Ryker, page 4
“What? No! That’s, why, whatever,” Ryker sputtered out before giving up on forming a complete sentence.
Cade just laughed. “That’s what I thought. Let me know if there’s anything I need to know.”
Ryker ended the call. There was nothing more to say to his so-called friend. Cade had given him the go ahead to date Catherine but Ryker knew it would be a disaster waiting to happen and Catherine could and would do so much better than him. Someone who didn’t have random women accusing him of knocking them up.
Deciding he needed to do something, he opened the email from Kayla with the link to everything he needed to set up for his own date. The best distraction would be another woman, right? Someone to take his mind off his neighbor.
It didn’t take as long as he thought it would to fill out the personality survey. He even answered the questions honestly. Just for shits and giggles, he’d love to know if that test had even matched him with anyone, but wasn’t going to ask.
He missed Catherine leaving, deep into working on a project he was thinking of taking on. Not that it was a bad thing, but he wondered what she would wear to her date. Would she cover up or show herself off? It was in the dark, but what if she was hoping to meet the guy after?
God, what if she brought the guy back to her place? She wouldn’t do that, not on the first date. No, there was no way.
He was slowly, or perhaps not slowly, turning into a creep about this, but he couldn’t shake his feelings. Even though he knew he wasn’t the right person for her, he couldn’t seem to let her all the way go, either. It was a dick move, and he knew it. At least he wasn’t leading her on. He just needed to mind his business.
No sooner had he reminded himself that she wasn’t his business than did a car door close outside. Despite his better judgement, he was out of his seat and looking out the window.
She wore a dark dress that hit her just at the knees. If she stood on a grate, she’d give a great Marilyn Monroe impression with how flowy it was. The top of the dress covered her well, with almost long sleeves and a modest neckline. He couldn’t help but be taken in by her.
While he’d been admiring her dress, Catherine had looked up and caught him watching. He caught her gaze and swore. She turned away from her own door and headed to his.
There was no point in pretending he didn’t know she was coming. On a sigh, he headed for the door to let her in and probably get an earful on minding his own business.
“What the hell, Ryker?” she said as she brushed past him and walked inside. “You waited for me to get home?”
“No.”
“Just convenient timing for you to look out the window?” she snapped.
“I heard you close your door. It’s quiet in here.”
“Did you watch me leave, too?” she asked.
Thankfully, the truth was, he missed it. “No.”
“Ugh.” She threw her hands in the air and then walked over to his bar, setting her purse down. “Do you have wine?”
“Red or white?” Ryker asked, walking into the kitchen and getting out two glasses.
“Whatever,” she waved her hand.
“Was it that bad?” Ryker found himself asking before wincing. “Sorry, I wasn’t prying on purpose.” He wanted to know, yeah, but he was more concerned that it didn’t seem to go well.
“This is why I don’t date. Men are idiots.” She took the glass of white wine he offered her and took a long sip.
“Present company excluded, of course,” Ryker teased.
Catherine arched one eyebrow at him. “I think you said included wrong.”
Surprised, Ryker choked out a laugh. “Indeed.” Still smiling, he walked around the bar and sat next to her. “What happened?”
“He was an asshole. Just a self-centered piece of shit. I swear, at one point, I thought he was going to tell me how long his dick was. I got all his stats, height, weight, and net worth. It was so annoying.” She let out an exasperated sigh.
Ryker didn’t know what to say, so he sipped his own glass of wine.
“I should have known when he didn’t want to chat in the app that he’d be an idiot. I made rules, and I bent it for this first date, and I knew better.” She tipped her glass up and drained the rest of the wine.
Ryker didn’t know what to say or how to react. He sat there beside her, motionless, not even touching his own wine, and waited for her to make the next move.
“You know, I don’t even know why I bothered. It’s like I only attract idiots even on a dating site when they can’t see me. Why else would my profile match me with someone like him? It’s because that’s what is meant for me,” she sighed. “Going to drink that?” Catherine pointed at his glass.
Ryker shook his head.
