by Keya Jay
***
“So speaking of just work,” Ryder said as he sat down across from her at the table just as the waiter arrived to bring them the menus.
“Speaking of? I thought we were done talking about it once we had left the house,” she said as she lifted the menu to view.
“I’m just curious what exactly is it you do?”
“I’m an investigator,” she answered quickly before putting down her menu and putting in her order as the waiter came back around.
“What exactly are you investigating?” Ryder asked the moment the waiter left.
“I can’t possibly divulge that kind of information I’d lose my job,” she said.
Fine, he’d let that one go, he thought.
“Who’s Hank, is he your boss?”
“No he’s a friend of my fathers.”
“And so am I safe to assume your father was an investigator too?”
“No my father was a detective,” she said just as the waiter arrived with their food.
“Isn’t that the same thing?” Ryder asked the moment the waiter left.
“I don’t want to talk about my dad.”
“One of my friends was attached last night,” Ryder said quickly changing the subject.
“Oh really?” she asked as she cut her stake in bite sized pieces before popping one in to her mouth.
“Yea really,” he said watching her curiously.
“So what happened?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“I’ve honestly never seen anything like it.”
“And your friend he’s a wisp correct?” she asked curiously.
“Correct.”
“Tell me about the attach,” she said.
“It’s not really a dinner appropriate topic beside I wasn’t there so I don’t know what happened.”
“Alright well then let’s not talk about it,” she said as she resumed her eating.
“If you wanna talk about it another time—”
“Yea another time,” he said cutting her off.
“Alright,” she said nodding her head once.
“Let’s talk about you,” Ryder offered.
“I don’t want to talk about me.” “
I didn’t ask you that now did I?”
“You didn’t have to I’m telling you,” she said in a calm voice.
“So what do you want to do?”
She looked around for a bit and then her blanket soft gray eyes met his.
“I wanna dance,” she said finally.
“Are you serious!? There’s no dance floor here and might I add for good reason.”
“Why not dance? There’s already music playing, besides we don’t need a dance floor any ol’ floor will do,” she said getting to her feet and holding her hand out toward him.
“Come on; if you don’t take it someone else will gladly do so.” Ryder couldn’t believe that he was actually about to give into her.
He grabbed her hand and led her toward the middle aisle in between the tables.
“Don’t be shy now, loosen up,” she laughed.
“Try not to step on my feet,” he said as he held her close and began moving to the music.
Sooner or later more and more couples had joined them; Ryder didn’t know how many songs had passed before Skylar announced she was ready to go home.
“That was fun,” she said giggling all the way to the car.
“Maybe for you but I don’t think the waiters and waitresses that had to walk around us thought the same,” he said sliding into the car.
“Well maybe if you weren’t too busy watching my feet then you would have noticed one of the waiters pull the waitress out on the dance floor.”
“It wasn’t a dance floor,” he argued.
“Do you have to kill my mood? Will it kill you to agree with me just this once? Call it what you want but everyone else seemed to think it was.”
“Well I’m not everyone else,” Ryder said stopping the car.
“Now I have put up with a lot from you, more than I’ve had to with anyone else. You’re rude and disrespectful and that has got to stop. You calling me controlling is like the pot calling the kettle black.”
“It’s called an opinion Ryder everyone has one you just don’t want to listen to them unless they having something to do with you,” she mumbled.
“I’ve been asking you questions all night about your life but you keep shutting me out!”
“Cause I can’t seem to figure out why you’re so interested! You are so dominant, and authoritative, controlling and so, so ruling there’s no way in hell I’d be ok with you knowing anything about me. I’ve only known you for a week and yet I couldn’t tell you the first thing about yourself, I know nothing about you.”
Ryder gripped the steering wheel hard and counted to 10 as he breathed in and out slowly. He hasn’t had to do that since he was a child and it immediately brought up bad memories for him that he was quick to brush away.
“If you’re not busy tomorrow…I know it’s a week day and you probably have work…but by any chance if you have free time or…”
“Sure you can come over,” she said putting him out of his misery.
Thank God, though he doesn’t think that he would have been able to get that out.
“And I appreciate the gesture,” she added her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
Ryder could see the storm clouds rolling in and her focus always wavered from one thing to another, something was wrong this is exactly how she acted in the club before she bolted.
“Can you start the car I’d really like to go home,” she said in a rush of words.
“Bēlua,” Ryder said as he grabbed her by her jaw and made her look at him.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing please, drive. Please!”
“I’m not starting this car until you talk to me and tell me what the fuck’s going on Bēlua.”
“Ryder don’t fuckin do this, you don’t understand I need to get home,” she said frantically as she began to fidget in her seat.
“Why won’t you talk to me?”
“I don’t owe you shit. I don’t have to explain myself to you! All I need you to do is start the fuckin car!” she screamed as she scrambled out of the car nearly falling to her knees on the pavement.
Ryder got out of the car after her. Just when he was starting to… he sighed loudly and chased after her.
“Bēlua STOP!” he hollered as he picked up speed.
He wasn’t expecting it but she did it, she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him and then she began to run again, this time she ran toward him not away from him.
When she threw her arms around him and shook uncontrollably he had no clue what was going on. It looked like her body was having a panic attach.
Ryder held her tighter as she sobbed and drenched his shirt with her tears.
“What the hell is going on?” He asked as every sobbing noise she made broke his heart.
He’s never felt this damn lost when it came to helping people in his whole miserable fucking existence. There was no doubt in his mind that he cared about her and that it was wrong to but how deep did those feelings travel? Never in his fuckin life has he ever been the shoulder to cry on type. Never in his life has anyone looked toward him for damn comfort, him and comfort don’t even belonging in the same fuckin sentence unless he’s making you comfortable in a damn hospital bed.
She was royally destroying him the closer he got to her.
When Skylar had stopped shaking Ryder had thought she was just done crying but no it turns out she passes out.
“Just my luck,” he mumbled.
Ryder sat her back into the car and the moment he slammed the door after hopping in she was awake and staring right at him and she was…angry? Why the hell is she angry?
“You don’t listen,” she growled.
“Are you sur
prised?” She couldn’t be.
“Now sit back and enjoy the ride and don’t talk unless I ask you to. I don’t want to hear you right now.”
“Well I guess that’s just too bad,” she countered.
Oh so they were back to playing these games, it’s like the last 20 minutes never happened. Even though Ryder wished to God they never had.
Ryder gripped the steering wheel harder, his knuckles white as snow.
“Bēlua,” he growled, “Will it kill you to listen to me? All I ask is that you show me some got damn respect, I don’t want to have to hurt you but you’re forcing my hand,” he said as he relaxed and untightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“What the hell is with you and this respect you crave? You’re not God and sorry to tell you this but you’re not even remotely important! You ask for respect like its some fuckin piece of candy! You want respect? Well I only give respect to those who deserve it,”
Ryder wanted to ask her to repeat herself but that…there was no way he wanted to hear it twice.
“And that comment there, that was the last straw. GET OUT!”
“You’re seriously going to make me walk the rest of the way home?” she asked shocked.
“Get out!” he said again and she immediately got out of the car and he rode off.
He expected to feel better after kicking her out, but he didn’t.
