“Wow,” she said as she thought hard about it. “You really think they’re going to hate each other don’t you?”
He laughed and nodded. “You don’t know Zander.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, mister,” she said as she extended her right hand.
They shook on it before sliding off the bar stools and cleaning up the mess Stormy had made in the kitchen. They made a pretty good team as they washed and dried the dishes and left the kitchen as immaculate as she had found it. She still hadn’t seen a cleaning person come all week, so she had determined Zander and Ryder were just two guys who liked a clean place. Most of the guys back in Coleville were complete slobs.
Stormy’s phone buzzed on the table as a private number called. She wiped off her wet, soapy hands and answered.
“Hello?” she said. “Yes, this is she. Yes. Absolutely. What time? Sounds great. Thank you so much.”
Ryder watched intently as she finished her call.
“I just got a job interview at Cedars Sinai Hospital,” she said.
“That’s one of the best hospitals in LA,” Ryder said as he flashed a huge smile. “That’s amazing, Stormy!”
He picked her up and swung her around.
“When is it?” he asked.
“Monday at ten,” she said. “So, I’ll kind of need a ride.”
“Just take my Audi,” he said.
“Really? Okay,” she said with a grin. “I’ll need directions.”
“It has GPS,” he said. “You won’t get lost. I promise.”
The sun began to set outside, and Stormy felt drawn to the balcony. She wanted to breathe in the fresh, California air and relax outside for a bit. She wasn’t used to such balmy, mild weather. It was probably ninety and scorching and humid back home, and she probably would’ve been sitting in her house in the A/C avoiding the swarms of mosquitos that hovered in large groups every ten feet.
Ryder followed her after a bit and sat next to her on the outdoor couch. So far they had been inseparable that week, and she hoped it wasn’t just the new-and-exciting phase of the relationship.
“So I was thinking after we pick up Brooklyn tomorrow, I would just give you guys a few hours of alone time,” he said. “I’ve got a few errands to run, so I can just drop you off back here for a bit. When I get back, we can all go out for dinner and drinks. Sound good?”
“Yeah, sounds great,” Stormy piped. She was glad he was taking care of making the plans. She’d only lived in L.A. for less than a week and felt weird about showing off a city that still felt like vacation to her.
She cuddled up under his arm, her new favorite place to be, and leaned her head back as the sky darkened and filled with twinkling stars. She was getting very used to her new little life out west. She was thinking of Coleville less and less each day, though Jett was always in her mind. She couldn’t help but think about how much he would’ve loved traveling out there, and in her mind, he would’ve loved to see his big brother too.
After several yawns from each of them, they retired back inside and got ready for bed. She slipped on some pajama pants and a camisole and tucked herself deep under the covers of his king sized bed. He climbed in a few short moments later and pulled her closer to him. They slept intertwined and glued to each other. She was starting to wonder if she was just as much a security blanket for him as he was for her. He seemed to need her the way no one else had ever needed her before. Jett was never as attached and clingy as Ryder.
Stormy had butterflies in her stomach as she slowly faded into unconsciousness. In half a day, she’d be reunited with her best friend. She couldn’t wait to talk to her about everything and get her take on things. Brooklyn had a brutal honesty about her that Stormy found absolutely refreshing.
Friday morning was a rush and a blur as they got ready to head out to the airport to pick up Brooklyn. Stormy waited by the baggage carousel as she waded through the sea of tall, skinny blondes and tried to pick out Brooklyn’ familiar face.
“Is that her? No,” Stormy said to herself. “Wait, I think that’s her. Wait. Nope.”
“Relax,” Ryder said as he rubbed her back. “She’ll be here. Just wait.”
“I wish you knew what she looked like,” she lamented. “I need an extra set of eyes right now. Believe me when I say she’ll blend right in here.”
“Is that her?” Ryder said as he pointed across the area. “She’s staring at you pretty hard.”
“Yep!” Stormy exclaimed as she ran like a crazy person towards Brooklyn and threw her arms around her. She couldn’t contain the squeals of excitement that escaped her mouth as they hugged and bounced like a couple of school girls. A person would’ve thought they hadn’t seen each other in years.