She picked up the glass and drained that one, too. “Now I’m sitting here with the guy who refuses to be with me, explaining my shit attempts at having a love life. What the hell is wrong with me?”
Hoping that was rhetorical, he stayed silent. There was nothing wrong with her, but he didn’t know how to handle this version of Catherine. It was also becoming increasingly clear that this wasn’t the only alcohol she’d had tonight.
“I told Kayla it was shit. I don’t know if I want to do another one. Maybe I will tomorrow, but tonight just sucks.” She stood, wobbled a little, but righted herself. “I’m going home.”
Ryker jumped up. “Sit down. I think you could use a glass of water.”
“I have water at home. Men suck. I want to go back to my books.” She whined, but she sat down.
“Did you eat at the restaurant?” he asked her as he filled a glass for her.
She shook her head. “I mean some salad. It’s weird eating in the dark. I’d love to see a cost analysis of food waste there. It is so strange. Have you done it yet?”
He handed her the glass. “Drink this. And no, I haven’t. My turn is now. I think I’m waiting for someone to be loaded in for me.”
“Hmmph. Probably Luke’s choice, so you’ll know what a shitty date is soon enough.”
Ryker chuckled as he pulled out two pieces of bread and set about making her a sandwich. She needed something to help absorb all the alcohol she’d drank, and this was all he could make quickly.
“Is that for me?” she asked, pointing at the sandwich.
“Do you want it to be?” He couldn’t resist teasing her.
She stuck her tongue out at him. “It is for me.”
He nodded and handed over the sandwich to her. “Eat that and see if you don’t feel a little better after.”
“I need actual food,” she said around bites. “I love a good salad, but as a side, ya know?”
He laughed as he cleaned up the small mess he made. “I think I can relate to that one.”
“Good.”
A half an hour of chit-chat passed before he was comfortable that she’d be okay at home and maybe tomorrow less hungover before he walked her to her door. She invited him in, but he declined, knowing full well where his thoughts went at that invitation that it was not a good idea.
“Good night, Cat,” he said before walking down her steps.
“Why do you call me that?” she asked suddenly.
“Because it suits you,” he answered without turning around.
It had been a weird fucking day, and he needed to cool off. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he carried it out into the cool night where he relaxed on his patio, thinking of all the things that couldn’t be.
Chapter Seven
Catherine
Catherine avoided Ryker in person since she’d made a fool out of herself after her shitty date. There was no reason she should have unloaded on him and it hadn’t been her intention when she saw him looking out of his window when she got home.
Then she’d used him as a sounding board, confident that he would largely just let her vent. Sometimes her friends wanted to offer help instead of just listening, and that’s what she wanted right now. Just to vent about how miserable it was.
Ryker had awkwardly met her need to just listen and then had made her feel better. It was so strange and she couldn’t let it go. She was also way too embarrassed to see him in person after that show of insanity.
Working on his PR campaign, though, she had spoken to him. To his credit, he hadn’t brought up that night or even hinted at it. Everything had been professional, and he’d not pressed her. She expected him to at least crack a joke, but nothing.
She had put together a few plans for him to review and tonight, a full five days after she lost her mind at his place, was the first time she’d see him in person. With any luck at all, Ryker would maintain the same level of professionalism he had so far.
As far as the date went, she had unmatched with the guy right away. Kayla had convinced her to try at least three dates, so now she was waiting on a new match. If this guy didn’t chat with her, she was sticking to her rule, no exceptions.
“I’m heading out now,” Jack poked into her office. “You meeting with Ryker tonight, still?” He wiggled his eyebrows in innuendo.
“You know, I’m just not going to tell you things anymore, so you can’t use it against me,” Catherine teased.
“We both know that’s not true. I will assume that you are meeting him.” He looked her up and down. “Hot outfit, nice choice.”
Before she could throw something at him, he continued down the hall, laughter spilling as he went. Catherine rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help sitting a little straighter, knowing that she looked good in her outfit.
Shortly after, she got an alert from the app that she had been matched again. Catherine took a deep sigh before opening it up, unsure if she even wanted to. The match had come with a request to chat.
