Ryan
With his BMW loaded up the night before, Ryan left before the sun was up. He had a long drive ahead of him which he hadn't done in years. Typically, he only went home for a day or two, so it was easier to fly. Suddenly he regretted that he hadn't called his parents or his brother to tell them he was coming. He would need to, but then he'd need to explain.
The last thing Ryan wanted was to disappoint his mother. The ironic thing was that his only crime was being stupid. It was a small crime to find himself cast out of the society he'd been a part of for over a decade.
Ryan had chosen a few key charities to support, but one was his favorite and they had even invited him to sit on the board. It started at one of the annual fundraising events for that charitable foundation. When Isobel and Everett went through their bitter divorce, he kept Everett as a client and often listened to him complain about the money that Isobel was fighting him for. Everett was a bastard toward his ex-wife and Ryan felt sorry for her. In his mind, Everett owed her the minute he said 'I do'.
It was his sympathy for her that led him to talk to Isobel at the event. She was funny and smart and didn't appear bitter even though she deserved more from her ex-husband. Ryan enjoyed her company enough that he asked for her number. Before he called her to invite her to dinner, he contacted Everett for his blessing.
"Hold on to your wallet, she's a thief. Still, she'll make you hum."
Hum, Ryan did more than hum and broke his own rule by leaving his toothbrush and razor in her bathroom. They weren't living together, but they were with each other most every night. He was happy with their pseudo commitment. His mistake came when he offered to buy her a dress for a black-tie event. He didn't think twice about sending her off with his credit card. They had been together for more than a few months. Occasionally he had even had the niggling to mention to his mother he was seeing someone. That was something that he hadn't done since college. As soon as that memory surfaced he quickly tucked it away.
He was busy keeping his clients happy by day and Isobel happy at night instead of watching his own finances. It took him two weeks to realize she had charged twenty thousand dollars, including helping herself to a second card from his wallet.
He was a fool and ended it quietly, ignoring her theft. The problem was he had let himself care too much for her, which was something he hadn't done in a long time. She took advantage of him because he allowed himself to be weak and so he took the blame.
Never again, he repeated in his head.
Why did she tell her ex-husband and friends? Was she bragging because he let her get away unscathed? Why did she steal from him and then humiliate him? Had she even cared about him? Jesus, Everett was right - she was a bitch. For Ryan, it was never about the money and that was why it hurt.
He couldn't tell his mother, they had run him out of town because he screwed the wrong woman or the real truth that he cared for a thief. He couldn't admit that she stole from him and smeared his reputation. He needed a better story like Heidi's house was available and he was nostalgic for a summer on The Point. Kelly Harris was too smart to buy it, but it might keep her from prying.
Jack was a different story and wouldn't buy Ryan's flimsy excuse. The brothers hadn't really gotten along in years. Ryan sealed his own fate when he wasn't sympathetic enough after Nicole died. He had no good excuse for his attitude. Jack was always the perfect one, the favored son. For years during Ryan's calls home, he had listened to his mother gush about Nicole, who she loved like a daughter and Rory, Nicole's daughter, who saint Jack adopted. Then there was the pregnancy that every conversation centered on. Ryan always felt like the disappointing child.
Even when they were young Ryan would push the envelope more than Jack. Sure at fifteen Jack was drinking beer and playing spin the bottle on the beach. Meanwhile, at sixteen, Ryan was giving girls lasting memories of their summer vacation on a deserted section of beach or occasionally over by the boat ramp. Vacation girls were always wild and given the chance Ryan was happy to pounce.
When Nicole's accident occurred, Ryan had been too removed from his family and acted like an idiot because he didn't know what to say to his brother so he avoided the tragedy. Kelly Harris gave up her summer on The Point to take care of Jack, Rory, and the baby, and he just kept working like nothing happened. Until last summer every time Ryan talked to his mother he heard about her worry over poor Jack and Rory. He was so glad that Maddie saved them. Maddie eased the guilt that he had because he had not been there when he should have been.
When Ryan spoke to his brother, he always said the wrong thing, so they adopted an unspoken rule of only discussing Jack's sizable portfolio, another reason to be jealous. Jack had the Midas touch and was very successful, not that Ryan wasn't doing well himself. Ironically, Ryan had a personal relationship with every client, except his own brother.
When he found out Jack was buying their cottage from his parents, it angered him. It was stupid because Ryan hadn't been to The Point since he was still in college. Ryan was not ashamed to admit that he had Cam confirm that Jack paid a fair price for his childhood cottage. In fact, the better than fair price slightly bothered him - always the perfect Jack.
Lana
Looking around, Lana decided that Heidi's cottage was ready for its guest. She and her employee spent the day getting it ready. They washed away all the dust, pollen, and dirt since the last cleaning after Labor Day. The windows sparkled. The linens were washed and put away. The refrigerator was also stocked.
Along with the summer ale, Lana had purchased some wine and the two bottles of red were resting in the wine rack. The washed glassware was ready for Ryan Harris.
Lana couldn't help but wonder what he was like. She had just gotten to know his brother recently after he married Maddie and spent his first full winter on The Point. Being her mother's friend, Mrs. Harris always had a friendly greeting for Lana. If Ryan was anything like his brother, he would be good looking and friendly.
