Toying With Paradise
I'll Keep You Company
With an ice cold beer in her hand, Jessa glanced around the crowded small bar she had come across near the beach. The rest of the girls had woken up this morning eager to lather up in sun tan lotion and lay out on the sand, but Jessa wasn't exactly feeling it. They had been to the beach almost every single day since they arrived in Australia and quite frankly she was getting a little tired of sun bathing. She was tired of sipping champagne and talking about wedding plans. Sure she was happy for her friend, but this week wasn’t supposed to be all about where the wedding would take place or what color flowers Kai would be holding as she walked down the aisle. This was supposed to be a week of careless fun and sitting out in the sun wasn’t Jessa’s definition of fun. So even though she was way out of her element and a little skeptical about going to an unknown tavern by herself, she was itching to get a little alcohol in her system and more than willing to ditch the girls in exchange for a few bottles of beer. Jessa was so focused on gulping down her beer, that she didn’t notice Ryan, Mason, and Alex walk into the bar.
“Damn Ry, could you have picked a more crowded bar?” Mason joked as he nudged his friend in the arm.
“As long as I get a beer, I could care less.” Ryan retorted causing both of his teammates to laugh. His eyes darted around the room, looking for an open booth to sit at.
“Hey, isn’t that one of the girls from that bachelorette party? What was her name?” Alex pointed out, motioning towards the bar. Ryan followed Alex’s gesture and noticed a familiar brunette seated at the bar, gazing out of the window towards the crashing waves.
“Jessa,” Ryan instantly grinned. Of course he would remember the beautiful girls’ name, how could he forget? The two had flirted the entire time they were around each other. Up until he had met her, his thoughts had been plagued by the turmoil of his failed marriage. It was a relief to him that she distracted him from thinking about Andrea. It was a struggle everyday to let go of his feelings for his ex-wife and he couldn’t fathom what Ryker and Makayla were going through.
“The kids deserve to know what’s going on Andrea.” Ryan harshly spat towards his soon to be ex-wife, trying to control his voice because the kids were in the room.
“Ryan, I don’t have the heart to tell them. You have to understand that they’re not going to take this lightly.”
“So what, you’re just going to move out and then expect them not to wonder why their mommy and daddy aren’t living together anymore? What the hell is wrong with you?” He asked, his voice turning soft at the end.
“Now isn’t the right time Ry.”
“Daddy, what’s going on?” Ryan heard his little girl speak up, her curiosity finally getting the best of her. For a second, Ryan internally struggled with what he was going to say.
“Don’t you dare Ryan.” Andrea gave him a pointed look. Ryan shook his head, disgusted with the woman who was standing next to him. He didn’t even know who she was anymore.
“Makayla, I’m not going to lie to you,” he started, trying to phrase his words as delicately as possible, “mommy and daddy don’t love each other as much as we used to.”
“What do you mean daddy?” Makayla furrowed her eyebrows and Ryan slowly started to crack.
“Sweety, we’ve decided to get a divorce.”
Ryan knew by the look on Makayla’s face that she understood what it meant. He watched his little girls’ eyes brim with tears and she instantly ran out of the room. He looked over at Andrea, who didn’t look pleased one bit.
“I hope you feel good with yourself there Drea.”
“I’m gonna go grab a couple drinks,” Ryan excused himself from his two teammates and walked straight towards the bar. He tried to shake away the flashback as much as he could, but it still lingered in the back of his mind. He wanted that beer now more than ever to drown away his sorrows.
"Can I have another beer please?" he heard Jessa ask the bartender as he came up behind her.
"Make that two please," Ryan added and sat down on the open stool next to Jessa, who was a little caught off guard. It was clear by the look on her face that she wasn't really expecting to see him again.
"Hello again," Ryan grinned and took a sip of his beer. Jessa smiled and returned the greeting. She stared at him a little longer than she should have, taking in his handsome features. He had shaggy brown hair, a chiseled chin, and a dazzling smile. It was no surprise that Jessa was extremely attracted to the hockey player sitting beside her. Ryan caught her staring at him and Jessa’s cheeks immediately turned red.
“So are you here alone?” He asked, finally noticing the absence of the rowdy group of girls he had met a few days ago.
“Is that a pick up line Kesler?” Jessa smirked.