“Finally,” she muttered. A real date with a chance to get to know someone.
Catherine: Hi. Nice to meet you, kinda.
She sent the message off and cringed. How could she know exactly what to say in every scenario in her life except dating? That was so lame.
?: Definitely only kinda.
Catherine: Yeah, sorry. Lame opener. This is my first time here.
?: This is my third attempt at a date. You are the first time I’ve had a chat, though.
Catherine: In complete honesty, I did have one date, but they refused to chat and I decided never again without chatting first.
?: Smart. I may use that as my own rule if this doesn’t work out. Glad I passed your first test.
Catherine: Feel free to use the rule if needed.
?: I have a late work meeting shortly. Can I message you more later?
Catherine: I actually have one, too, so that works out great.
That was awkward, but seemed to end on a decent note. Maybe that was all the ice breaking that needed to be done and they could be conversational after this.
Pushing the thoughts of the date to the side, she gathered her things to head to Ryker’s. He was still doing a good job at keeping things under wraps as far as this woman’s claims went, but they were meeting in secret.
Right now, they were just neighbors with mutual friends. It wouldn’t be weird for Ryker to be seen with her as a PR person because everything looped back just fine. THe moment she started coming to his office, people would assume they were dating, which is unlikely for Ryker to date anyone, much less them be at his office. Or they would assume there’s a scandal involving him and go looking for it.
She hadn’t had to be secretive with many clients, or at least not to this extent, and she never met them alone and in their home. Ryker is, as always, the exception, not the rule.
Her phone dinged in the elevator, and she pulled it from her bag.
Ryker: Anything you don’t eat?
Catherine: What kind of question is that?
Ryker: The kind that says I’m hungry and going to feed you, too, so I’m trying to be accommodating.
Catherine: I don’t like olives of any kind. Other than that, I’m not that picky.
Ryker: Noted. What's wrong with olives?
Catherine: They’re gross and they smell funny.
Ryker: You need to work on that.
Catherine: Don’t ask me a question and then get upset because you didn’t like the answer.
Ryker: I’m not upset.
She could picture him with his arms folded, tattoos showing, glaring at his phone as she called him out just a little.
Catherine: I’m just leaving the office, so I’ll be there soon.
Ryker: No, you won’t.
Catherine: I know how long it takes to get home from work.
Ryker: Dammit woman. Start checking traffic.
Catherine: Did you just call me woman?
Ryker: Did you check the traffic?
She rolled her eyes but did as he was telling her. The entire map was red. She wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry.
Catherine: In my defense, it always looks like that.
Ryker: No, it doesn’t.
Catherine: Whatever. I’ll be there later.
She put her phone back in her bag and made her way to the parking deck. Her old apartment wasn’t far from the office and she hadn’t run into much traffic. Usually, for the short distance, she’d just call a car. Ryker was right, but she’d never tell him she needed to start checking the traffic.
It took her the better part of an hour to get home, but she finally pulled up outside of her house and parked. She hated traffic and definitely should have looked into what it would be like to commute before buying the house. She probably still would have bought it, but at least Ryker wouldn’t be reminding her to check the traffic.
“Food’s done,” Ryker said as he approached her car.
“Thanks.” She reached into her car to grab her bags.
“Why do women always come to the office like they’re on a trip? This is so much stuff.” Ryker complained, but took the bags she had from her to carry.
“One of us has all the things they need, and the other has someone to do it for them,” she quipped.
“This all coming to my place?” Ryker asked.
She shrugged. “Might as well.” There was no need to carry it inside her house and come back for something. She’d just take it all home at once later.
He sighed, but led the way to his house. Catherine, for her part, just enjoyed the view. Maybe appreciating what was in front of her wasn’t so bad when you knew it wasn’t going anywhere. It made it easier because there was no chance of being let down. She was already down.
“I made burgers and fries,” he said as they walked in.
The smell hit her as she followed him. She didn’t know she wanted greasy food today, but judging by the way her mouth was watering, this was about to hit the spot.
