Ryder (5 page)

"Shit sorry, Letts, you sure you're ok? I mean, he kind of took the wind out of you." Ben looks at me with concern in his eyes. Ben is like the big brother I never had but wanted so much. It was all well and good having a big sister to help with girly things growing up but I couldn’t talk to her about things because she was the type of person where if she didn’t like something then it was shit. I will admit that after Demi was born we slowly reconnected but not hugely, she still has only seen her a handful of times. We went to stay with her for about two weeks when her marriage went to shit but we haven't seen her since. We have texted a few times but that’s the extent of our contact.

"I'm good, Ben, really I am. I will sort it out, even though there isn't anything to sort out really," I shrug and start making someone's coffee. I turn to see Ben cross his big arms across his body. Dammit, I tell you he should be a bodyguard or a fricking NFL player or something that needs big ass muscle men.

"I think he wants to be something, Letts. But the question is … Are you going to let him?" He turns to serve a customer, who is gushing over him. Poor women, you have no chance with this cutie.

After my shift, I say good-bye to Ben and Loren with the promise that I am finding hard to keep, that I will text Ryder and see if he wants to meet up for a drink one night. I don’t see why I have to make the first move, but according to Loren, Ryder tried today but seeing that I was still pissed at him, he is giving me space. Why did he have to be so freaking considerate? I give in easily.

Me: Hi

Chapter 7

Ryder

Well, I have well and truly fucked that up, haven’t I? Fucknut. I knew she was still pissed as soon I she saw me walk into The Hot Pot, but I really did believe that this past week she would have calmed down a little but I guess I was wrong. Oh well I made the first move I tried to talk to her but she refuse to even engage in a conversation with me. Fuck it if she thinks I’m going to chase after her anymore not that she knew I have been chasing her since the party. Shit, I feel like a teenage girl waiting for her boyfriend to phone after a date or something. I sit in my car and drink my coffee and people watch. My phone dings and I see Letty has sent me a text. Yeah baby, I knew you would come around.

Letty: Hi

I smile to myself.

Me: Hi yourself.

Letty: How you been?

I just saw her like twenty minutes ago and she wouldn’t give me the time of day and now she is asking how I am, now that is fucked up.

Me: I’m good

I don’t ask how she is because I feel like being a dick right about now.

Letty: That’s good then. Ummm I was wondering if you would like to meet up for a drink sometime.

Is she for real? So she can’t talk to me in front of her work colleagues but she can text me? Fuck that.

Me: So what now you can talk to me, now I’m good enough to talk to when no-one is around to see you talking to me. I am not some dirty little secret Letty!!

Wow, asshole alert. Lucy would rip me a new one if she knew I was talking to Letty like this. I wait for her reply but it doesn’t come right away. After several minutes of tapping my fingers my phone dings and I my heart sins. I haven’t even read the message yet; I just have that feeling.

Letty: No you’re not a dirty little secret Ryder but I was still pissed at you and to be honest you can’t blame me you were a dick at the beach. My friends convinced me that since you made the first move to talk to me and I had a big bitch moment that I should try and reach out to you and maybe go for a drink but I can clearly see that it was a fucking big ass mistake. Have a nice life Ryder.

Fuck, double fuck. I toss my phone onto the passenger seat and slam my hands a few times on the steering wheel. Fucking shit, why can’t I stop screwing up with this girl? Oh, fuck my life right now.  I start my car and Linkin Park’s ‘Guilty All The Same’ starts to play again and they are fucking right, I was quick to blame Letty for acting like a bitch when in all fairness I was a total dickhead to her as well. Maybe I should try the Rafe and Lucy route to try and be friends with Letty first. Maybe take her and Demi out for the day, maybe a beach visit or pay Six Flags a visit. What little kid doesn’t like Six Flags, right? Before I can drive away, I see Letty leave The Hot Pot, and I decide to follow. Creeper much? I know but I need to get to know this girl.

But I also know that I need to control my dickheadedness. The boys would laugh if they could see me now. I follow her two blocks keeping my eyes on that perfect tight ass in those jean shorts, the t-shirt that she is wearing making her tits look fucking edible. She is wearing high top trainers. Me and Rafe are similar in the ladies fashion department. We both like a girl to be herself and more casual than high maintenance. My phone dings in my back pocket and I can’t stop the big shit eating grin that slides across my face. I slide my finger across the screen and take a glance at too where Letty is still walking.

Letty: You stalking me now ;)

The little minx knows I’m following her. Busted.

Me: Who me? No I just happened to me walking in the same direction as you ;)

Letty: Yeah, Yeah I don’t believe you ‘Drummer Boy’

I laugh out loud, scaring the old lady passing me at the time, I look up at Letty who is looking at me over her shoulder; she swings her hips that little bit more tempting me. I bite my lip and Letty’s step falters. Got ya baby, I smile to myself.

Me: Drummer Boy? There ain’t nothing boy about me, baby.

I look up from my phone just to make sure she is still walking in front of me, which she is thank God. She looks back at me again and winks. Fucking hell, that one little wink sends jolts of lighting to my dick. But my dick quickly shrivels up when I see where Letty has stopped. She looks back at me and crooks her finger at me to join her. She is standing outside ‘Star Bright Day Care Center’ so I take it she is picking Miss Demi up then. I stop next to her and smile.

“Well, hello there Miss. You come here often?” I wink at her. She gives me a smile that I am really learning to love. She adjusts her bag strap, which is lying perfectly between her amazing breasts that are screaming at me to play with them.

