Flipping Coins

Turns out, I wasn’t lying when I said I had feelings for Jordan. I really did like him, no matter how cliché and junior high-ish that sounded. But, Brendon was still the top-dog, I guess you could say.

After breakfast, Brendon had to return home to Evelia while I joined the rest of the majority of America by unwilling retreating back to the work force. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t survive if I got fired from playing hookie all the time.

Just as I was walking into my cluttered, undersized office, my phone vibrated from inside the purse that was mandatory to have on the job considering your trousers couldn’t have pockets. I mean, I couldn’t even have pockets during this job, for crying out loud! Rock stars had it way too easy. They didn’t even have to wear shirts.

Once I quickly got over my aggravation for my sucky career, I read the caller I.D to see that Ryan was calling.

Setting my purse on the edge of my crowded desk and taking a seat, I opened the platinum device and greeted in an artificial tone, “You’ve reached the I Hate My Life hotline, what bad news do you bear?”

Ryan chuckled. “Jesus, Emie. Can’t a friend call for lunch without feeling guilty for making the effort?”

I sighed. “That only works for famous people, Ry. Sorry.”

“Damn. Oh well, I’m trying anyways. How does lunch sound to you?”

“Sounds like a damn-good plan, Ross.”

“Then I’ll pick you up at noon, Brooks.”

“Send my wishes to the wife and kids.”

Ryan gave strange sort of laugh before hanging up, but I didn’t linger on the weirdness of it too much. *In a cheerful tone* I had important editing to do!

I let out a groan at the sight of paperwork piled high on my desk. Plucking a random article out of one of the towers of doom, I reached for my incredibly yellow reading glasses and red grading pen before setting off to work.

X………..X

“Ryan, what’s going on?” I questioned, sending Ryan the knowing glare that meant that I saw right through him.

Ryan, mouth filled with stringy noodles, swallowed his food in one gulp before replying, “I’m eating noodles; That’s what’s going on. You know, trying to gain weight? It’s kind of a hard task for a skinny-ass dude like me.”

I pointed an accusing index finger at him. “Right there! You hardly ever throw sarcasm back at me like that! You’re way too happier than usual. I know something is up. Now spill or prepare to be drifting to Cuba on a wooden plank by morning.”

Ryan frowned. “So, if I’m being sarcastic and am in an exceptionally good mood, you immediately think that something is up?”

I thought about it before smiling. “Yep. You hit the head on the nail.” (Don’t correct me; I switched it on purpose, haters.)

Ryan gave me a straight face for about two seconds before bursting out with uncontrollable laughter. Through his tangled, hysterical giggles, he bellowed, “I’m in love!”

Shocked, I placed a hand over my heart and gave a surprised string of choked laughter. “You’re in love? My Ryro is in love? God has surely blessed this day!”

Ryan’s smile widened ten-fold, and he nodded several times. “That dude better have. I’m getting butterflies just thinking about her, for goodness sakes!”

“So,” I inquired with raised eyebrows, “when do I get to meet the poor girl?”

Ryan grinned mischievously. “Now.” He waved one of his excessively large hands into the air and casted his eyes above my head.

On cue, a brunette woman walked over to our table and slid into the booth with Ryan. Her wild, brown curls bounced with each movement she made. Her eyes were big, almost too big, and strangely glinted in a way that made you want to stare at her for long periods at a time. Her tiny, barely visible freckles fit her wide face nicely. She wasn’t beautiful, but it looked as though she had the potential to be prettier the longer you looked at her.

While sliding in, her left arm that had been supporting her body gave out, which sent her pummeling right into Ryan. She rose red with a natural, contagious laugh leaving her throat. Placing a hand on Ryan’s shoulder, she giggled, “Sorry, Ryan. I guess I should have expected it.”

I snuck a peek at Ryan to see if he were annoyed. Surprisingly enough, I found the opposite.

Ryan was laughing just as hard with her. His light eyes gazed into her eyes with adoring affection melting within his expression. He looked as though he could reach over and kiss her any second.