“Smells great,” she told him.
“I’ll carry all this to the living room and bring you your plate.”
She waved him off. “I can grab the plates and meet you in there.”
Before he could argue, because he definitely would, she turned to the kitchen. Two plates sat nicely on the counter and she grabbed them both, bringing them with her to the living room.
“Thanks,” he muttered. “Wine?”
Her face grew hot at the question, but as she searched his eyes for any hint of teasing, she found none. Then again, it would be even less like Ryker to joke around.
“No thanks. Water would be great.”
When he returned with the drinks, she was sitting on his floor, her plate on the ottoman, snacking on fries.
“Do you want to go to the table? I just assumed you’d rather be on the sofa, but I didn’t mean for you to sit on the floor.”
“All good. This is comfortable for me, but I might need a hand up in this skirt. It was hard to get all the way down here.”
He looked at her like she’d lost her mind, but just shook his head. “My lawyer has put the request in for the DNA test. He thinks we can do most of this without me ever needing to go to court, if not all of it.”
“That’s great, actually. I do have a plan made for if you do need to go to the courthouse for anything, since there are always paparazzi out there, though. Hopefully, it won’t be necessary.”
He nodded. “I still can’t come up with where this woman is from. Nothing about her seems familiar and everything that my guy pulled is the same. We’ve checked everything about her and nothing makes sense.”
“She could just be someone that took a lie too far or maybe she needs help, but it doesn’t matter because after the DNA test comes back, you’ll be good to go. Then we can break the story so she can’t later.”
“I don’t like that part. If the story isn’t picked up before it’s over, why then announce it?” he asked.
“So she can’t blackmail you with it?” Catherine answered him with just a touch of sarcasm.
“I’ll think on that part. What else do you have for me?”
She pointed at the stack of papers next to him. “I have statements in there for every type of situation when it comes to this scenario. The plan is to deny and while saying she’s a liar, we don’t want to actually say that.”
Ryker nodded. “I’ll look at it when my hands are clean.”
Silence fell across the room, and it was as awkward as she expected. Ryker wiped his hands and picked up his phone, typing on it before setting it down again. Not long after, her own phone went off.
?: This meeting is boring, just thought I’d share that.
Cade just laughed. “That’s what I thought. Let me know if there’s anything I need to know.”
Ryker ended the call. There was nothing more to say to his so-called friend. Cade had given him the go ahead to date Catherine but Ryker knew it would be a disaster waiting to happen and Catherine could and would do so much better than him. Someone who didn’t have random women accusing him of knocking them up.
Deciding he needed to do something, he opened the email from Kayla with the link to everything he needed to set up for his own date. The best distraction would be another woman, right? Someone to take his mind off his neighbor.
It didn’t take as long as he thought it would to fill out the personality survey. He even answered the questions honestly. Just for shits and giggles, he’d love to know if that test had even matched him with anyone, but wasn’t going to ask.
He missed Catherine leaving, deep into working on a project he was thinking of taking on. Not that it was a bad thing, but he wondered what she would wear to her date. Would she cover up or show herself off? It was in the dark, but what if she was hoping to meet the guy after?
God, what if she brought the guy back to her place? She wouldn’t do that, not on the first date. No, there was no way.
He was slowly, or perhaps not slowly, turning into a creep about this, but he couldn’t shake his feelings. Even though he knew he wasn’t the right person for her, he couldn’t seem to let her all the way go, either. It was a dick move, and he knew it. At least he wasn’t leading her on. He just needed to mind his business.
No sooner had he reminded himself that she wasn’t his business than did a car door close outside. Despite his better judgement, he was out of his seat and looking out the window.
She wore a dark dress that hit her just at the knees. If she stood on a grate, she’d give a great Marilyn Monroe impression with how flowy it was. The top of the dress covered her well, with almost long sleeves and a modest neckline. He couldn’t help but be taken in by her.
While he’d been admiring her dress, Catherine had looked up and caught him watching. He caught her gaze and swore. She turned away from her own door and headed to his.
