by R. R. Banks
They continued to kiss passionately, enjoying their first kiss as a couple. Hannah pulled back and looked at Russell in his blue eyes. “Are you my boyfriend?” she asked awkwardly, intentionally ruining the moment but making Russell laugh. She bit her lip as she pulled forward and kissed him again.
Russell pulled away from her lips after he finished kissing her and rubbed his fingers through her blonde hair. “If you’ll have me as it,” he replied with a coy grin. “I don’t know if I can live up to being your first boyfriend in years.”
“You’d be my first boyfriend since high school,” she said with a laugh. “You’d be the first man that I’d willingly given my heart to, ever.”
He turned his head and laughed. “Well, that’s a lot of pressure to live up to. I don’t know if I can handle it.”
“Just give it your best shot,” said Hannah as she kept her hands on his side. “I have no idea what I’m doing either.”
Russell smiled as he leaned in and kissed her again for a few seconds before pulling back and looking her in her beautiful eyes. “Then I suppose we’ll have to figure it out together,” he said softly as he kissed her again.
She pulled away once they were finished and stepped away from him, leaving him standing in the kitchen as she walked over and grabbed her phone. “Do you want to go meet up with Alexis and our friend Trish?” she asked as she looked down at her phone. “They’re currently eating in Chinatown, but they’re open to heading out to one of the local pubs.”
“It’d be nice to meet your best friend and spend some time with her,” he said as he sipped on the wine. “I’d really like to get to know everything about you and everyone of whom you are close with.”
“You’re not worried that they won’t like you?”
“I met Alexis in Sydney and she is a sweet girl, I’m sure she and I will get along great,” he explained. “I don’t know a thing about the other girl though.”
Hannah chuckled. “She’s a bit of a free spirit and very friendly,” she said calmly. “I think you’ll get along with her fine as well.” She stepped away into the hallway before turning around quickly. “I’m going to go lose this dress and come out in something a bit more comfortable, ok?”
“That’s fine,” said Russell. “Do you need me to come pick something out for you?
“Absolutely not,” she said confidently. “I have this under control.”
Russell smirked as Hannah stepped away, leaving him in the kitchen to look around the apartment. He walked out of the kitchen, still holding his wine glass, drinking from it at a steady rate. The living room, located right next to the kitchen, was still filthy but he refused to let it bother him. His apartment was not pristine or perfect so he knew he couldn’t hold this against Hannah; she was rarely home and there weren’t any pests or vermin roaming about. He walked over to the couch and had a seat at the end, positioning his body near the window so he could look out at the skyline and allow his mind to roam. Hannah was, to him, perfect. She was smart, ambitious, sarcastic, and honest, all qualities he wanted in someone. She was also incredibly attractive and carried it with a great deal of confidence, a trait that brought Russell to his knees. He could feel himself starting to fall for her and, so far, he knew she was the woman that checked most of the boxes.
He sat there for another few minutes until he heard the door to her bedroom open and Hannah emerging from the hallway. “Much better,” she said as she stepped into the living room wearing khaki pants, a black, button up blouse, and tall, knee high boots. Her hair was untouched, still above her ears and pinned up.
“What did you do with the dress?” asked Russell.
“I threw it on the floor in my closet,” she replied with a coy grin. “I hope I never see that thing again.”
Russell laughed as she walked through the room and into the kitchen to grab her glass. “What are you going to do when you get married one day?” he asked. “Are you going to wear a tux?”
“I might,” she replied quickly. “I look great in pants.”
“You do,” he continued. “You look great in pants, as well as a lot more comfortable.”
“I am a lot more comfortable,” she stated plainly, showing a sense of relief in her face. “Come on, I just text Alexis and we’re going to meet her at a pub a few blocks over.”
Russell stood up and grabbed his wine glass, turning it up and setting the glass on the coffee table. “Is it ok if I leave my glass here?”
“Of course not, savage,” she joked as she turned her glass up and placed it on the counter in the kitchen. “I’ll get it later, or I’ll call the cleaning service.”
“Call a cleaning service?”
“Yeah, when it gets too bad, I just call someone to clean it up,” she explained. “It makes my life a lot more pleasant.”
“That makes sense,” he said. “I have someone clean my apartment every week. It’s money well spent.”
Hannah nodded. “It is,” she said. “I have her come out every few weeks because of how often I’m here.” She turned and walked toward the door with Russell following her. “Come on, this is going to be a fun night.”
“I hope so,” he replied with a smile as he reached in front of her and grabbed the door knob and pulled it open. “I really hope so.”
Chapter 6
Trish and Alexis walked into The Ivory Ring, a classy bar with a 1920s-theme resonating throughout the establishment. The walls were covered in fancy black and white wall paper with ornate designs. Sumptuous chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling that illuminated the room with a majestic ambience. The floors were an old hardwood, the same floors from the warehouse that was here back in the twenties. “I forgot this place existed,” said Trish as she walked in front of Alexis, looking forward into the large, open, common area that doubled as a dance floor. “I wasn’t expecting for us to come somewhere so classy.”
