That didn't mean it didn't sting though.
The four of them started to wrap up with their dinner and ask for the check. Ryan grabbed it as soon as the waiter showed up.
"What are you doing?" Andy asked.
"Paying for dinner," he replied as he handed his credit card over.
Andy started to reach for his wallet. "Let's split it."
"No, this is on me," Ryan said. "A little gift for the start of one thing and the end of another."
Sydney gave him a small smile and drank the last of her wine. "Thank you, Ryan," she said quietly.
He shrugged and turned away, a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. He knew he was sitting with successful people who weren't hurting for their next paycheck. Lucy was a lawyer, Andy worked for the major-league hockey team. Even Sydney was back at work doing something called "forensic accounting" and was doing OK. But he was the hockey star. He was the one who made millions every year even without a college degree, or really any extra education other than his high school diploma. He went from school to a minor league team to getting drafted by the Detroit Pirates. He was a rookie sensation, at least according to the media, and he wasn't about to object to the label. He played hockey for money, he sold jerseys and bobbleheads.
It used to get him laid, but he wasn't really thinking about that anymore, at least not if it was a woman other than Lucy Evans. What had she done to him? He didn't want to think about it too much, instead just signing the receipt when it showed up and quickly shoving his credit card back into his wallet.
Andy leaned over and smiled at him. "Ryan, thank you again for dinner," he said earnestly.
"Anytime, man. Just make sure you take care of my favorite neighbor for me."
The four of them got up and Andy, who had put himself in charge of the car service, pulled out his phone to let the driver know they were on their way out. As he was dialing, Sydney came up and gently grabbed Ryan's arm.
"About that."
"About what?" he asked.
"I hope you don't mind, but you may be getting another neighbor."
Ryan quickly turned to Lucy. "Are you taking over Sydney's condo?"
"Oh, definitely not," Lucy protested.
What the hell even made him ask that question? He had been trying to play it cool all night but just totally overplayed his hand.
"What are you talking about?" Sydney asked him incredulously.
"Nothing," he said. "I just…I thought you were about to tell me that you were handing off your place to someone else or something."
"Oh, that's not going to happen." Sydney pulled herself a little closer to him. "I actually was going to tell you that Andy is moving in with me in a few months so you're going to have a new neighbor. I hope that's OK."
Ryan swallowed his pride and forced a smile on his face. It wasn't the outcome he had hoped for, even if what he hoped for wasn't even really a possibility, but it was still a good one. Maybe later he would be happier about this new plan.
"It's definitely OK." He put his arm around Sydney and gently squeezed her shoulder. "ButX-Filesbinges are still our thing, right?"
"Still just our thing."
"Good, because I don't want to have to explain everything to get Andy caught up."
Sydney laughed as they stepped out on the sidewalk. "Mulder and Scully are just for you and me."
"And I thought I could have Ryan all to myself now that I got him into books."
Ryan looked over at Lucy, who had a small teasing smile on her face.
"Now, no fighting, ladies. We can doX-Filesone night and book club another night. There's enough of me to go around."
Sydney rolled her eyes as Andy opened the door of the car for her. "Yeah, right. I'm sure you'd rather read books and watch sci-fi shows with us than go out to a bar with hot chicks."