There was no point in pretending he didn’t know she was coming. On a sigh, he headed for the door to let her in and probably get an earful on minding his own business.
“What the hell, Ryker?” she said as she brushed past him and walked inside. “You waited for me to get home?”
“No.”
“Just convenient timing for you to look out the window?” she snapped.
“I heard you close your door. It’s quiet in here.”
“Did you watch me leave, too?” she asked.
Thankfully, the truth was, he missed it. “No.”
“Ugh.” She threw her hands in the air and then walked over to his bar, setting her purse down. “Do you have wine?”
“Red or white?” Ryker asked, walking into the kitchen and getting out two glasses.
“Whatever,” she waved her hand.
“Was it that bad?” Ryker found himself asking before wincing. “Sorry, I wasn’t prying on purpose.” He wanted to know, yeah, but he was more concerned that it didn’t seem to go well.
“This is why I don’t date. Men are idiots.” She took the glass of white wine he offered her and took a long sip.
“Present company excluded, of course,” Ryker teased.
Catherine arched one eyebrow at him. “I think you said included wrong.”
Surprised, Ryker choked out a laugh. “Indeed.” Still smiling, he walked around the bar and sat next to her. “What happened?”
“He was an asshole. Just a self-centered piece of shit. I swear, at one point, I thought he was going to tell me how long his dick was. I got all his stats, height, weight, and net worth. It was so annoying.” She let out an exasperated sigh.
Ryker didn’t know what to say, so he sipped his own glass of wine.
“I should have known when he didn’t want to chat in the app that he’d be an idiot. I made rules, and I bent it for this first date, and I knew better.” She tipped her glass up and drained the rest of the wine.
Ryker didn’t know what to say or how to react. He sat there beside her, motionless, not even touching his own wine, and waited for her to make the next move.
“You know, I don’t even know why I bothered. It’s like I only attract idiots even on a dating site when they can’t see me. Why else would my profile match me with someone like him? It’s because that’s what is meant for me,” she sighed. “Going to drink that?” Catherine pointed at his glass.
Ryker shook his head.
She picked up the glass and drained that one, too. “Now I’m sitting here with the guy who refuses to be with me, explaining my shit attempts at having a love life. What the hell is wrong with me?”
Hoping that was rhetorical, he stayed silent. There was nothing wrong with her, but he didn’t know how to handle this version of Catherine. It was also becoming increasingly clear that this wasn’t the only alcohol she’d had tonight.
“I told Kayla it was shit. I don’t know if I want to do another one. Maybe I will tomorrow, but tonight just sucks.” She stood, wobbled a little, but righted herself. “I’m going home.”
Ryker jumped up. “Sit down. I think you could use a glass of water.”
“I have water at home. Men suck. I want to go back to my books.” She whined, but she sat down.
“Did you eat at the restaurant?” he asked her as he filled a glass for her.
She shook her head. “I mean some salad. It’s weird eating in the dark. I’d love to see a cost analysis of food waste there. It is so strange. Have you done it yet?”
He handed her the glass. “Drink this. And no, I haven’t. My turn is now. I think I’m waiting for someone to be loaded in for me.”
“Hmmph. Probably Luke’s choice, so you’ll know what a shitty date is soon enough.”
Ryker chuckled as he pulled out two pieces of bread and set about making her a sandwich. She needed something to help absorb all the alcohol she’d drank, and this was all he could make quickly.
“Is that for me?” she asked, pointing at the sandwich.
“Do you want it to be?” He couldn’t resist teasing her.
She stuck her tongue out at him. “It is for me.”
He nodded and handed over the sandwich to her. “Eat that and see if you don’t feel a little better after.”
“I need actual food,” she said around bites. “I love a good salad, but as a side, ya know?”
He laughed as he cleaned up the small mess he made. “I think I can relate to that one.”
“Good.”
A half an hour of chit-chat passed before he was comfortable that she’d be okay at home and maybe tomorrow less hungover before he walked her to her door. She invited him in, but he declined, knowing full well where his thoughts went at that invitation that it was not a good idea.