Ryan finally pried his eyes off of her and looked back at me. With a cheerful tone, Ryan announced, “Emie, this is Francine, but she goes by Fran for short.”

Fran muffled her giggles with her left hand and extended her right hand for a handshake. With a shaky voice, she politely addressed, “Nice to finally meet you, Emie. Ryan always talks about you, so it’s nice to be able to finally put a name to a face. A pretty face, at that.” She sent me a wink and giggled again.

Instead of blushing, I winked back and responded, “Aww, shucks! I already like this one, Ross.”

Ryan smiled with pride and draped a lanky arm around Fran’s slender shoulders while Fran let out another contagious laugh. Just to clarify, Fran’s laugh was beautiful. Not like how Ashley Simpson L-O-L's, with a fake, shrill ring to it, but a light, sweet, and overwhelmingly natural tone.

The rest of lunch went by too quickly, and my admiration for Fran grew with each second I spent in her presence. She was a clumsy gal, spilling water, soup, salt, and just about everything else in her reach, but her flaws would always end up with a chorus of laughter from all of us. I could see why Ryan was glowing with affection for her.

Fran had to return to her work as an elementary school teacher a bit earlier than me and Ryan, so it came quite soon when she left the table.

After giving Ryan an innocent, sweet kiss on the lips, Fran stumbled out of the Chinese restaurant and left me and Ryan to ourselves.

Ryan rubbed his belly and let out a content sigh. “You ready because I’m full.”

I nodded. “Let’s roll, Sassquatch.”

We paid the bill, and then Ryan walked me to my car.

While walking, Ryan kicked a stray pebble and began, “So, what do you think---“

“She’s wonderful!” I exclaimed, catching Ryan by surprise. “If I ever bat for the other side, if you get my meaning, then I’m totally stealing her from you, ok?”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “I’ll swim a thousand seas and bring you back Johnny Depp naked to marry before I’ll let that happen.”

“Done deal,” I laughed.

Ryan gave me a skeptical look before softly stating, “I want to marry her.”

“Who wouldn’t?”

Ryan shook his head and firmly said, “No, I really want to marry her. But we’ve only been dating for three months, and I know I’m rushing into things. We haven’t even made out yet, for fucks sakes! But I want to marry her already. She is just so…imperfectly perfect.”

“Jesus, Ry,” I replied. “You really do love this girl, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I do. In every way possible. I don’t understand it, but I know its love. The way I felt about Keltie seems like practice for how I feel now. Fran totally has my heart.” Ryan let out a content sigh and unsteadily leaned against the trunk of my car.

“Ryan, are you just saying this because you knocked her up because I swear to god, if you didn’t use a condom like I told yo---“

“No!” Ryan denied fiercely. “We haven’t even considered doing that yet!”

I raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t considered it? Are you sure you’re a guy?”

Ryan let out an aggravated sigh as I laughed. “Well, of course I’ve thought about it, Emie. Christ, you’re such a child. You and Brendon are, like, made for each other, I swe---“ He stopped mid-sentence and peered up at me with wide eyes.

"What?"

Ryan looked stunned, and he stammered in response, “W-wh-what?”

Without the slightest bit of humor, I took an intimidating step forward and firmly asked, “What the hell did you just say?”

Ryan fumbled to his feet and replied, “I didn’t say anything, E-Emie. Jesus.”

Placing a hand on either shoulder of Ryan, I glared at him dead-on and commanded, “Ryan fucking Ross, you know what you said. Now tell me or there will be serious-ass consequences. Literally. You will have to shit out of a tube because your ass will be so sore.”

All of the color in Ryan’s face drained and he finally yelled in surrender, “Ok! I said you and Brendon are made for each other! But it didn’t mean anything---“

“It didn’t mean anything?” I repeated with a bewildered look in my eye.

Ryan shrieked like a lost little girl, and he shook his head while responding shakily, “I-I mean it did mean something, but it was only because…because …you…I…I KNOW THAT YOU LOVE BRENDON!!!” He finally gasped out, meeting my eyes worriedly.

Fuck.