“Hello?” she said in her sweetest, most casual voice.
“Stormy,” Ryder replied. “Good morning, sunshine.”
She didn’t know what to say next, so she sort of lingered there in silence.
“So, did you need something last night?” he asked.
“Oh, no,” she said, embarrassed. “Like I said, I just didn’t get to say goodbye to you when you left last week. I just wanted to see how you were doing and what you were up to.”
“Ah, I see. Well that’s very thoughtful of you,” he said. “I’m doing pretty well. What about you?”
“As good as can be expected, I guess,” she said. “I’ve been trying to get out of the house more and spend more time with friends.”
Her mind instantly flashed to the night before. She cringed as she thought about her kiss with Hayden. She was filled with immediate regret and disgust.
“That’s great,” Ryder said. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“How’s work going?” she said as she tried to make conversation.
“As good as can be expected,” he laughed. “I was actually out with Veronica and the group last night.”
“I wondered if that’s who that was in the background,” Stormy remarked.
“We were supposed to discuss work things and have some beers, but she was trying to make it into a date type of thing,” he said, annoyed. “I had to end the night early. She just doesn’t get it.”
“How annoying,” Stormy lamented, half-relieved. “My ex, you know the one from the restaurant that one night? He stopped by last night with a bouquet of flowers. Said he was sorry about everything and that he loved me and wanted me back.”
“Really?” Ryder’s interest seemed piqued all of a sudden. “And what did you say to him?”
Stormy was both taken aback and thrilled by Ryder’s interest.
“He kissed me,” she lied. She would never in a million years tell him that she initiated it. “I pushed him away and told him I wasn’t ready to revisit anything with him.”
“Good, good,” Ryder said. “Do you still have feelings for him?”
“I don’t think I could ever love him the way I loved Jett,” she said. “I don’t think there’s a future for me and Hayden.”
“Hm,” Ryder said. She could hear the disdain in his voice. “That didn’t sound too convincing.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The way you said there wasn’t a future for you and Hayden,” he said. “If you stay in Coleville, I guarantee you you’ll end up with that douche.”
Stormy smiled and was thankful he couldn’t see it in that moment. She loved how protective Ryder was over her, and she knew he had a good point. She probably would end up with Hayden if she stuck around.
“I’ve been thinking more about your open invitation to California,” she said.
“Oh, yeah?” Ryder said in a cheerful tone. “And?”
“I think I’ll take you up on it,” she said. “It’d be good for me to get out of Coleville for a bit.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Ryder said. “Do you want to come out next weekend? I can get your plane tickets and pick you up. You’ll stay with me of course. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”
“Are you sure?” Stormy winced. She couldn’t help but feel it was totally obvious that she was inviting herself out.
“Stormy, you’re coming,” he said. “I’ll book the tickets as soon as we hang up and email you the info.”
“Thanks, Ryder,” she said. “I can’t wait.”
She hung up the phone and flung herself across the couch as she dreamed about the sunny skies and swaying palm trees that awaited her in California. She thought about the moment she’d see Ryder at the airport and how she’d throw her arms around him and give him a giant hug. Then she thought about all the plastic looking women out there and how she’d probably stick out like a sore thumb. For a split second she debated calling the whole thing off before he had a chance to buy the tickets.
The email alert on her phone dinged several minutes later, and she had a forwarded email from Ryder. She was going to leave Friday morning at eight from the Kansas City airport and land at LAX by noon. She’d fly back home Sunday night.
Stormy remembered she had never flown anywhere by herself before. Her family had flown to New Hampshire once when she was a little girl to visit family, but that was over a decade ago. Her hands became clammy as her nerves got the best of her.