“Could be.” He shrugged.
“Well in that case, yes I am here alone.”
“Then I’ll have to stay here and keep you company.” He replied smoothly. Jessa laughed and Ryan did too.
“Ryan what the hell man! Where are our drinks?” Alex shouted and stood in between him and Jessa.
“As much as I’m enjoying the view, it would be nice if your ass wasn’t in my face.” Jessa laughed and Alex stepped back, muttering an apology as he did so. Ryan and Mason busted up laughing.
“Well, we’ll just grab our beers and leave you two alone.” Alex said awkwardly. He grabbed the beers and Mason’s arm and pulled him away from the flirting duo. In the mean time, Jessa pulled out her phone and opened the Twitter app.
“Am I that boring that you turn to your phone?” Ryan joked, pulling Jessa’s eyes away from her phone.
“No, I’m just gonna gloat to all of my girlfriends that they’re missing out on some of the hottest guys at the bar.” She said flirtatiously and winked at him.
“Do you have a Twitter?” He randomly asked, remembering Mason talking about Pearson giving him her twitter name.
“I do, but I’m pretty sure you’ll stop talking to me if I tell you what it is.”
“It can’t be that bad. Mine is @Ryan_Kesler.” He told her. Jessa easily found him and hit the follow button. Ryan checked his phone and immediately grinned when he saw her tweet.
----
@Leafit2Jess: @Ryan_Kesler and I are single and ready to mingle ;)
@Ayceee: …mingle with each other. Use protection #nobabies
@Ryan_Kesler: These girls at the bar can’t even compare to @Leafit2Jess
@MayRay21: Dude keep it in your pants @Ryan_Kesler
@Burrows14: haha for reals! RT: @MayRay21: Dude keep it in your pants @Ryan_Kesler
@CheckYesJuliet: Get some @Leafit2Jess ;) #player
@Leafit2Jess: Don’t hate on Ryan and I! @MayRay21 @Burrows14 @CheckYesJuliet @Ayceee
----
“Please tell me that your name has nothing to do with Toronto.” He playfully pleaded with her.
“It has nothing to do with Toronto.” Jessa replied sarcastically, grinning at him. “I was born in Toronto, so of course I’m a diehard Leafs fan.”
“Maybe I can convince you otherwise.” Ryan smirked towards a smiling Jessa. For the second time in a week, he felt completely at ease next to Jessa.
“Damn Ry, could you have picked a more crowded bar?” Mason joked as he nudged his friend in the arm.
“As long as I get a beer, I could care less.” Ryan retorted causing both of his teammates to laugh. His eyes darted around the room, looking for an open booth to sit at.
“Hey, isn’t that one of the girls from that bachelorette party? What was her name?” Alex pointed out, motioning towards the bar. Ryan followed Alex’s gesture and noticed a familiar brunette seated at the bar, gazing out of the window towards the crashing waves.
“Jessa,” Ryan instantly grinned. Of course he would remember the beautiful girls’ name, how could he forget? The two had flirted the entire time they were around each other. Up until he had met her, his thoughts had been plagued by the turmoil of his failed marriage. It was a relief to him that she distracted him from thinking about Andrea. It was a struggle everyday to let go of his feelings for his ex-wife and he couldn’t fathom what Ryker and Makayla were going through.
“The kids deserve to know what’s going on Andrea.” Ryan harshly spat towards his soon to be ex-wife, trying to control his voice because the kids were in the room.
“Ryan, I don’t have the heart to tell them. You have to understand that they’re not going to take this lightly.”
“So what, you’re just going to move out and then expect them not to wonder why their mommy and daddy aren’t living together anymore? What the hell is wrong with you?” He asked, his voice turning soft at the end.
“Now isn’t the right time Ry.”
“Daddy, what’s going on?” Ryan heard his little girl speak up, her curiosity finally getting the best of her. For a second, Ryan internally struggled with what he was going to say.
“Don’t you dare Ryan.” Andrea gave him a pointed look. Ryan shook his head, disgusted with the woman who was standing next to him. He didn’t even know who she was anymore.
“Makayla, I’m not going to lie to you,” he started, trying to phrase his words as delicately as possible, “mommy and daddy don’t love each other as much as we used to.”
