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"No," he says, cutting me off. "Let me pay the bill, and then I'll take you home. Or better yet—you can stay at my place, and I'll keep an eye on you."
I should really say no—this is a bad idea—but I honestly can't imagine going home alone. The mugging has rattled me, no matter how much I want to act like a badass.
"Okay," I say. "Just...can we stop by the dry cleaner when you bring me home tomorrow?"
Ryan laughs in disbelief. "For the coat?"
"For the coat," I nod. "It means a lot to me. I know you think it's silly, but..."
"Of course we can," he says. "Now, let's get you somewhere comfortable, okay? Are you hungry?"
My stomach grumbles, and I nod. "Yeah," I say. "Starving."
"Then we'll stop and get some grub on the way home," he says. "Let's go."
Chapter four
Sophia
Ryan doesn't live all that far from the White Oak, in a luxurious apartment building that was recently completely renovated from an old warehouse. He takes me through the locked front door past a doorman, and then we take the elevator up to the third floor. His place is the only apartment on this floor—a single door marked with the last name Wright at the end of the hallway. I hear a dog barking when we get to the door, and Ryan gives me a sheepish smile.
"I didn't know you had a dog," I tell him.
"Yeah...that'll be Tex," he says. "He's not super well-behaved and will be hyper since I've been gone for a while. Sorry about that."
"That's okay," I say. "I love animals."
Ryan opens the door, and a brown and white mini Aussie immediately rushes through the door, his tail wagging excitedly as he weaves around our legs and gives me a good sniff. I follow Ryan through the door, and the dog comes with us. I lean down to scratch him behind the ears with my uninjured arm.
"Does he need to go for a quick walk?" I ask. "I can take him."
"I have to insist that you sit down and dig in," Ryan says, handing me the bag of fast food we picked up on the way here. "I'll take him out, and I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable."
I nod and sit on the plush leather sofa, Tex's tail still wagging furiously as Ryan leashes him up and takes him out the door. As soon as they're gone, I take a deep breath and look around the apartment. It's rustic and minimalist—just like Ryan himself—with clean lines and industrial touches. The living room is spacious, with a huge flat-screen TV mounted on the wall and a collection of art books arranged neatly on a glass coffee table; an open floor plan reveals the huge kitchen featuring top-of-the-line appliances that look like they're rarely used. A wrought iron spiral staircase leads up to the loft bedroom, which is too dark to make out.
I take a bite of my burger, savoring the greasy goodness, and relax into the cushions. It's been a long day and I'm tired—tired from my shift, tired from being mugged, tired from my visit to the hospital. It's got to be close to dawn, and I'm supposed to be up bright and early for a tailoring appointment with a bride in Brooklyn.
My crazy schedule never stops.
I hear the sound of the door opening and turn to see Ryan coming back in, Tex trotting happily at his heels. Ryan looks at me and smiles, his eyes sparkling in the dim light. "Good food?" he says.
I nod. "Yeah. I promise I'll pay you back."
"Not necessary," he says. "You're having a bad night. Let me help you out."
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
I sigh, knowing that Ryan isn't going to let this go. Tex comes over and sits at my feet, eager for more petting from the newcomer, when I glance around and realize there's no extra bedroom—and my heart sinks.
"Ryan, this isn't..." I pause. "This isn't a quid pro quo situation, right? Because I'm not…"
"Oh god, no," Ryan says, his eyes wide as he shakes his head vigorously. "You're not under any pressure to—god, fuck no. I was going to say you can take the bed, and I'll take the couch. Can't see myself sleeping much tonight anyway."
I heave a sigh of relief and nod. "Thank you. I just...you can never be too careful, you know?"
"Yeah," he says. "And shit, you don't know me, of course you would be worried. I swear I'm a standup guy, Sophia."
