The Players (TP4)

12 - Cucumber

Ryan

Adam came back looking thrilled after his date with Lana. He was seriously impressed with the restaurant. "You have got to go while you're here."

"I don't have a date and I'm not looking for one." Ryan reminded him.

"Take your parents... Go with Jack and Maddie. Just be sure to go, you won't regret it."

Ryan didn't think Lana would be pleased to serve him food. He suspected she would probably spit in it. It was bad enough she had to clean up his messes. He wiped the rim of the toilet so she wouldn't have to clean up his drips and dribbles. It was strange she was Heidi's friend and now Adam's, what?

"Maybe, so how was your date?"

"She was fun, interesting and hot as hell. Can I stay if I come back and take her out again?"

"Yeah, sure."

Ryan wanted to ask about the other girl but decided it wasn't his business. It was a fine line, because Adam was a client. He crossed the line by dating his client's ex-wife. He wasn't about to tell anyone who to date. They were all adults, so he would stay out of it. He would not discuss Adam's dating life, nor would he ask Lana about hers.

In fact, he intended to stay out of a certain cleaner's way if possible. He regretted he had been so rude to the young girl who originally came to clean. He hoped Heidi didn't castrate him for it. Thankfully, Lana had forgotten it, but his plan was to be friendly yet aloof.

On Tuesday late afternoon, he went into town to buy some groceries. He could cook for himself and needed to start since he couldn't eat sandwiches from The Landing for weeks. At home, he rarely picked up takeout. He walked into the produce section and saw Lana. He wondered if he could avoid her, but he knew he'd have to skip items on his list, although he had some experience avoiding women in the grocery store. Food shopping was a great place to pick up women, but not a great place to go when he was done with them.

As he approached her, she was squeezing a European cucumber. He couldn't help himself as he let his mind go to a sexual place. She was looking for a firm one. He stood behind her and said in a low voice, "Practicing?" He wanted to add for Adam but refrained.

She jumped and whipped her head around. Immediately he saw the blush move up her cheeks. "Do you practice being a jerk or does it come naturally?"

"I'm sorry, but the moment was too good to pass up. Seriously, I buy mushy ones half the time because I'm too embarrassed to give a hand job to a condom-covered vegetable."

"Oh my God, I will never buy a cucumber again, now you've put that image in my head!"

Ryan was pleased she laughed as she spoke. His plan to be aloof was already failing. "If you find a decent one for me. I'd be indebted to you." He used as pleasant a voice as he could manage.

"You know I offered to shop for you. It's part of the service Heidi is paying for. Why is she pulling out all the stops with you, anyway?"

Ryan shrugged, but she eyed him as if trying to read his mind. "Guilt. She's doing it out of guilt."

"What she's giving me business, because she's guilty her pregnancy screwed up our summer?"

"No, she's guilty because she's responsible for the reason why I am here... Well at least partially."

"What did she do?"

"Forget it. It doesn't really matter. I might have you buy my cucumbers from now on. I like to snack on them with hummus."

Her laugh was contagious, and it sounded sweet, which was inconsistent with her husky voice.

"Just let me know, but I have to be going. I'll be over to clean on Thursday morning. Don't throw me out!"

He watched as she moved through the produce section stopping to pick up some grapes with little scrutiny. She definitely had a sense of humor and Ryan thought Adam would be wise to choose her over the sexy jailbait.

The following day, the pool maintenance crew appeared. Ryan had never even asked Heidi about the pool and assumed it would be closed for the summer. Just as he was about to finish his day, the guy knocked on the door and told him it should be ready for swimming by the weekend.

"I'm Fritz by the way. You might not want to run the heater all the time, but when the nights are cold, if you're planning on swimming this early in the season."

Ryan asked Fitz to show him how it worked. Being able to swim excited Ryan which was unusual because lately nothing other than his work pleased him.

On Thursday morning, his cordless headset decided not to work. The dumb things were finicky and didn't last very long, especially when used nonstop for eight hours a day. He hated to be gone for so long, but he'd have to take a trip to the mall to replace it.

Using the traditional receiver he called Allie. "Good morning." She answered cheerfully.

"Do you miss me?" He asked her every morning and her answer often varied.

"Desperately! Cam is becoming as miserable as you. I think Heidi is driving him crazy." She whispered. "You're lucky you're missing this. She still has two months to go."

Ryan laughed. It was a good thing they were so in love. Heidi was definitely what he would define as high maintenance. She always had some complaint or another. Too many women were just like her, which was one reason he was happy to be single. Isobel was also high maintenance why hadn't it bothered him? Why did he let himself care about her?

There were a few exceptions. Not that he had spent a lot of time with his brother, but Maddie was low maintenance. He listened as Peter and Jack talked on their morning runs, and Megan seemed low maintenance too. He wasn't sure, but he suspected Jen might be higher, but Alex who he'd spoken to while getting his morning coffee was the type who could handle it.

"I called to say I have to run out for a new headset. I'll let you know when I'm back. If you need to reach me, use my cell."

"Right oh, boss! When old Donny calls, I'll tell him you'll call him later."

Ryan smiled and remembered he hadn't yet checked the Nationals box score. He would have to before he left. So by nine-thirty he had accomplished two things for the day, checked on the baseball game and thought about Isobel. Why couldn't he forget her?

His trip didn't take him nearly as long as he expected, he even stopped in Macy's and bought some new shorts and a bathing suit. When he entered the house, he heard singing. He had forgotten it was cleaning day. Her husky voice was belting out Adele like she was the star herself, except an American version. She was fantastic. He stood in the doorway of his office and waited for her to see him. She jumped when she did. It was twice he had startled her and again she was embarrassed.

"Oh! I didn't hear you come in."

"Well, how could you with your earbuds and your singing? You're good. Do you sing professionally?"

"No." Her answer was too abrupt.

"That's a shame. I'd pay to hear you sing."

"Lucky you, you heard me for free," she replied in a tone that he couldn't quite read.

Later after she left, he went to the kitchen to get some lunch. She brought a cucumber and when he squeezed it, it was firm. Maybe he was beginning to see how she and Heidi were such good friends.