"So, you're gonna return Annie, right? Like you weren't just saying that?" I ask Rio.
"They gotta finish the drop first, til then she stays with Mick."
"And Mick won't hurt her, right?"
"Nah." He confirms, bouncing the ball.
He won't hurt her, unless Rio tells him too. I wonder what they're even doing...
He shoots the ball into the basket, "Thinkin' too hard over there."
"Yeah, probably. Maybe I should go over there, see how she's doing?"
"Nah, don't do that." he shoots the ball again.
I let the subject go, and lean back against the wall. I watch as he continues shooting the ball into the basket above. I never really understood sports, like I get that people find them fun and entertaining, but I don't see how. But, I could happily watch Rio play any sport.
The heavy back door swings open and Nick struts outside.
"Hey, Big Time." Rio greets him.
"Hard at work, huh?"
"Love what you do, never work a day in your life." Rio chuckles, throwing the ball into the hoop once more. Nick catches it and throws the ball back to Rio.
"Hey, Citrine." He greets me.
"Hi." I say with a small wave. My phone begins ringing and I get up and walk around the corner from the duo. I look down at the ID and was a little shocked.
"Ruby?"
"Hey, sissy." She beams.
"How are you? Where are you?"
"We're good. Sapphy and I are heading to the airport now, we just left Peri's place." She explains.
"Good, how is he doing?"
"Eh, he's Peri. He told us about your new man."
"And we want to meet him." Sapphire speaks in the background.
"Gotta give him our stamp of approval." Ruby finishes.
"Well, you know you're always welcomed at my place, whenever."
"Good, we're on our way." She laughs.
"What?"
"Yep, we should be landing around 7 or so."
"Oh, okay um I'll meet you guys at the airport then."
"Yay! We love you, see you soon!" they scream.
"Love you guys." I hang up the phone and head back to Rio and Nick.
"Ball." Rio holds his hand out.
"Later, brother. Citrine, can I talk to you inside for a moment?" He asks, holding the basketball.
"Could it wait? I just got a call from my sisters, they're heading into town." I say, looking to Rio then Nick.
"Ah, maybe we can all grab dinner sometime then." Nick suggests.
"Yeah, maybe. For now, though, I need to speed clean, so I'll see you guys later."
"I'll walk you to your car." he insists.
"Okay." I mumble, following him back inside the bar.
"I was hoping I could convince you join my side." Nick says.
"Sorry?"
"Council, I mean. A seat opened up and I think you would be a perfect fit." He explains as we exit the main door.
"Yeah, no, that's not really my thing."
"It could be though, you've already made a good impression with helping out at the garden program."
"You invited me to help out, though. I don't really think that counts." I open my car door and slide inside.
"Think about it, alright? It'll be good for you." He says, shutting my car door.
Well, I defiantly won't be doing that... why on earth would I want to be on council?
I roll down the window before he could get too far, "You're going to give him the ball back, right?"
He smiles before responding, "Sure."
"Your place is so cute." Sapphire says, dropping her bags in the living room.
"It's very Citrine, adorable." Ruby confirms, cupping my cheeks in her hands.
"Okay, okay." I remove her hands and walk into the kitchen, "Did you guys want to go out for dinner or make something here?
"What we want is to meet your man." Sapphire sits at the island.
"Yeah, where is he? Why didn't he come with you to pick us up?" Ruby slides on the stool next to her.
"I didn't invite him to. You know not everyone works on their laptops."
"We know!" Sapphy rolls her eyes, "You own your store, but we want to meet him."
I sigh, "I'll give him a call."
The two high five each other as I walk off to my room, shutting the door and clicking his contact name.
"Darlin'." He greets.
"Hey, whatcha doing?"
"Waitin' for you to tell me what you want." He chuckles.
"My sisters want to meet you."
"Peri?"
"Peri."I confirm.
He chuckles again and tells me to meet him at the bar.
"Ooo we should see if we can pick him out!" Sapphire squeals, looking around the bar.
"No no, what if we get it wrong! That's a bad impression!" Ruby tries to reign Sapphire in.
"I'm sorry, I'm just excited!" She bounces.
"I see him." I say, making a bee line for him.
"Hey, ladies." He says, straighten back up from the pool table.
I wrap him in a quick hug, kissing him before leaning into his ear to whisper, "I'm sorry."
He chuckles as we part, "Rio." He reaches his hand out to shake their hands.
The two ignore his hand and pull him into a group hug. Oh, I didn't warn him...
"We're huggers." Sapphire says.
"But there is a thing called personal space." I say, wedging myself in the middle.
My two sisters back up and allow Rio to breathe, "Want anything from the bar?" He asks.
"Tequila." They both say.
"A'ight." He nods, walking off to the bar.
I tell them I'll be right back and to stay put while I follow him.
"I should've warned you." I told him.
He lets out a little chuckle, "It's family, Darlin'."
"They mean well, they can just be a little overwhelming sometimes."
The bartender places the four drinks on the counter before walking away, "You remembered my drink." I smile.
