Landfill
Time
Ryan had called his friend Brendon to drive us to his father's storage unit. I didn't ask any questions as we waited, though some inquiries were swarming my thoughts. Ryan was quiet, he had those popular Ray Ban sunglasses on, with his head tilted up towards the sun.
He looked handsome... Almost sexy. I bit at my lip, mentally scolding myself for being such a school girl. I was practically drooling, and again, mentally smacked my hormones around.
After silently waiting on the stoop of the apartment building, a white SUV pulled up and the passenger side window rolled down. A chubby guy with a scruffy close cut beard waved, "Hello, I'm Spencer."
I waved back, Ryan tugged my hand, "Spence, this is Nikki. Nick, this is Spencer."
I rolled my eyes, "Stop calling me Nick."
Ryan smiled at me, leading me to the back passenger side. He let me climb in first, and the driver looked back; he was just as skinny as Ryan, but had a round face and had scruff on his chin as well, but not as much as Spencer's.
"Hi, I'm Brendon." He waved his hand shortly in the rearview.
"Ah, ha. You're Brendon." I smirked at Ryan.
He in turn rolled his eyes back at me. Brendon laughed, "And you're Ms. Boho Chic? Nikki Navarro?"
I raised a brow, "Yes. He calls me Ms. Boho Chic?"
Spencer and Brendon both nodded, replying in unison, "Yep."
I looked back at Ryan, he shrugged at me, "You call me the Tin Man; it works for the both of us."
I blushed at the sudden burst of butterflies attacking my belly. I cursed myself, looking away, "Nice." I mumbled nonchalantly.
"Just a heads up, Ms. Nikki," Brendon said as he drove off, "Ryan has smelly feet."
I smiled at this, "Oh really?"
Ryan rolled his eyes again, "I'm a dude."
"He has big feet too," Brendon added, causing my eyes to wonder down to Ryan's feet, "You what they say about guys with big feet, don't you?"
"Big shoes?" I answered dumbly and with a tiny giggle.
"You're cute," Spencer said as he turned in his seat, "How old are you?"
"I'm probably older than the both of you." I said, "I'm older than Ryan."
"Cougar!" Brendon called with a sing-songish way to his voice.
"I'll 24 in November."
Brendon looked back at me, "For real?"
"Yep." I crossed my arms loosely over my middle.
"I'm 22," Brendon added, "Spencer just turned 22."
I chuckled, "You guys aren't that much younger than me." I shifted a bit in my seat, catching Ryan's eyes on me, "So, what do you guys do?"
Brendon looked back a moment, "Uh, I'm in cosmetology school."
My eyes widened, "Hairdresser?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I wanna be a makeup artist too."
"What about you?" I directed towards Spencer.
"I'm in college, for business." He answered.
"How do you all know each other?"
Ryan cleared is throat a moment, "Me and Spencer have been friends since we were kids; we grew up next door to each other." He explained.
"Ryan and I were dating the same girl in high school," Brendon came in suddenly, "Thats how we met. We were gonna fight over her, but instead, we because friends."
I looked at Ryan, "Battle Royale for a lucky girl?"
Ryan scoffed, "I was 15 and idiotic."
"She was cute though," Brendon laughed, "Her name was Caren."
"She was dumb," Spencer joined in, "Like, she was mentally challenge, I think."
"She was easy, too," Ryan muttered, "Thats why I dated her, I was his trying to get into her pants."
"So, you aren't so innocent, Tin Man."
Ryan smiled, shaking his head, "I believe not."
The rest of the ride to the storage unit was filled with Brendon rambling on about things he could do. He was talented; a musician and juggler; comedian as well. Spencer was relatively quiet, only speaking when he wanted it was directed to. Ryan was the same, but he mostly spoke and explained some little facts of Brendon's stories to me.
It was a nice ride.
When we had finally gotten to the storage facility; Ryan took my wrist, gently, leading me towards some lockers. Brendon and Spencer had gone off to the record store next door, leaving the SUV with us. Ryan was quiet as we walked over; I stood beside him, ready to help.
"My dad's retirement pays for this locker," Ryan spoke suddenly, "I can think of a million other ways $400 a month could go."
I didn't reply, for the simple fact that Ryan had unlocked the unit and disappeared inside. It was familiarly large, with lots of antiques and furniture. There was exotic artifacts and boxes, labeled George Ross, and that was it; you'd expect things labeled as "kitchen" or "Xmas lights". Nope, not a thing, only George Ross in scribbled handwriting.
"Nikki?" Ryan called, "Can you come this way?"
I followed in, seeing him stand by a few boxes with his name on them now; "Need me to carry these?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I'll grab the bed."