“Good night, Cat,” he said before walking down her steps.
“Why do you call me that?” she asked suddenly.
“Because it suits you,” he answered without turning around.
It had been a weird fucking day, and he needed to cool off. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he carried it out into the cool night where he relaxed on his patio, thinking of all the things that couldn’t be.
Chapter Seven
Catherine
Catherine avoided Ryker in person since she’d made a fool out of herself after her shitty date. There was no reason she should have unloaded on him and it hadn’t been her intention when she saw him looking out of his window when she got home.
Then she’d used him as a sounding board, confident that he would largely just let her vent. Sometimes her friends wanted to offer help instead of just listening, and that’s what she wanted right now. Just to vent about how miserable it was.
Ryker had awkwardly met her need to just listen and then had made her feel better. It was so strange and she couldn’t let it go. She was also way too embarrassed to see him in person after that show of insanity.
Working on his PR campaign, though, she had spoken to him. To his credit, he hadn’t brought up that night or even hinted at it. Everything had been professional, and he’d not pressed her. She expected him to at least crack a joke, but nothing.
She had put together a few plans for him to review and tonight, a full five days after she lost her mind at his place, was the first time she’d see him in person. With any luck at all, Ryker would maintain the same level of professionalism he had so far.
As far as the date went, she had unmatched with the guy right away. Kayla had convinced her to try at least three dates, so now she was waiting on a new match. If this guy didn’t chat with her, she was sticking to her rule, no exceptions.
“I’m heading out now,” Jack poked into her office. “You meeting with Ryker tonight, still?” He wiggled his eyebrows in innuendo.
“You know, I’m just not going to tell you things anymore, so you can’t use it against me,” Catherine teased.
“We both know that’s not true. I will assume that you are meeting him.” He looked her up and down. “Hot outfit, nice choice.”
Before she could throw something at him, he continued down the hall, laughter spilling as he went. Catherine rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help sitting a little straighter, knowing that she looked good in her outfit.
Shortly after, she got an alert from the app that she had been matched again. Catherine took a deep sigh before opening it up, unsure if she even wanted to. The match had come with a request to chat.
“Finally,” she muttered. A real date with a chance to get to know someone.
Catherine: Hi. Nice to meet you, kinda.
She sent the message off and cringed. How could she know exactly what to say in every scenario in her life except dating? That was so lame.
?: Definitely only kinda.
Catherine: Yeah, sorry. Lame opener. This is my first time here.
?: This is my third attempt at a date. You are the first time I’ve had a chat, though.
Catherine: In complete honesty, I did have one date, but they refused to chat and I decided never again without chatting first.
?: Smart. I may use that as my own rule if this doesn’t work out. Glad I passed your first test.
Catherine: Feel free to use the rule if needed.
?: I have a late work meeting shortly. Can I message you more later?
Catherine: I actually have one, too, so that works out great.
That was awkward, but seemed to end on a decent note. Maybe that was all the ice breaking that needed to be done and they could be conversational after this.
Pushing the thoughts of the date to the side, she gathered her things to head to Ryker’s. He was still doing a good job at keeping things under wraps as far as this woman’s claims went, but they were meeting in secret.
Right now, they were just neighbors with mutual friends. It wouldn’t be weird for Ryker to be seen with her as a PR person because everything looped back just fine. THe moment she started coming to his office, people would assume they were dating, which is unlikely for Ryker to date anyone, much less them be at his office. Or they would assume there’s a scandal involving him and go looking for it.
She hadn’t had to be secretive with many clients, or at least not to this extent, and she never met them alone and in their home. Ryker is, as always, the exception, not the rule.
Her phone dinged in the elevator, and she pulled it from her bag.
Ryker: Anything you don’t eat?
Catherine: What kind of question is that?
Ryker: The kind that says I’m hungry and going to feed you, too, so I’m trying to be accommodating.
Catherine: I don’t like olives of any kind. Other than that, I’m not that picky.
Ryker: Noted. What's wrong with olives?
Catherine: They’re gross and they smell funny.
Ryker: You need to work on that.
