They finally pushed their way outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather this morning in Detroit. Hot but not too hot. A little breezy off the river. The humidity wasn't too bad just yet.
"Sure you don't want to come down for a walk?" Sydney asked.
"Thanks, but I do have to get home. Starting a new case this week."
"And I have a trainer who lives next door to my place," Ryan said.
"Not yet," Andy said with a smile. "But moving around boxes and furniture will be good for your core strength when we get to it."
"Super," Ryan muttered.
Sydney smiled and gave Lucy a hug, saying a quick goodbye before turning to Ryan. "Hey,X-Filestonight?" she asked him.
"Definitely."
She gave him a teasing smile and turned, lacing her fingers through Andy's as the two of them walked toward the shoreline.
Ryan's hand slipped out of Lucy's grasp and his arm reached over her shoulder to turn her the other direction back to his apartment.
"That kind of sucked, but at least I'm fed."
"Why did that suck?" Lucy asked him.
He shrugged. "I mean, I needed something to eat, but it just felt a little weird, right? Like we were being scrutinized?"
"Yeah, it did."
Lucy's shoulders relaxed and she leaned closer to Ryan as they walked back. It was a nice walk — quiet and calming. She wasn't sure if Ryan really did have to go to the gym or just made up the excuse so they wouldn't go walking with Sydney and Andy, but she didn't mind. Brunch was good, but Ryan was right. It was weird and there were times when Lucy caught Sydney staring at the two of them with these big happy eyes. Perhaps their act about being a real couple was way too believable. They weren't a real couple, at least not yet, and Lucy wasn't sure if she even wanted them to be a real couple. Ryan was fun and the sex was great, but she was in a nice little spot with this relationship. At some point, the downsides of dating Ryan McCloud would show up. At some point, he would do something that would make her question why she was dating this young hockey star.
He opened the door to his apartment building and quietly led her to the elevator bank. The doors opened and they walked in with Ryan pressing the button for his floor. As soon the doors closed, he had her pressed up against the elevator wall, his lips hot and hard against hers as his hand drifted under the hem of her oversized jersey to tease the waistband of her jeans. But then the elevator binged and he pulled away quickly with his hair disheveled and a goofy grin on his face. He quietly turned towards the hallway, gently grabbed her hand, and led her to his door.
She walked in, suddenly feeling warm in the jersey. She wanted to take it off so bad, remembering she was only wearing her bra underneath. That wasn't a bad thing. But there was something about brunch that was nagging her. She heard the door shut behind them, and Ryan's arm snake around her waist, but she pulled away to look at him.
"I have a question."
Ryan gave her a frustrated look. "I'm sorry, what?"
"A question. I'm a lawyer, I ask questions."
Ryan's frustration melted away as a teasing smile spread across his face. He put his hands on his hips and took a defensive stance in front of her, shoulders broad and feet spread apart. "Of course you do." He nodded politely in her direction. "Please proceed."
"When you gave Sydney and I those tickets for games last season, did you include the food voucher just because you were being nice?"
His smile faltered a bit and his bravado melted away a little. He was taking his time trying to figure out what to say before he finally looked up at her again. "You figured it out, eh?"
"I put the pieces together this morning," she said. "Took long enough, I guess."
Ryan shrugged and stepped closer. "Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't realize why I was doing that for you until this summer?"
Lucy couldn't help but laugh. "Just so I understand: you were giving me vouchers for nachos but didn't realize why you were giving me vouchers for nachos?"
He stepped closer again to the point that he was invading her personal space. "I think I was really trying to impress you. But at the time, I thought I was being nice since you were friends with Sydney."
"Is that all I am?" she asked. "Just friends with Sydney?"
"Not anymore."
He leaned down and kissed her gently, his tongue teasing her lip in a way that made her lean closer, hoping she could melt right into his muscular chest.