“It’s not that classy,” said Alexis as she muscled up to the bar, sliding beside a couple large men who were taking a great deal of space with their elbows resting on the wooden structure. “In an hour, that dance floor will be buzzing and we’re going to be getting down.”
“Really?” asked Trish as she stood beside Alexis. “Are you about to have a few drinks to get the night going?”
Alexis smiled. “I told my ex where to meet me and he’s going to come find me here at some point,” she said as the bartender placed a glass of wine in front of her. “I’m going to need a few of these before I can see his smug face again.”
“Alexis, why are you putting yourself through this?” asked Trish with a concerned tone. “Why are you making yourself talk to him?”
“Because we had something decent and I really feel like I need closure,” she explained. “So, I’m going to get a few drinks in me and then we’re going to see where the night takes me.”
Trish smirked as she motioned for the bartender to bring her what Alexis was drinking. “Then I suppose I cannot let you drink alone,” she said with a coy grin. “Maybe with our powers combined, we can be one sensible human being.”
Alexis looked around the room to see if Hannah was already waiting on her. “Have you seen Hannah?” she asked as Trish reached for the drink the bartender brought her. “I thought she’d make it here by now.”
“No, I haven’t seen her,” said Trish while she sipped on her glass of white wine and looked at her phone. “But I think Davis will be joining us this evening. I told him we were coming here and he was adamant about coming out and seeing me.”
“Do you think he wants a real relationship with you?” asked Alexis.
“I certainly hope so,” replied Trish. “He’s attractive, smart, ambitious, and has most of his shit together. He’s exactly what I’m not. I think he’d be really good for me as a person.”
Alexis laughed heartily as Trish bluntly admitted her faults. “If he can keep you contained, then I suppose he would be great for you.”
; “I sure hope so,” she said with an awkward smile. “I’ve had so much go wrong for me in this life that I really feel like I need a good win.”
Alexis looked back at the door to see a small group of people walking in, though none of them were Hannah. She turned back to Trish and looked at her closely. “How have you been handling your issues?”
“You mean my addiction?” she asked bluntly. “I still crave it, but I haven’t used in several years.”
“Heroin really is a dangerous thing,” said Alexis. “I can’t even imagine what going through that was like.”
“It was terrible ecstasy,” said Trish. “I loved every second of the thing that was trying to kill me.”
Alexis nodded while taking a sip from her drink. “Is that why you chose to do what you do?” she asked. “Is that why you chose to work with children who are at risk for addiction?”
Trish smiled and nodded. “Absolutely,” she said. “Every day that passes that I am able to keep children off drugs and off the streets is a day that I have won. I don’t know if I want a family or even several little buggers of my own, but helping these kids who need mentors is what I live for now and I love what I do.”
“That’s great, Trish,” said Alexis with an earnest smile. “It’s always good to do things that you love.”
“I love working with them,” she continued. “I feel like it is my life’s purpose and I really appreciate my employers for allowing me to do it.” Alexis turned and looked toward the door to see Hannah and Russell walking into the bar, both looking at the décor as they walked through the crowd. Alexis raised her hand to get Hannah’s attention as she waded through the mass of people to finally them.
“You changed,” said Alexis as she leaned forward and hugged Hannah. “I knew you couldn’t make it all night in a dress.”
“You know me too well,” she replied as she embraced her friend. “Hey Trish! How was your flight?” she said as she leaned forward and hugged her.
“It was an airplane,” she replied sarcastically. “Honestly, flying from Chicago to New York is really not something to think too much about. It’s a quick flight from one airport to another. The only problem is when you get stuck beside someone who potentially smells funny or snores.”
Hannah laughed while Alexis stepped up to Russell and gave him a small hug. “How are you, sir?” she asked while she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I hope earlier went well.”
“It really did,” he said in his soft, British accent. “I really enjoy spending time with her.”
“Well don’t get too attached,” she said while she looked at him directly. “She’s still mine.”
Russell laughed as he released Alexis. “I would never think twice about taking her away from you.”
“Swear?”
“I swear,” he replied with a smile. “I firmly understand how dreadfully important she is to you and how important you are to her. I’ve accepted that the two of you are a packaged deal.”
Alexis nodded in affirmation. “I’m glad you’ve already figured that out,” she said as she turned to see Trish walking up. “Most people struggle to get that far, but Russell, I’d like for you to meet our friend Trisha.”
“It’s a pleasure,” he said as he stretched out his hand to shake hers, which she immediately brushed aside to hug him.
“I don’t shake hands,” she said with a laugh.
“I can tell,” he said as he leaned down to hug her, having a considerable height advantage. “You are quite friendly.”
“That I am,” she replied as she released him, allowing him to stand up straight and look down at her. He stood at least a foot taller than her, which made hugging her awkward though he knew he needed to be polite. He stood tall as Hannah walked up to him and placed her hand around his waist and looked at Trish. “Welcome back,” he said as he watched her order drinks at the bar.