"Know you well." He picks up the tray and starts heading back to the pool table.
He places the tray down before pulling out a sit for me. I thank him before sliding into the seat, scooting it a bit closer to the table.
"Citrine, tells me you two travel." Rio says, leaning back into the chair.
"Yeah, we're travel writers, so we go to different places, take pictures and write about the place." Ruby explains.
"We try to get Citrine to come with us, but she never does." Sapphire says, turning to me to send a look.
"I have the shop and for a while I didn't have any employees."
"What about you, Rio? What do you do?" Ruby asks.
"Own the bar." He nods. I know that Peri told them what Rio actually does, but they just nod.
"It looks great, I'm sure it gets a lot of a lot of traffic on the weekends." Sapphire compliments.
"Does a'ight." He nods. The bartender waves him over and he quickly excuses himself.
"Drop the shop and come with us." Sapphire pleads when he's out of earshot.
"It would be nice to see you more." Ruby agrees.
"I can't just leave. I would have to sell the store and what about Rio?"
"Bring him along." Sapphire says.
"He can't just up and leave either. He has a kid, who has a mom. And he has his own business."
"He could take a vacation, I'm sure his baby mama won't mind." Ruby says, Sapphy nodding in agreement.
I let out a sigh and look to the bar to see where Rio went off to. He's still talking to the bartender so I ask, "What do you guys think of him?"
"I like him for you. He's nice." Ruby smiles.
"He pulled your chair out for you when you guys came back from the bar, I like that. Never accept the bare minimum, sissy." Sapphire tells me.
"I love him." I whisper.
"AWWW!" They coo.
"Our sissy loves someone." Ruby reaches out for me, wrapping me in a hug.
Rio comes back over and asks the pair if they want to play pool, "You won't ban us when we kick your ass?" Ruby asks, grabbing a pool stick.
He laughs and says "Nah, we're cool."
"Yep, I like him." Sapphy laughs as the four of us exit the bar.
"You're just saying that because he didn't make you pay for all those drinks." I laugh along.
"No no, he's great. You're great." Ruby joins.
Poor Rio having to guide us to his car. He somehow herded us into it and begins driving us all back to my place.
"You know I'm not even THAT drunk." Ruby tries.
"Even I know that's bullshit and I'm drunker then you." Sapphy laughs.
I lean my head to the side of the seat to look at them in the back.
"Gonna hurt yourself, Darlin'." Rio says, maneuvering me back into place when we hit a stop light.
"Awwww." my sisters coo.
I let out a giggle before moving again to lean onto Rio, "You're cute."
He smiles, focusing on the road.
"You two are fucking adorable." Ruby says.
"Almost makes me want a man." Sapphire agrees.
"I got a good one." my smile growing more.
Rio helps get us from the parking lot to my apartment. Sapphire and Ruby instantly calling dibs on my bed and go inside shutting the door behind them.
"You could stay the night, if you want to." I wrap my arms around his waist.
"Need to sleep this off, mama." he mutters, guiding me to the couch.
"Could sleep it off with you, though." I plop down on the couch, arms still wrapped around him, burying my head into his hard stomach.
"Lay down, Darlin'." he instructs and I comply, "Close your eyes."
I close them and begin giggling. He places a blanket over me then leaning down to kiss my forehead, "Call ya tomorrow."
"Wait!" I reach out and take a hold of his hand. "I'm sorry about tonight. It-it didn't go exactly as pl-planned. They can be a bad influence."
"We're good, Darlin'." he lets his hand run on top of my head a couple times before saying "Love you."
"I'm in love with you. Which is different from just loving you, in-in my opinion. I'm in love with you. And I-I've never said that to anyone be-before. But, it's how I feel for you."
He smiles, rubbing my head a bit more before heading towards the door. I close my eyes again, and cuddle into the blanket.
Ugh, no. Just no to everything, the sun, the birds, the traffic outside. It's a no from me. Who decided that work should start at 8 in the damn morning? I roll off the couch and crawl to the curtains yanking them closed. I make my way back to the couch and climb back on it, curling up with the blanket.
My phone begins buzzing and I groan and reach out for it, "Hello?" I groan.
"Hey, mama."
"Rio?" I ask.
"Ouch, expecting someone else?"
"I don't even know my name right now." I huff.
"Remember anything?"
"Not enough."
"Need anything?"
"Ugh for all the traffic to disappear." I whine, yanking the covers back over my head.
"Sisters awake?" he chuckles.
"Probably not, they drank more than me. I'm just a light-weight."
"Could have Mick drop off some breakfast."
"Oh my god Annie! Is she alright?"
"Got dropped off this morning."
"Ugh, you're amazing. And breakfast sounds amazing, but I already owe you for all those drinks last night."
"Nah, don't worry about it, Darlin'."
"I love you."
"Love you."
I hang up the phone, and the flashback hits me. I get off the couch and stumble to my room, pushing the door open with my body. I shake Ruby awake, who groans out "What happened?"
"I told Rio I'm in love with him last night."
"Oh, shit."