by Amanda Cowen
When I hear the celebratory thunk at the bottom of the bucket, I can’t help whoop, only to hear Ryan groan and put a hand over his face.
“One more to go and Thor’s nickname goes buh-bye,” I taunt him and take another rock from the container, prepping for my final shot.
“You have a horseshoe up your ass,” he laughs. “Now, hurry up and miss.”
I roll my eyes and try my best to focus. I calm my breathing and close one eye for better focus. I even pretend to do a practice shot to heighten anticipation for my win.
I toss my final rock, watch it soar through the air, and hear a ding on the edge of the bucket and a final plop onto the concrete balcony.
Ryan jumps up from his chair. “Fuck yeah”, he hollers, thrusting his fists in the air.
I drop my head into my hands, furious at myself. “No!”
Ryan ruffles my hair with the palm of his hand and I lift my head, swatting his hand away. “A bet’s a bet, Jonesy,” he laughs, taking a satisfied sip of water, and leans back into the chair. “I expect an e-transfer and matching pajamas for Newport. So excited, roomie,” he teases.
I’m so pissed, I take my water bottle and squirt him with its contents.
“Hey, no need to be a sore loser,” he says. Without realizing it, he reaches forward and brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear, grazing his thumb gently across my cheek bone. It’s perfectly rough as it rolls over my flushed skin. My heart tightens as he watches me. I lose myself briefly in his eyes before I quickly turn away from him and reach for my cell phone.
“E-transfer password is you’re a dipshit,” I tell him.
He laughs and leans back in his chair. “What are your plans for tonight?”
I shrug. “Nothing. You are looking at them.”
“Thor isn’t taking you on a trip to Asgard for dinner?”
I glare at him. “You’re never going to call him Liam now, are you?”
“Should have won rock toss,” he retorts. “Not my problem.”
“We don’t have plans,” I tell him. “He’s working again tonight. Why? What are you up to?”
“Kale asked me to go with him to McGriggan's Pub,” he says. “Some chick he picked up last night at Hennessey asked him to meet her and a bunch of her friends tonight. I guess he needs a solid wingman to help seal the deal.”
“You’re a true friend,” I say with a cheeky grin.
He doesn’t smile back. In fact, Ryan seems lost in thought. “You should come,” he suggests, watching me.
“No thanks.”
“Aw, come on. You’ve got nothing better to do.”
“Actually, I am waiting for an important call from Disney,” I tell him. “I’m supposed to find out today if I got the internship.”
He glances over at me. “Oh. Already?”
“Yeah, I’m so nervous. I really hope I get it.” I tried not to think about it all day, but I’m super antsy to hear some good news. Talking about it makes me anxious, so I quickly change the subject. “By the way. I forgot to mention… I spoke with Alodie.”
He raises a brow. “Oh yeah? How did that go?”
“You sure know how to crush a girl’s love spirit.”
He laughs. “What the hell is a love spirit?”
I can’t help but smile. “Her ability to believe in true love.”
He asks with a grin, “Is that why you’re so shrewd? Because some guy crushed your love spirit many moons ago?”
I roll my eyes. “Listen, I’m only going to say this once because I promised Alodie I would,” I tell him, veering our conversation back on topic. I clear my throat. “You should call her back to hear what she has to say.”
With a grimace, he tosses a rock into the bucket. “Nah. I have nothing to left to say to her. But thank you for relaying the message.”
“Love-spirit crusher,” I tease.
“Okay, Jonesy. Enough with the act. Don’t pretend you aren’t thrilled we broke up. And besides, you’re the one who told me I should end it if I couldn’t put up with her quirks.”
“I never once told you to end things.”
“I don’t regret my decision because it was simple,” he says. “Once I realized I couldn’t just sit on a balcony and toss rocks into a bucket with her to pass the time, she wasn’t worth any more of mine.”
I nod and fold my hands on my lap. My heart races at his omission. I tell myself I am reading too much into his words, and hope he doesn’t see how flushed my cheeks are under the blinding sun.