I picked up two brown boxes and made my way to the SUV. There was only 5 boxes, they were heavy, too. Ryan was able to get this large bed out and onto the roof of the SUV; by himself. I tried to help, but he told me to stand back. I only smirked and let it wipe away when I witness his strength.
"You guys ready?" Spencer and Brendon had emerged with a yellow plastic bag from the record store -each.
"Yeah," Ryan nodded, exhaling heavily, "I'll need he'll carrying this bed up to Nikki's place."
Ryan, Brendon and Spencer got Ryan's queen sized bed up to my apartment fairly easily. The boys are strong; masculine muscles, arms and legs hidden beneath tight jeans and vintage movie t-shirts and colorful sweatshirts.
I only moved his boxes, pushing them into the space. Ryan jogged down to the car again, apparently to grab his duffle bag full of his clothes. Brendon and Spencer looked around my apartment, surprised at how bare it was for my living there for 4 years.
"You're not into a lot of things, are you?" Spencer inquired.
"I'm lazy." I replied.
Brendon laughed, "You and RyRo are perfect for each other."
I rolled my eyes, "Sure."
Upon Ryan's return, Brendon and Spencer prepared to leave. I shook their hands; "It was nice meeting you." I told them.
Spencer nodded and Brendon slapped my hand away and hugged me. I tensed up, but relaxed as he laughed again; "You're my new buddy now, Nikki."
I groaned, "Another friend?"
Brendon let me go, "You say it as if it's a bad thing!"
Ryan patted my back, "It is. Now, amscray."
Brendon and Spencer waved, heading out of the front door. Once it shut, Ryan took my hand, "I need your help decorating."
I laughed at his choice of words, following his steps. Inside the room, he let my hand go and together we knelt by his boxes, opening them up. I got a box full of books, surprised to see my book; Sliced; with the alternative book cover.
"You weren't lying." I mumbled sheepishly.
Ryan looked at me, our eyes connecting, "Why would I lie?"
"I didn't think you were, it's just... It's a surprise," I answered truthfully, "I, uh, never met anyone who liked it; well, if they weren't working for Anchor Publishing."
Ryan shrugged, smile appearing, "You have a lot of doubt in yourself, honey."
I blushed, looking down, "Can't help it."
Ryan touched my hand, "You need to change that."
I furrowed my brows a bit, "Change what? The doubt?"
"Yep." He smiled again, his hand moving from mine, "Now, lets get through this shit so we can go grocery shopping."
I smiled, finding myself wanting to spend all this time with Ryan. Surprise, surprise.
He looked handsome... Almost sexy. I bit at my lip, mentally scolding myself for being such a school girl. I was practically drooling, and again, mentally smacked my hormones around.
After silently waiting on the stoop of the apartment building, a white SUV pulled up and the passenger side window rolled down. A chubby guy with a scruffy close cut beard waved, "Hello, I'm Spencer."
I waved back, Ryan tugged my hand, "Spence, this is Nikki. Nick, this is Spencer."
I rolled my eyes, "Stop calling me Nick."
Ryan smiled at me, leading me to the back passenger side. He let me climb in first, and the driver looked back; he was just as skinny as Ryan, but had a round face and had scruff on his chin as well, but not as much as Spencer's.
"Hi, I'm Brendon." He waved his hand shortly in the rearview.
"Ah, ha. You're Brendon." I smirked at Ryan.
He in turn rolled his eyes back at me. Brendon laughed, "And you're Ms. Boho Chic? Nikki Navarro?"
I raised a brow, "Yes. He calls me Ms. Boho Chic?"
Spencer and Brendon both nodded, replying in unison, "Yep."
I looked back at Ryan, he shrugged at me, "You call me the Tin Man; it works for the both of us."
I blushed at the sudden burst of butterflies attacking my belly. I cursed myself, looking away, "Nice." I mumbled nonchalantly.
"Just a heads up, Ms. Nikki," Brendon said as he drove off, "Ryan has smelly feet."
I smiled at this, "Oh really?"
Ryan rolled his eyes again, "I'm a dude."
"He has big feet too," Brendon added, causing my eyes to wonder down to Ryan's feet, "You what they say about guys with big feet, don't you?"
"Big shoes?" I answered dumbly and with a tiny giggle.
"You're cute," Spencer said as he turned in his seat, "How old are you?"
"I'm probably older than the both of you." I said, "I'm older than Ryan."
"Cougar!" Brendon called with a sing-songish way to his voice.
"I'll 24 in November."
Brendon looked back at me, "For real?"
"Yep." I crossed my arms loosely over my middle.
"I'm 22," Brendon added, "Spencer just turned 22."
I chuckled, "You guys aren't that much younger than me." I shifted a bit in my seat, catching Ryan's eyes on me, "So, what do you guys do?"