“Well hello there, Mr. Phoenix. I do come here most days, as a matter of fact. I come here to pick up a very beautiful lady friend of mine. You might know her” she says in, a seductive voice that makes my dick jerk to attention. “You coming?” She jerks her head, towards the day care doors.

I smirk at her and give her a Phoenix answer, “I will be.” I wink at her and she bursts out laughing. We climb the few steps up to the big glass doors. I stand behind Letty, close enough that I can smell her. She smells like the baby powder she must use on Demi. She pushes a button and a buzzing noise brings me out of my Letty daze. A voice comes over the intercom.

“Hello, can I help you?” The lady sounds of an older age.

“Hey Maggie, its Letty I have come to pick Demi up.” The doors buzzes and Letty pulls the door open and I follow her through. The day care reception looks like Fort Knox; security cameras are in every corner, and there is a large counter with a glass window with a small speaker vent. There is no way in hell anyone of those kids is being taken from here I have a strange feeling of relief knowing that Demi is safe here. Letty touches my arm and then I notice that there is an older lady standing next to Letty holding a clipboard in her hands.

“Oh I’m sorry. What were you saying?” I ask, looking between Letty and the lady she is standing with.

“I was just about to introduce you to Maggie here. She needs to know who you are before we can go to the next room and collect Demi. So as I was saying, Maggie, this is my boyfriend Ryder.” I look between the two women again and Letty nudges my shoulder.

“Oh yeah sorry, I had a late night last night not a lot of sleep” I wink at Maggie who blushes. Still have it ladies and gentleman.

“Ok Ryder do you have any ID on you, please? I will need to check who you are and give you a visitor’s pass.” Like I said, Fort Knox. After showing my ID and signing a few forms, we were allowed into the next room where we had to sit and wait for Maggie to go and get Demi. This gives me a few minutes alone to talk to Letty and maybe try and clear the air.

“Listen I…”

“I’m sorry Ryd…”

We both speak at the same time and we let out an awkward laugh. Letty touches my thigh with her small soft, hand stopping me from speaking. Shit, I fucking love it when women touch my thighs, especially when they squeeze them like Letty is doing now. My dick jumps in my jeans and I’m praying that no one, especially Letty, can see my growing hard on.

“I’m sorry for my bitch moment at the coffee shop; I understand that you took the first step by coming to see me. You even apologized to me and I was a complete bitch to you and for that I’m sorry.” She tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear and looks to the floor. She even blushes a little. I reach my hand over to her face, bringing her eyes to meet mine. God, her eyes are so beautiful, I could get lost in them. Wow could I be any cheesier right now?

“Letty, baby, you don’t need to apologize to me ok? I was a total dick to you that day at the beach and I shouldn’t have assumed that you were with Demi’s father. I should have asked you before walking away. I know that this sounds really weird and I really hope you don’t think I’m a creeper or anything, but I feel a strange need to protect both you and Demi. I have only met her once and you only a few times but Christ, the need is there. I don’t know where these feelings are coming from and they scare the crap out of me but I would like to see what they might grow into. I know that Demi must come first and I am willing to take things slow with you. I won’t push you, Letty you set the beat. So what do you say?” She doesn’t think this time but she does kiss me, so I guess I got my answer, right?

The door swings open mid kiss and Miss Demi come’s bouncing out of the room, wearing a big smile and runs over to Letty and me.

“Ryder, you came to get me from Miss Maggie’s?” I pick her up and smile at the darling little girl in my arms; I know some people would think that it’s too soon for feeling like this but having Demi in my arms feels right. Shit what this little girl does to me?

“I did. Is that ok with you, Miss Demi?” I wink at Letty, who smiles back at me. Maggie hands Demi’s backpack to Letty and we say our goodbyes while walking out the door.

“I like you picking me up, Ryder.” She kisses my cheek and I can’t believe that I blush. A freaking four year old little girl has made me blush. Letty sees and kisses my other cheek. “I’m hungry, Mama. Can Ryder take us on a date like Auntie Quinn’s date last night? Because she said that her Mr. Yummo treated her with food and then a very special desert that made her scream his name. If Ryder takes us for food and desert we can scream his name, Mama. Please?” I look at Letty and try to hold my laugh in but to be honest I think Letty has stopped breathing.

I give in and let out a full belly laugh which sets off both Letty and Demi; I kiss Demi on the cheek and invite them to grab a bite to eat.

“Oh Demi, you baby girl have made my day. How about I treat you and Mama to a bite to eat; where would you like to go?” I look at Letty and she nods at me. I can’t stop myself from leaning into her and kissing her soft lips. Demi giggles in my arms and I pull away. She has a huge ass smile on her face. “What are you smiling at, Angel?” Her eyes widen at the pet name I just called her. She buries her head in my shoulder and giggles more.

She lifts her head to look at Letty and back to me and with a shy smile. “I don’t see Mama kissing boys, it’s funny.” I shake my head and lace my fingers with Letty’s and we walk towards my car. Demi talks about her day at day care on the way to my car, which isn’t far, but once we reach it we realize that we don’t have a car seat for Demi. Me being the man that my mom and dad raised, offer to buy a new car seat just for my car but Letty shoots my idea down. She says that we can walk to a diner closer by so we don’t need to the car.

Little does she know that I will be buying Demi a new car seat just for my car anyway. Demi loved touching my new Super Duty, in all its perfect red hotness. We head over to Ed’s Dinner and Demi keeps the conversation flowing. She is truly a bright little girl for her age. Oh and she is like a fucking information sponge, she doesn’t forget a single thing you tell her.