My phone vibrates on the table and both of us look down at the unknown number flashing on my screen.
“Answer it,” he says.
Panic pounds in my chest.
“What if it’s Disney?”
“Jonesy, answer it,” he repeats.
I click to accept the call and press my phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
A female voice asks, “Is this Ms. Ella Jones?”
“Yes.”
I stand abruptly and walk through the patio doors into the kitchen. Ryan follows me.
“Good evening, Ms. Jones. This is Camilla Bright from Disney Animation. We met over Skype during your initial interview.”
I can’t help but chew on my bottom lip. “Hi, yes, Ms. Bright. I remember.”
“I’m just calling to thank you for your application and art portfolio, and undergoing our interview process. You interviewed very well, had exceptional grades, an impressive portfolio and some relevant experience. But I regret to inform you we’ve selected another candidate for the internship.”
My ears start ringing, and my knees feel like they might give out at any moment. I grab onto the countertop to steady myself. I can feel Ryan’s eyes on me, watching and waiting for me to say something.
I’m completely shocked. My interview was amazing. My grades are spectacular. I want to scream. I want to cry. But all I can muster from my trembling lips are, “Oh. Okay.”
“Jonesy, you alright?” Ryan whisper-hisses.
I don’t answer. I can’t look up at him. I slowly sink down along the cupboards until my butt touches the floor.
“Thank you for your call, Ms. Bright. And thank you for the opportunity,” I manage to say.
“We would like to express our gratitude for your application. , and wish you all the best in finding a suitable internship. Please don’t hesitate to apply to Disney Animation again as there may be more opportunities in the near future. We wish you well in all your future endeavors,” she says.
We say our goodbyes and I hang up from her call. My breathing is erratic as I try to hold back my tears. My entire body is shaking.
“What happened?” I can hear Ryan’s voice in my ear. I know he is down on the floor beside me, but his voice feels so distant.
“I didn’t get it,” I say, my lower lip trembling.
“Oh Ella. I’m so sorry.”
I can’t hold back anymore. Tears tumble down my cheeks, and I lash out into ragged sobs. I pull my knees to my chin, drop my head against them and cry uncontrollably until my throat feels raw and my eyes burn. Ryan’s hand doesn’t leave my back, rubbing circles as he keeps reassuring me everything will be okay.
“Fuck. Fuckity fuck.” I sit up and wipe my eyes.
“There will be other opportunities...” he says, but I cut him off.
“No. There won’t,” I tell him, sniffling. “I didn’t apply anywhere else.”
His eyes widen in shock. “What? Why not?”
“Because Disney was what I wanted,” I scrunch my nose up, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot. “I don’t want to work anywhere else. I want to do 3D animation for Disney. I feel like I’ve worked so hard for nothing.”
“Everything is going to be okay –“ he starts to console me again, but I cut him off a second time.
“No, it’s not going to be okay,” I shout. “Fuck. I have no idea what I’m going to do now.” I smooth my hair and catch a glimpse of my phone on the floor beside me. I grab it. “
I should call her back and tell her they have to hire me. They have to.”
Ryan snakes my phone from my hand. “Ella, stop.” I glance up at him, heart racing. “You are not doing anything except take a deep breath and realize how crazy that sounds. Do you want to ruin all your chances of ever working there?”
I shake my head.
“Then take a deep breath, and come here.” He pulls me close. I rest my head against his shoulder, trying desperately to calm my breathing and quell my tears.
Damn, he smells good.
“I feel like such a failure,” I breathe.
“You are not a failure,” he whispers, his hand smoothing over my hair. “God, Ella. You are the most talented person I know. It’s their loss for not hiring you.”
I glance up at him. “You really mean that?”
He smiles down at me. “Yes. Look at that painting!” He nods over to my easel and canvas in the middle of the room. “And all your sketches and other paintings and those weird little 3D creatures you make on your computer.” He chuckles, then leans close and whispers so quietly, I have to close my eyes to focus on his words. “You are amazing.”
“Not amazing enough to intern at Disney, the greatest animation studio of all time,” I sigh.
