  “You called the police,” I reminded her. “You thought there was a ghost in the house.”

  “This is an old house.”

  “It wasn’t a ghost then, and it won’t be a ghost when I’m gone.”

  She frowned at me. “In the old days, we used basic timers. I think all these fancy gadgets are dangerous. You’re letting technology run your life.”

  “You can live like a caveman. I’m enjoying the perks of technology.”

  “Now that I know, I’ll try not to panic,” she said with a laugh.

  I moved to make myself a cup of coffee. “How are the kids?” I asked her.

  She came out of the pantry and closed the door behind her. “They are great. My youngest is going to be a senior in high school and my oldest is expecting her first baby next month.”

  “Wow. Congratulations. Boy or girl?”

  Her face lit up. “A little girl.”

  “That baby is going to be spoiled, isn’t she?”

  “You better believe it,” she said. “I’ve already bought her several dresses. I cannot wait to dress up the little doll.”

  “Let me know if you want to take some time off,” I told her. “I can find someone to fill in for a bit.”

  “The timing of you being gone is really rather perfect. Assuming you don’t mind if I change my schedule around.”

  “You do whatever you need. It isn’t like I’m a huge slob.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I’ll keep up on my tasks.”

  “Thank you for all you do for me,” I told her.

  “You’re welcome. I’m going to get started in the living room.”

  I took my coffee and headed back to my bedroom. I needed to shower and get ready for the day. Doris would want to clean my room and bathroom and I didn’t want to hold her up. The lady was good to me.

  She was one of the few people I trusted in this world. She had been my housekeeper for years, and she took care of me like I was one of hers.

  “I’m done in here,” I called out when I saw her walk down the hallway into my office.

  “I’ll be in there shortly.”

  I headed outside to sit by the pool with my laptop. I went through my email and found nothing pressing. I made it a habit to check it daily to keep on top of things. Doris came out a bit later to let me know she was leaving for the day.

  I had a nervous energy I couldn’t quite dispel. I was looking forward to seeing Trinity. I was committed to telling her how I felt. It was going to happen. I thought about texting her and asking if we could get together for lunch or dinner but then decided against it. She was not going to appreciate me bugging her on her one weekend off.

  I buzzed around my house thinking about what happened after I told her what I wanted. I was actually thinking about my life with her. Of course, she would move into my house. We’d have dinner with my parents at least once a month.

  “Shit,” I said with the sudden realization I knew nothing about her family. I needed to get to know her better.

  That was fine. I could work on that. After the football season, we could take a vacation together. We could go to the Maldives like Naya and Ryan. We could go anywhere she wanted. I could give her whatever she wanted or needed.

  “This will work,” I muttered.

  I started pacing. I was jumping ahead. I needed to get back to step one. Did I need a grand gesture? I should do something nice to make up for the last couple of weeks. I needed to prove to her I was serious about this. She was going to look at me like the player she thought I was. Technically, I was but I wasn’t anymore. I was ready to turn over a new leaf.

  I was acting like Ryan did when he decided he was going to propose. I remembered when he came over and did exactly what I was doing. He paced the room and damn near pulled his hair out trying to figure out how to pop the question. I remembered he didn’t eat or sleep for days.

  “Shit. You’re falling into the same trap.”

  It was a love trap. Once it sank its teeth in, that was it. I was going to end up a sap like him. I snatched my phone. Ryan was sitting on a beach with his wife. He didn’t have a care in the world. He left me with all the cares.

  “Asshole.”

  This is all your fault.

  He probably wouldn’t read t
he text until way later, but at least I felt better after getting it off my chest. My day was filled with more stress. It was more worrying and stressing about how I was going to make this thing with Trinity work.

  Sunday was much the same. When I felt like I was going to drive myself crazy, I bailed. I headed to the one place I could get some refuge. “Mom,” I called when I walked in the house.

  “In here.”

  I knew she would be in the kitchen. I knew she would be making dinner. I didn’t accidentally show up at dinner. “It smells good,” I said and slid onto one of the stools to watch her cook.

  It was something I had done since I was a little boy. People called me a mama’s boy. They made it sound like it was an insult. I was happy to be a mama’s boy.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” she commented.

  “Why? I always come over for Sunday dinner.”

  “Not always and definitely not at the kickoff to the season. Do you want to tell me what’s on your mind?”

  I tapped my finger on the counter. “I’m in a bit of a pickle.”

  “That sounds serious,” she said with a laugh.

  “It is, Mom. Really serious.”

  “What’s serious?” my dad said as he came into the kitchen.

  “Your son has girl trouble.”

  “I don’t have girl trouble,” I said.

  “Since when do you have girl trouble?” my dad asked. “You have never suffered from girl trouble.”

  “It isn’t girl trouble,” I insisted.

  “Is it that girl?” Mom asked.

  “Okay, you guys can’t call her a girl. That’s a little weird. She’s a woman.”

  “It’s the woman from the wedding,” my mother explained.

  “Oh! The one with the—” He stopped talking. He didn’t actually need to say the words. It was pretty clear he’d noticed her chest. It was hard to miss.

  “Yes, that would be the one,” Mom said. “Trinity is Naya’s best friend. Ryker hired Trinity to work for him.”

  My dad sucked in a breath. “Oh no. That’s a no-go zone. You can’t get involved with someone who works for you.”

  My mother cleared her throat. “Really?”