Brendon looked back a moment, "Uh, I'm in cosmetology school."
My eyes widened, "Hairdresser?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I wanna be a makeup artist too."
"What about you?" I directed towards Spencer.
"I'm in college, for business." He answered.
"How do you all know each other?"
Ryan cleared is throat a moment, "Me and Spencer have been friends since we were kids; we grew up next door to each other." He explained.
"Ryan and I were dating the same girl in high school," Brendon came in suddenly, "Thats how we met. We were gonna fight over her, but instead, we because friends."
I looked at Ryan, "Battle Royale for a lucky girl?"
Ryan scoffed, "I was 15 and idiotic."
"She was cute though," Brendon laughed, "Her name was Caren."
"She was dumb," Spencer joined in, "Like, she was mentally challenge, I think."
"She was easy, too," Ryan muttered, "Thats why I dated her, I was his trying to get into her pants."
"So, you aren't so innocent, Tin Man."
Ryan smiled, shaking his head, "I believe not."
•
The rest of the ride to the storage unit was filled with Brendon rambling on about things he could do. He was talented; a musician and juggler; comedian as well. Spencer was relatively quiet, only speaking when he wanted it was directed to. Ryan was the same, but he mostly spoke and explained some little facts of Brendon's stories to me.
It was a nice ride.
When we had finally gotten to the storage facility; Ryan took my wrist, gently, leading me towards some lockers. Brendon and Spencer had gone off to the record store next door, leaving the SUV with us. Ryan was quiet as we walked over; I stood beside him, ready to help.
"My dad's retirement pays for this locker," Ryan spoke suddenly, "I can think of a million other ways $400 a month could go."
I didn't reply, for the simple fact that Ryan had unlocked the unit and disappeared inside. It was familiarly large, with lots of antiques and furniture. There was exotic artifacts and boxes, labeled George Ross, and that was it; you'd expect things labeled as "kitchen" or "Xmas lights". Nope, not a thing, only George Ross in scribbled handwriting.
"Nikki?" Ryan called, "Can you come this way?"
I followed in, seeing him stand by a few boxes with his name on them now; "Need me to carry these?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I'll grab the bed."
I picked up two brown boxes and made my way to the SUV. There was only 5 boxes, they were heavy, too. Ryan was able to get this large bed out and onto the roof of the SUV; by himself. I tried to help, but he told me to stand back. I only smirked and let it wipe away when I witness his strength.
"You guys ready?" Spencer and Brendon had emerged with a yellow plastic bag from the record store -each.
"Yeah," Ryan nodded, exhaling heavily, "I'll need he'll carrying this bed up to Nikki's place."
•••
Ryan, Brendon and Spencer got Ryan's queen sized bed up to my apartment fairly easily. The boys are strong; masculine muscles, arms and legs hidden beneath tight jeans and vintage movie t-shirts and colorful sweatshirts.
I only moved his boxes, pushing them into the space. Ryan jogged down to the car again, apparently to grab his duffle bag full of his clothes. Brendon and Spencer looked around my apartment, surprised at how bare it was for my living there for 4 years.
"You're not into a lot of things, are you?" Spencer inquired.
"I'm lazy." I replied.
Brendon laughed, "You and RyRo are perfect for each other."
I rolled my eyes, "Sure."
Upon Ryan's return, Brendon and Spencer prepared to leave. I shook their hands; "It was nice meeting you." I told them.
Spencer nodded and Brendon slapped my hand away and hugged me. I tensed up, but relaxed as he laughed again; "You're my new buddy now, Nikki."
I groaned, "Another friend?"
Brendon let me go, "You say it as if it's a bad thing!"
Ryan patted my back, "It is. Now, amscray."
Brendon and Spencer waved, heading out of the front door. Once it shut, Ryan took my hand, "I need your help decorating."
I laughed at his choice of words, following his steps. Inside the room, he let my hand go and together we knelt by his boxes, opening them up. I got a box full of books, surprised to see my book; Sliced; with the alternative book cover.
"You weren't lying." I mumbled sheepishly.
Ryan looked at me, our eyes connecting, "Why would I lie?"
"I didn't think you were, it's just... It's a surprise," I answered truthfully, "I, uh, never met anyone who liked it; well, if they weren't working for Anchor Publishing."
Ryan shrugged, smile appearing, "You have a lot of doubt in yourself, honey."
I blushed, looking down, "Can't help it."
Ryan touched my hand, "You need to change that."
I furrowed my brows a bit, "Change what? The doubt?"
"Yep." He smiled again, his hand moving from mine, "Now, lets get through this shit so we can go grocery shopping."
I smiled, finding myself wanting to spend all this time with Ryan. Surprise, surprise.