“What do you mean daddy?” Makayla furrowed her eyebrows and Ryan slowly started to crack.
“Sweety, we’ve decided to get a divorce.”
Ryan knew by the look on Makayla’s face that she understood what it meant. He watched his little girls’ eyes brim with tears and she instantly ran out of the room. He looked over at Andrea, who didn’t look pleased one bit.
“I hope you feel good with yourself there Drea.”
“I’m gonna go grab a couple drinks,” Ryan excused himself from his two teammates and walked straight towards the bar. He tried to shake away the flashback as much as he could, but it still lingered in the back of his mind. He wanted that beer now more than ever to drown away his sorrows.
"Can I have another beer please?" he heard Jessa ask the bartender as he came up behind her.
"Make that two please," Ryan added and sat down on the open stool next to Jessa, who was a little caught off guard. It was clear by the look on her face that she wasn't really expecting to see him again.
"Hello again," Ryan grinned and took a sip of his beer. Jessa smiled and returned the greeting. She stared at him a little longer than she should have, taking in his handsome features. He had shaggy brown hair, a chiseled chin, and a dazzling smile. It was no surprise that Jessa was extremely attracted to the hockey player sitting beside her. Ryan caught her staring at him and Jessa’s cheeks immediately turned red.
“So are you here alone?” He asked, finally noticing the absence of the rowdy group of girls he had met a few days ago.
“Is that a pick up line Kesler?” Jessa smirked.
“Could be.” He shrugged.
“Well in that case, yes I am here alone.”
“Then I’ll have to stay here and keep you company.” He replied smoothly. Jessa laughed and Ryan did too.
“Ryan what the hell man! Where are our drinks?” Alex shouted and stood in between him and Jessa.
“As much as I’m enjoying the view, it would be nice if your ass wasn’t in my face.” Jessa laughed and Alex stepped back, muttering an apology as he did so. Ryan and Mason busted up laughing.
“Well, we’ll just grab our beers and leave you two alone.” Alex said awkwardly. He grabbed the beers and Mason’s arm and pulled him away from the flirting duo. In the mean time, Jessa pulled out her phone and opened the Twitter app.
“Am I that boring that you turn to your phone?” Ryan joked, pulling Jessa’s eyes away from her phone.
“No, I’m just gonna gloat to all of my girlfriends that they’re missing out on some of the hottest guys at the bar.” She said flirtatiously and winked at him.
“Do you have a Twitter?” He randomly asked, remembering Mason talking about Pearson giving him her twitter name.
“I do, but I’m pretty sure you’ll stop talking to me if I tell you what it is.”
“It can’t be that bad. Mine is @Ryan_Kesler.” He told her. Jessa easily found him and hit the follow button. Ryan checked his phone and immediately grinned when he saw her tweet.
----
@Leafit2Jess: @Ryan_Kesler and I are single and ready to mingle ;)
@Ayceee: …mingle with each other. Use protection #nobabies
@Ryan_Kesler: These girls at the bar can’t even compare to @Leafit2Jess
@MayRay21: Dude keep it in your pants @Ryan_Kesler
@Burrows14: haha for reals! RT: @MayRay21: Dude keep it in your pants @Ryan_Kesler
@CheckYesJuliet: Get some @Leafit2Jess ;) #player
@Leafit2Jess: Don’t hate on Ryan and I! @MayRay21 @Burrows14 @CheckYesJuliet @Ayceee
----
“Please tell me that your name has nothing to do with Toronto.” He playfully pleaded with her.
“It has nothing to do with Toronto.” Jessa replied sarcastically, grinning at him. “I was born in Toronto, so of course I’m a diehard Leafs fan.”
“Maybe I can convince you otherwise.” Ryan smirked towards a smiling Jessa. For the second time in a week, he felt completely at ease next to Jessa.
♠ ♠ ♠
Well hello there readers! I'm Aly, one of the three authors of this lovely story! It took a bit to figure out where I wanted to go with this chapter, but I managed to pull through and get it done!I hope you guys liked it. It was alot of fun to write, especially the twitter parts. Like Amy said in her a/n, there will be a lot more tweets in the upcoming chapters. The first couple chapters are sort of setting up the "plot" I guess you could say!
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xoxo