Chapter 54 (9/24/16)

So sorry, guys!  Here it is!

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I was extra cheerful all day at work on Friday.  Even my boss noticed, commenting that I was way too peppy for the last day of a long week.  I shrugged and cheerfully answered the ringing phone.

Rachael had talked me into going out with her that night, and I was actually looking forward to it.  We left right from work, heading first to a nearby restaurant for a warm up drink and a couple appetizers.    

“I can’t believe Ryan is settling down,” Rachael said once we were seated and had ordered.  “I didn’t think I’d see that for awhile.”

“Whoa whoa whoa,” I said, leaning back and shaking my head.  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

She gave me a weird look.  “He’s basically your boyfriend now, right?”

“No!” I said, far too loudly for the quiet restaurant we were in.  “We’re dating now instead of just sleeping together.  But he’s not my boyfriend.”

“I thought you guys weren’t seeing other people,” she replied, looking confused.

“Well, we’re not.  I mean, I’m not, and he said he wasn’t, so I’m guessing he’s still probably not.”

Rachael looked at me like I was crazy.  “And would you be upset if he was seeing other people?”

I frowned.  “Well, I don’t know,” I said.  “It’s kind of hard to imagine how I would feel about something that isn’t a thing.” 

“You’re lying,” she accused me.  “I saw your face.  You would be upset if he was seeing other people.  So what’s with the weird resistance to being serious?”

“You know exactly what’s with my weird resistance to being serious,” I told her.  “I’m getting better, but I’m just not quite there yet.”

She pursed her lips and sighed.  “Just don’t lose something that could be awesome by being weird about it,” she warned me.

“I won’t,” I said, rolling my eyes.  “Trust me, I’m well aware of how amazing he is.  I don’t want to fuck it up.”

“Good,” she said, satisfied. 

We finished up at that restaurant and then headed downtown.  I drove this time, since Rachael had driven the last couple times she dragged me out with her.  We picked one of the quieter bars and even managed to find a table. 

We were sitting for no more than 5 minutes—Rachael sipping a rum and coke and me with just a coke—when a pair of guys approached our table.  Her long, dark auburn hair and bright green eyes tend to have that effect. 

“Hi,” said the more attractive of the two, looking first at me, then at Rachael.  He smiled a disarmingly adorable smile that made me think of Ryan briefly. 

“Hi yourself,” Rachael said back, smiling flirtatiously.  I immediately assumed my role as her wing woman, grinning at the less attractive of the two. 

He returned my smile and said, “Can I get you a drink?”

“I’m driving,” I said, shrugging.  “Thank you, though.”

“Oh, you can have one,” Rachael said, giggling slightly.  “We’ll probably be here awhile.”

“What does she drink?”  SlightlyLessAttractive asked Rachael.

“Vodka tonics,” Rachael answered, ignoring my irritated glare. 

“Are you coming to the bar with me?” he asked me.  “Isn’t that like a thing?  For safety?” 

I was already tired of winging for Rachael, but her eyes were pleading with me, so I trudged up to the bar with the guy.  “Do I at least get to know your name?” I asked him, not making much of an effort to hide my irritation.

“Shane,” he said, holding out a hand to me.  I took it and shook it awkwardly, because it was weird.

“Jenna,” I said in return. 

“So nice to meet you, Jenna,” he said.  He ordered my drink and turned to me.  “Look, I’m kind of dating this girl, but my friend really wants to get laid.  I promise not to be creepy as long as we can pretend to be having a good time so he doesn’t worry about me, okay?”

“Deal,” I agreed, relieved.  He ordered me a drink and insisted on paying for it.  I took it, planning to nurse it for awhile.  We made our way back to the table, where Rachael and the other guy looked deep in conversation. 

Shane and I made small talk for the next hour while I slowly sipped my drink.  He was dreadfully boring but I pretended to be enthralled with him every time Rachael or the other guy (whose name I still didn’t even know) looked over. 

My phone, which was on the table, lit up with a text while Shane prattled on about work.  I glanced at it, seeing a text from Ryan that said, “Hope you have a good night, looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.” 

“Rachael is trying to get laid and I’m bored,” I texted back.   

Within minutes I got a picture back of Ryan’s shirtless torso, laying in bed.  “Too bad you’re not here instead,” the text under the picture read. 

“You’re evil,” I replied.  “You know I can’t resist your chest.” 

“Banking on it,” he texted back.  “Come over later.” 

I considered this briefly before responding, “Okay.  Might be late though.”

“Don’t care,” came his immediate response.  “I’ll be up ;) “

I tried to return my focus to Shane but my mind was wandering.  I was relieved when Rachael jumped up and said, “Come to the bathroom with me?”

I went and when we got there, she said, “How much would you hate me if I ditched you right now?”

“Not even a little bit, I’m heading to Ryan’s when we’re done,” I replied. 

“Then I’m ditching you,” she squealed.  “And you go get laid!”

“Be careful,” I warned her.  “Let me know you’re safe later.” 

“I will, I will,” she replied, rolling her eyes. 

I ducked into the bathroom stall to pee and while I was in there I took a clandestine picture of my cleavage, which I promptly to sent to Ryan with the message, “Be there shortly.”

I felt a little ridiculous sending him a picture of my cleavage in a bathroom stall, but that was forgotten as soon as Ryan opened his front door for me.  He didn’t say a word, just pulled me inside, shut the door, and shoved me up against it.  I groaned as he kissed me and pressed his hips against mine.  I could feel him hard against me and I wanted him now.  I reached for his shorts but he grabbed my hands and pressed them back against the door hard.  He moved his hips against mine, rubbing his erection against me.  “Ryan,” I groaned when he took his mouth off mine and moved it to my neck.  He nipped hard at my neck, making me gasp and squirm against him.  “Ryan, please,” I begged him, pushing my hips against his. 

“Please what?” he asked, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me.

“Fuck me, damn it,” I demanded.

“If you insist,” he replied.  He turned me around to face the door, yanked my pants down, and shoved himself into me.  I yelped in surprise and pleasure and tried desperately to grab onto something, but there was nothing on the door to grab but the knob.  Instead, I braced my hands against the door as he roughly slammed into me over and over.  After he made me come once, he pulled away from me and grabbed my hand, leading me upstairs.  I was still half dressed, but I left my pants and underwear by the front door.

When we got to his room, he bent me over the edge of the bed and slid back into me.  Once he was settled inside me, he grabbed a handful of my hair, causing my back to arch.  He leaned down and kissed along my still-clothed back, and I found myself wishing I was feeling his lips on my skin instead of having a layer of fabric between.  He fucked me relentlessly until he came with a loud groan, falling forward and pinning my hips between his hips and the bed.  He caught himself with his hands, holding himself above me still, while he caught his breath.

When he finally pulled away from me, I crawled towards the pillows and happily collapsed against them.  Ryan was right behind me, folding himself around me and kissing the back of my neck.  “I didn’t think you’d actually come,” he said softly.

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” I replied, still a little breathless.  I turned towards him and snuggled against his chest, tucking my head under his chin.

            Ryan was starting to say something else, but I was already drifting off to sleep.