She smiled as she looked up at him, biting her lip innocently before looking back at Trish. “Mine,” she said with a possessive, yet playful tone. “Do you have someone coming?”
“Yes, I sure do,” replied Trish. “Davis is supposed to be meeting me here in the next few minutes.”
“Is that the guy we met last time we saw you?” asked Hannah.
“Yes, it is,” she replied. “I’m hoping he gets here soon else I’m going to have to keep staring at your man.”
The girls laughed while Russell stood there looking awkward, not knowing how to react to Trish and her straight forward personality. “It’s ok, you’re allowed to laugh at her,” quipped Hannah as she looked up into his eyes. “I know she’s relatively harmless.”
“Relatively?” he asked rhetorically. “How can someone be relatively harmless?”
“Come to the bedroom with me later on and find out,” she joked as Hannah turned her head and shot her a mean glance.
Alexis stepped forward and looked over toward the door to see a familiar face walking in. “Trish, is that Davis?” she asked as she pointed at the entrance.
Trish quickly turned around, her short, black dress moving with the motion, and looked toward the door. Her eyes lit up as she noticed him walking toward them, looking incredibly dapper and justifiably handsome. His black sports coat and matching slacks fit him perfectly with his white shirt accented by a loosely fitting blue tie around his neck. “Davis!” shouted Trish as she waved at him. “We’re over here!”
Davis turned his head and looked over at the group, noticing them waiting on him to walk up. He weaved through the crowd slowly as he worked toward them, keeping his eyes on Trish the whole time. His blue eyes were soft and his dark, brown hair was neatly cut and styled. “Can he move slower?” asked Hannah as she darted her eyes between Trish and Davis.
“I think he’s making an entrance, love,” quipped Russell, prompting a chuckle out of Hannah as she turned toward the bar and grabbed her drink. “You know, like those wrestlers who walk out of the curtains with a sense of boding and forlorn anger? I think he’s about to come punch someone in the throat,” he continued, making Hannah laugh more and getting Alexis in on it.
“I don’t think he has that in him,” said Alexis as she turned to look at Russell. “He’s not that jacked.”
“Well, you never know,” continued Russell. “He could have muscles on top of muscles underneath his shirt.”
Alexis shook her head with a smile across her face. “I don’t think so,” she said. “He looks too scrawny for that.”
Davis walked up and immediately placed his arms around Trish’s waist and pulled her toward him while she planted her lips on his. With a quick peck, she pulled back and looked into his eyes while he brought his arm up and brushed the hair off of her face and behind her ear. “It’s good to finally see you again,” he said as he kept his right arm around her while his left was near her face. “It has been far too long.”
“Yes, yes it has been,” answered Trish as she stared into his eyes. “I’m sorry my relocation took a bit longer than I was anticipating.”
“I’m sorry it did too,” he replied with a smile while turning his head toward the bar to find the bartender, an older, chubby, bald man waiting on him. “Jameson on the rocks,” he said before turning back toward Trish. “What are you drinking?”
“Just wine for now,” she said. “I may have something harder later.”
Hannah sipped on her wine and started to choke on it from laughing at Trish, hearing the innuendo causing her to spit it up slowly. “Trish, make sure I’m not drinking next time you say something like that,” she commanded as her face turned red from affixation.
“What, I may swap to whisky later,” she said defensively. “What’s so wrong with swapping to liquor?”
“Because you said you wanted… why am I explaining this?” asked Russell as he looked at the devilish grin across Trish’s face, realizing in the end that Trish knew what she was saying.
Hannah looked up at Russell after finally
composing herself. “Trish has always been one to slip something in at a moment’s notice.”
“I’ve been known to slip a thing or two in,” she confirmed, still wearing that grin and dropping another innuendo.
“You’re like a high school boy,” said Alexis as she sipped on her glass of wine. “What’s next, a string of mom jokes?”
Trish’s smile grew across her face. “Don’t tempt me, Alexis,” she said plainly. “I have plenty at my disposal.” She paused to turn and place her empty glass on the bar. “I work with several young boys and they know all the new and great ones.”
Davis turned toward the bartender and grabbed his drink, nodding at him while picking it up and sipping from it. “Would you like anything else?” he asked politely to Trish.
“Yeah, I’ll have what you’re having,” she said with a smile.
“Perfect,” he said as he turned back toward the bartender and ordered a second one for Trish. “How was your flight?” he asked, grabbing Trish’s attention away from Hannah and Alexis and starting a conversation with her.
Trish turned her head and faced him while backing her body up into his. He placed his hands on her waist while she put the back of her head on his shoulder. “It was uneventful,” she answered while looking up toward his eyes. “I’m glad you’re here though.”
“Me too,” he replied. “I wouldn’t have missed tonight for anything.”
“You mean that?” she asked sincerely.
“I do,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ve been patiently waiting for your arrival since you told me you were relocating here.”
Trish smiled. “Have you been beating other women away so that you could see me?”