“You will find another internship. And next time you apply to Disney, you’ll get it. I promise,” he says, leaning down to kiss the top of my head.
My heart flip-flops as I feel his lips touch my hair. I turn into him, my nose in the soft warm skin of his neck, relishing in his familiar smell.
“Thanks,” I say, exhaling a calming breath.
I remain focused on how natural it feels for Ryan to be pressed against my side. I keep waiting for him to say something goofy, or make some joke at my expense. But he’s completely poker-faced— cool and steady— barely looking in my direction as he holds me close. I’m trying to decide if it’s intentional or not.
I finally pull myself together and sit back against the cupboards, carefully sipping bottled water and trying not to make eye contact with him.
“Connecticut is still on the table if you want to come with me,” he smiles. My eyebrows go up and I frown at him to let him know I’m not impressed. “Too soon?” he laughs.
“Just a little.” I finally laugh too, dipping my head back onto his shoulder. “Ugh. This just ruined my entire night,” I groan.
“Come and drink your sorrows away with me and Kale.”
“God, no. I don’t think I can even get off the floor,” I say. “My night officially consists of a flannel onesie, and eating ice cream and Oreos.”
He frowns. “That’s depressing. You should come out with us.”
“I respectfully decline your pity invite,” I say, feeling his fingers graze my bare arm. Goosebumps appear where his touch trails off. “The last thing I need right now is to watch you two pick up pretty girls while I sit in the corner, drinking all alone like a sad sack.”
“Those pretty girls got nothing on you,” he whispers against my hair. “Even when you’re a sad sack, you’re still a showstopper.”
My pulse accelerates as I hear Ryan complimenting me like that. “Thanks, but your kiss-ass remarks aren’t changing my mind.”
“Where’s Maisie?” he asks.
“Golfing with Jayce. She might not come back to the apartment tonight. You know how it goes.”
Ryan’s phone vibrates inside his jeans pocket, and he reaches for it. Kale’s text message appears on his screen.
Ready to swarm pussy town? The girls are already at the bar waiting for us.
Ryan catches me reading Kale’s text and blushes. He taps out a quick reply I can’t see, and tucks his phone back into his pocket. “Kale seriously needs a girlfriend.” I stand up and walk toward the living room. “Have fun tonight being the wingman for the Mayor of Pussy Town.”
“I’m not going,” Ryan says behind me.
I turn around. “What? Why not?”
He shrugs. “I can’t leave you. You’re upset.”
I laugh. “You can’t ditch Kale. And I never asked you to stay here with me.”
“Too late. I already told him I wasn’t coming.” Ryan moves past me and into the living room, flopping onto the sofa. He kicks his feet up on the coffee table. “Come on, sit down.”
“Ryan- “I start, but he cuts me off.
“Hearing your sad news was a buzzkill,” he tells me as I sit down beside him. “Your tears softened my heart, but now my dick isn’t doing much better,” he smirks.
I half-gasp and half-laugh, reach for a pillow, and whip it at him. He blocks the hit, laughs back and places the pillow on his lap, patting it. “Come here.”
I have zero fight left in me to tell him to join Kale. I slide over, lie down and rest my head on the pillow on his lap, stretching my legs down the sofa. He flicks on the television.
“You’re going to find another internship, Ella,” he says, smoothing a hand down my hair. “I’ll help you fire off resumes to every design firm within a five-hundred-mile radius of Yale.”
I purse my lips together and glare up at him. “Nice try.”
He laughs. “Okay, one-hundred-mile radius.”
“Further,” I goad him.
“Okay, fine. Somewhere in Hollywood.”
I smile and place my head back down on the pillow. “That’s better.”
“You know what would make you feel better?” he says, flipping the television over to Netflix.
“What’s that?”
“A super-cheesy horror movie.”
I laugh. Ryan always knows how to lift my spirits. “I do love watching a blonde bimbo run away from a masked serial killer.”
“You’re so sadistic,” he jokes.
