6| Here We Go

"Yessss girl! Those outfits look perfect!" Ryan encouraged through FaceTime.

I had all my new purchases strewn out on my bed, showing Ryan the display as I hovered my phone above each outfit.

"You think so? It wasn't easy to spend hours in the mall, while half-drunk, trying to find hot vacation outfits," I admitted.

Ryan chuckled his melodious laugh, "Well, you did good. Pack it all! I'm staying for at least a month. You're welcome to join me in its entirety or leave when you please."

I doubted I would stay the full month, but I figured it never hurts to overpack; better safe than sorry. "Will do! I'm so excited. Thank you again for this, Ryan... really."

"Don't mention it! With those hot new outfits, we're going to meet so many men. It's gonna be a blast, I promise."

"Yay!" I cheered with an overly enthusiastic clap. "Okay, so what time should I be ready tomorrow?"

"I'll pick you up at 9:30. What kind of coffee do you like?" He offered.

"You don't have to bring me coffee; you're already doing so much for me...," I trailed off.

"Jayna, shut up... It's just coffee. I'm getting one for myself anyway, so either tell me what you want, or I'll surprise you," he scolded, his handsome face contorted into a smirk.

I smiled back at him, "Fine, twist my arm, I'll take a free coffee. I like vanilla lattes; extra shot of espresso please!"

"Basic," he chuckled, "hot or iced?"

"Hot, please! And don't judge me; It's basic because it's the best."

After a while of friendly banter and advice on what to pack, it was time to go to bed.

A glance at the clock on my nightstand informed me that it was already 11 PM, and I was exhausted. I supposed 2 nights of binge drinking and a day of shopping would do that to a person.

I let out a dramatic grunt as I moved my stuffed suitcase from my bed to the floor, almost throwing out my back in the process. I briefly thought about how I was pushing the 50 pound weight limit for checking my bag, but decided I wasn't gonna do anything to fix it. I was terrible at making decisions, and I didn't want to go through everything just to remove maybe 1 unnecessary piece of clothing—I'd rather pay a fee. After all, I'll be getting paid a severance package now that I lost my job.

After clearing my space and doing my nightly routine, I tucked myself into bed under my thick duvet. I was prepared to have a night of wallowing about my crushed dreams, but instead, I thought of Ryan and our upcoming vacation as I drifted into a pleasant slumber.

********

When my alarm went off in the morning, I was quick to jump out of bed—something completely uncharacteristic of me.

What could I say? I was excited as hell to be getting out of here—away from my problems.

I ran myself through the shower, taking the time to shave. I knew I'd be wearing shorts, dresses, and swim suits, and I wanted to be prepared. Plus, if I knew Ryan—which I thought I did for only knowing him a day and a half— we'd be finding new men to spend time with.

Since we were traveling, I decided to throw on a pair of light jean shorts, a black tank-top body suit, a tan knit cardigan, and my black converse. I also put on my layered gold necklace and small gold hoop earrings. I normally would do my hair as well, but didn't bother since I had already packed my straightener and curling wand.

I gave my damp hair another scrunch with my hands, and was giving myself a quick once-over in the mirror when I heard a knock at my door.

I thought I'd feel more excitement, but for some reason, the knock created a small ache in my heart, remembering that the last person who knocked on my door was David. Doing my best to push those thoughts away, I opened the door to reveal Ryan, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, Jay! You look great!" He greeted.

"You too!" I replied, drinking in the view. I wasn't lying; Ryan was even more attractive than I remembered. He was wearing dark-wash jeans and a tight, coral, v-neck t-shirt that clung to his muscles and brought out his tan. I instantly felt better just seeing the dazzling smile on his face.

"Are you ready?" He asked, stepping into my apartment without asking.

"Yes! Just let me grab my purse and bag from my room."

Ryan insisted on helping me with my bag, and I let him without any argument. After all, the thing was incredibly heavy, and I certainly didn't feel like slamming the suitcase down the stairs one by one. Besides, Ryan was definitely fit, so I figured he could handle it.

"Damn, what do you have in here, bricks?" He grunted as he settled my suitcase into the trunk of his black Camaro.

"Uhhh no, silly. I have everything you told me to bring! Plus some girly stuff... you know," I answered as I slid into the passenger seat.

I watched him chuckle as he rounded the front of the car and hopped into the driver's side. Ryan moved with so much grace, it was actually intriguing to watch— unlike me who had the grace of a baby deer learning to walk for the first time.

"Nice car," I grinned at him. I didn't know what Ryan did exactly, but it seemed so far that he has money... lot's of money. I made a mental note to ask him later about his career.

"Why, thank you. Here's your coffee," he smiled as he handed it over to me. His eyes then worked their way from my face to the gear shift of the car, preparing to back up. His brow furrowed, and he locked his gaze onto my legs.

"Um... What the hell happened to your knee?" He asked, his voice laced with a hint of disgust and definite judging.

"Oh yeah... I'm not entirely sure," I admitted, running my fingers over the dark blueish purple bruise that coated my knee.

Ryan chuckled and shook his head. "You're a mess."

I just nodded in agreement, "That's an understatement."

We engaged in small talk and sipped our coffee's as we made our way to the airport, listening to one of Ryan's playlists. If you asked me, I'd say his songs were a bit outdated, but I certainly enjoyed myself nonetheless.

It didn't take us very long to check our bags and find our way to the terminal—a relief because we were definitely cutting it close. Ryan had purchased my ticket yesterday, and paid extra to select the seat next to his... which happened to be first class.

I'd never flown first class before, and although I was grateful Ryan wanted to sit by me and was willing to spend more, I no longer had a job, and knew I couldn't pay him back fully. I insisted that I would be fine flying coach and just meeting him in Siesta Key since he was already doing so much for me, but he insisted on paying. He shut the conversation down every time I tried to bring it up since then.

"Shut up, Jay, I need you up here with me. How else are we supposed to drink together and learn more about each other when you're sitting in the back of the plane?" Ryan said as I brought up my guilt yet again.

"Ughhhh," I groaned. "Fine. But I'm buying you hella drinks, and maybe a fancy dinner, when we get there."

Ryan just rolled his eyes in response as we settled into our very spacious, first-class seats.

We sat in comfortable silence as we waited for the flight attendants to go through their safety demonstrations, and before long… we were up in the air.