After determining that everything was in order, she locked the door and started across the street. The sound of a car behind her made her turn. She watched as a black Beamer pulled into the driveway. She resisted the urge to turn around to get a good look at him. Feeling tired and hungry, she popped a Lean Cuisine in the microwave.
Unfortunately, her mother's ringtone interrupted her dinner. If she didn't answer she would just call again.
"Hi, Mom."
It sounded more like a sigh. Her mother called her every day.
"Honey, did I catch you eating?"
"I just finished."
"It's awfully late."
"Mom, it's seven-thirty..."
"What did you eat? You are eating enough?"
"Yes, I had chicken and vegetables." Her answer was misleading because she omitted that they came on a plastic tray. After her marriage ended, she had no use for food. Now her mother worried about her not eating. She ate, but not the way her mother would approve of. Nora Drake viewed frozen dinners like poison.
"Good. You need to take care of yourself. I hate when you're too skinny."
Lana rolled her eyes because her mother was fixated on weight. No one considered Nora skinny - not fat, but definitely not skinny. In fact, when her younger brother, Will, was an oops, her mother hid it for months. Lana still cringed at the memory of her mother having a baby while she was in middle school. It was embarrassing, especially since kids don't want to know their parents were actually having sex.
"I'm tired. I spent the entire day cleaning a cottage."
"I wish you'd get a real job and use your college degree."
This was a regular complaint and so Lana answered back, "I wish someone would have told me when I was eighteen psychology was a useless major without a doctorate or at least a master's."
"But you didn't go to college to clean bathrooms."
This argument was like her life on replay - a living nightmare. A career hadn't concerned Lana when she graduated, because she was already engaged and Erik had a good job lined up using his engineering degree. Instead, she held various part-time jobs throughout her marriage which left her with nothing when it ended, but a broken heart and some of their wedding gifts she would never use, including a crock pot.
"No, Mom and I didn't expect to have my heart ripped out of my chest and trampled on either!" Lana raised her voice. The hurt just didn't disappear.
"I know, but it's been almost two years. Move on and find someone to make you happy."
If only it were easy. If she'd learned anything from her psychology courses, she needed to heal herself. A man wouldn't do it for her. Sex was a different story. She could definitely benefit from some horizontal activities. Maybe she should have passed her number off to the customer with the bitchy date the other night.
Adam
Surprisingly, Adam found himself at home in his condo when it was still light out. He had the whole night and an empty fridge to look forward to. Opening the freezer, he found a frozen pizza with more ice caked on it than crust.
After his unfortunate discovery in his freezer, he saw the slip of paper. He tried to think of some reason not to dial the number. The first he considered that he was getting too old, but his loneliness overruled. She answered and agreed to have a drink with him. He thought of Ryan's words and hoped he could interest her in a little indecency.
"What do you do?" Amanda asked.
He answered vaguely about working with software. Then she volunteered she worked an entry level position for the marketing firm on the fourth floor. "Jesus, how old are you?" He asked a bit shocked. He didn't date children.
"I'm twenty-four."
"Shit, I'm almost fourteen years older than you!"
He liked to keep the age difference within ten years, but she was beautiful with long blond hair and curves. He would have liked longer legs, but everything else was pleasing to the eye. He would take her lead with the physical aspect of the evening.
"Are you divorced?"
"No... never married."
"Don't tell me you're a mommy's boy!"
Adam laughed, knowing it was the stereotype for unmarried men his age. He liked how she didn't beat around the bush. "I call my mother once a week if that counts. I'm an MIT geek."
"You don't look like a geek to me. I'd say you're kind of sexy."
Adam smiled quite aware she was flirting with him. "Only kind of?" He teased back.
"More than kind of, I have seen your ass."
Adam didn't know he wore pants well but was glad Amanda thought so.
"You're my kind of girl, so are you hungry? I haven't had dinner."
"Sure, I could eat a little."
He was pleasantly surprised because she was entertaining and intelligent. Adam surprised even himself when he decided he would prefer to see her again then get indecent. Even when she said she lived just around the corner and asked if he wanted to walk her home.
"Come on up." They reached her building.
"Tomorrow's a workday."
"I'm not inviting you to spend the night" She teased. "I wanted to thank you for dinner."
"You don't owe me."
She was making this hard for him to be a gentleman. She put her arms around him and tilted her face up to his. "I like you."
Obviously, he got the hint and when his lips met hers, he didn't bother with a gentle 'get to know you' kiss. Immediately his tongue was probing, and hers began dancing with it.
Their lips parted. "Do you want to come up?"
He looked at her as if in deep thought and shook his head. She looked rejected and started to take a step backward, but Adam stopped her by reaching for her hand.
He spoke quietly while looking intently into her eyes. "Not tonight, but I would like to see you again. Saturday?"
She didn't answer with words but leaned into him for another kiss. He didn't devour her, but as she leaned into him he groaned.
"Is that a yes?" She nodded. "I'll be in touch."
Once she walked into her building, he walked away feeling like an old fool for not taking her up on her offer.
A/N if you read Shadows in the Dark you'll remember that Nora Drake suffered from infertility. Surprise she had a miracle baby named Will after his father. I do enjoy writing teenagers.