My eyes instinctively flicker up to him. He’s just so incredibly handsome. He’s watching me, and it’s all I can do to look away, focus on the television, and not let him see the emotions in my eyes.
I have no idea how it happened, but I have butterflies in my stomach just from looking at Ryan Owen.
“Thanks for staying with me,” I say. “You didn’t have to.”
“I know.” He leans back into the sofa and picks a movie. My eyelids feel heavy and I slip into sleep long before it ends.
I don’t open my eyes again until morning.
Chapter 13
Time passes by as it normally does: seven days in a week, twenty-four hours in a day, and sixty seconds in a minute. But somehow, spring break appears out of nowhere.
With a coffee in one hand and my luggage in the other, I go through LAX with the rest of our group. Liam is on my right side, chatting away about how excited he is to surf and hang out in the sun. Ryan is on my left side, a baseball cap on his head and a tiny grin on his lips. Maisie walks hand in hand with Jayce, and Kale straggles with the oversized luggage he’s been dragging around all morning.
Jayce leads the way; not only did he grow up in the Los Angeles area, he also travels back home regularly and knows his way around. His father is a famous film editor, and his mother was an iconic supermodel back in the 1980s. He’s undoubtedly lived a life of privilege, but you’d never know it by the way he presents himself. Always courteous and well-mannered, you’d never be able to tell he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He’s also by far the cleanest roommate among the four of them. He’s the first person to pick up a mop, or wash a dirty dish. And he was also generous enough to invite us to his parents’ vacation home at Newport Beach, and expected nothing in return.
“This way,” Jayce shouts over his shoulder. We step through sliding doors and into the hot muggy air. “I see our driver over there.”
“Shotgun!” Kale starts to jog slightly toward a black SUV. That’s the fastest I’ve seen him move all day. “You losers can ride in the back,” he teases.
Liam pulls open the side door for me with a smile. “Ladies first.”
Ryan nudges Maisie forward and simultaneously steps in front of me, blocking the doorway. “Go ahead, Maisie.
Like Liam said, ladies first.”
“Thank you, Ryan,” Maisie says and slides onto the backseat. Jayce takes her luggage and tosses it into the trunk.
Liam looks taken aback, but Ryan plays it cool while I seethe in his direction. “I think Liam meant to hold the door open for me,” I tell him.
“Oh, sorry,” he says, his blatant insincere tone causing my blood to boil. “Sometimes I forget you aren’t one of the guys.”
I’ve never wanted to slap someone so hard in my life. But I push past him instead. “Watch out.”
He snickers at me, clearly amused by my revulsion to him as I scoot beside Maisie. He then slides in beside me, forcing Liam and Jayce to the very back of the seven-passenger vehicle.
The drive to Newport Beach is beautiful: all ocean and blue skies. We have our driver blast out music so we can all sing along, like we’re in an episode of Carpool Karaoke. The scenery begins to change as we pull into the Newport Beach area. The landscape is hillier, the homes gradually grow larger, and the ocean calmer.
We cross over a bridge overlooking the sprawling beach circling a bay, with virtually every inch of open water covered in white yachts. Our driver turns down a street full of shops and restaurants with girls walking in bikini cover-ups and guys in muscle shirts. It reminds me of a beach town you’d see in the movies.
The driver makes a few more turns before stopping at a dead end facing the ocean. Gorgeous homes sprawl along either side of a boardwalk only steps away from the beach. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Jayce thanks the driver, and tips him well. We unload our luggage from the trunk.
“Where’s your beach house?” Kale’s eyes float over to a group of beautiful girls passing by on the boardwalk.
“Right here.” Jayce nods at a spectacular gray-toned two-story home with a white wraparound porch that almost touches the boardwalk. “Come on, let’s get settled.”
The six of us follow him up a few steps, across the porch and into the large beach house. The entryway is bigger than the entire apartment I share with Maisie. A hallway leads deeper into the house, connecting into an airy open-concept living room, dining room, and kitchen combo. The furniture is plush, and the décor is beachy. The color scheme is a calming mix of white, gray and blues. A spiral staircase leads up to a second floor.
