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Drew was a rescue operative. It's what he did every day, and now he had a chance to save someone he knew, someone who wasn't a stranger, and he wanted to be successful. He wanted to pull her and Megan out of Enrique's clutches. But Drew was not used to battling someone like Valdez. She just had to convince of that fact, which would not be an easy feat. But there was nothing she could do about it at the moment.
Megan came by the office a little before five. She'd had Lindsay's mom drop her off at the club after the school play rehearsal. Megan had won a small part in the production and was excited about being on the stage. And that school play was another reminder of how entrenched Megan was getting into life in San Francisco.
"Can we eat here?" Megan asked as Ria locked up the office. "I really like their club sandwiches."
"Sure," she said. She wasn't really in the mood to shop for groceries or to cook.
They grabbed a table in the restaurant and while they waited for their food, Megan filled her in on all the prom gossip. Ria didn't have to say much. In fact, just a nod now and then seemed to be all Megan needed to continue on to the next story, which was fine. Ria wasn't in the mood to talk anyway, and she liked the fact that Megan felt comfortable enough to confide in her.
She couldn't remember having such conversations with her mother, and Kate had been long gone by the time she was in high school.
While Ria held herself responsible for Megan's well-being, in many ways Megan felt more like a sister than a niece.
Megan paused as their food was set down before then. Then she jumped back into conversation.
"So is Drew coming over tonight?" she asked.
"I haven't spoken to him," Ria replied.
"How was your walk last night?"
"It was fine."
Megan shot her a quick look. "You seemed kind of upset when you got back."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Did you guys have a fight?"
She sighed. "Megan. I said I don't want to talk about it."
"Well, I do. I like Drew."
"You've made that abundantly clear."
"And I think he's good for you," Megan continued. "He makes you relax. You smile when he's around. You even laugh. For a long time I thought you'd forgotten how to do that."
"Not a lot to laugh about the past few years."
"I know. And when you first took me off the island, I was really depressed and scared at first, because I didn't know what was going to happen to us. But you were so confident that we were going to be okay that I started to believe you. And you know what, Ria? We are okay."
She didn't want to take away Megan's sense of security, so she just nodded. "Yeah, we're doing good."
"But I'm not stupid, and I know that my uncle could still come after us. I just don't want to think about him every single day. I don't want to feel trapped in his prison when we're so far away from him. And I don't want you to feel that way, either."
"Thanks, Megan," she said with a soft smile. "I'll try not to be such a downer."
"Well, you're never a downer when Drew is around."
"Let it go," she said with exasperation.
Megan smiled. "I'm just looking out for you."
"Eat your dinner," she said firmly.
Thankfully, Megan picked up her sandwich and began to eat. Their conversation turned to easier topics, including which bachelor Megan thought was going to win the bachelorette's heart on her favorite television show.
Ria could barely stand to watch the show, but Megan and her friends were addicted. There was something about all those handsome men after one woman's heart that really appealed to them. She couldn't imagine trying to find love on a television show. Then again, finding love was the least of her worries right now.
When they finished eating, Megan said, "Before we go, I was wondering if you could show me Drew's boat."
Ria nodded. "I guess I could do that. It's not far." She paid the check and they headed out of the yacht club. It was past six now, and the sun was going down in the west, casting an orange pink glow over the horizon. The marina was quiet; most of the boats were packed up for the night. Mondays were usually slow days at the club.
She took Megan out to see Drew's boat, which was in a slip at the far end of the harbor.