Catherine: Don’t ask me a question and then get upset because you didn’t like the answer.
Ryker: I’m not upset.
She could picture him with his arms folded, tattoos showing, glaring at his phone as she called him out just a little.
Catherine: I’m just leaving the office, so I’ll be there soon.
Ryker: No, you won’t.
Catherine: I know how long it takes to get home from work.
Ryker: Dammit woman. Start checking traffic.
Catherine: Did you just call me woman?
Ryker: Did you check the traffic?
She rolled her eyes but did as he was telling her. The entire map was red. She wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry.
Catherine: In my defense, it always looks like that.
Ryker: No, it doesn’t.
Catherine: Whatever. I’ll be there later.
She put her phone back in her bag and made her way to the parking deck. Her old apartment wasn’t far from the office and she hadn’t run into much traffic. Usually, for the short distance, she’d just call a car. Ryker was right, but she’d never tell him she needed to start checking the traffic.
It took her the better part of an hour to get home, but she finally pulled up outside of her house and parked. She hated traffic and definitely should have looked into what it would be like to commute before buying the house. She probably still would have bought it, but at least Ryker wouldn’t be reminding her to check the traffic.
“Food’s done,” Ryker said as he approached her car.
“Thanks.” She reached into her car to grab her bags.
“Why do women always come to the office like they’re on a trip? This is so much stuff.” Ryker complained, but took the bags she had from her to carry.
“One of us has all the things they need, and the other has someone to do it for them,” she quipped.
“This all coming to my place?” Ryker asked.
She shrugged. “Might as well.” There was no need to carry it inside her house and come back for something. She’d just take it all home at once later.
He sighed, but led the way to his house. Catherine, for her part, just enjoyed the view. Maybe appreciating what was in front of her wasn’t so bad when you knew it wasn’t going anywhere. It made it easier because there was no chance of being let down. She was already down.
“I made burgers and fries,” he said as they walked in.
The smell hit her as she followed him. She didn’t know she wanted greasy food today, but judging by the way her mouth was watering, this was about to hit the spot.
“Smells great,” she told him.
“I’ll carry all this to the living room and bring you your plate.”
She waved him off. “I can grab the plates and meet you in there.”
Before he could argue, because he definitely would, she turned to the kitchen. Two plates sat nicely on the counter and she grabbed them both, bringing them with her to the living room.
“Thanks,” he muttered. “Wine?”
Her face grew hot at the question, but as she searched his eyes for any hint of teasing, she found none. Then again, it would be even less like Ryker to joke around.
“No thanks. Water would be great.”
When he returned with the drinks, she was sitting on his floor, her plate on the ottoman, snacking on fries.
“Do you want to go to the table? I just assumed you’d rather be on the sofa, but I didn’t mean for you to sit on the floor.”
“All good. This is comfortable for me, but I might need a hand up in this skirt. It was hard to get all the way down here.”
He looked at her like she’d lost her mind, but just shook his head. “My lawyer has put the request in for the DNA test. He thinks we can do most of this without me ever needing to go to court, if not all of it.”
“That’s great, actually. I do have a plan made for if you do need to go to the courthouse for anything, since there are always paparazzi out there, though. Hopefully, it won’t be necessary.”
He nodded. “I still can’t come up with where this woman is from. Nothing about her seems familiar and everything that my guy pulled is the same. We’ve checked everything about her and nothing makes sense.”
“She could just be someone that took a lie too far or maybe she needs help, but it doesn’t matter because after the DNA test comes back, you’ll be good to go. Then we can break the story so she can’t later.”
“I don’t like that part. If the story isn’t picked up before it’s over, why then announce it?” he asked.
“So she can’t blackmail you with it?” Catherine answered him with just a touch of sarcasm.
“I’ll think on that part. What else do you have for me?”
She pointed at the stack of papers next to him. “I have statements in there for every type of situation when it comes to this scenario. The plan is to deny and while saying she’s a liar, we don’t want to actually say that.”
Ryker nodded. “I’ll look at it when my hands are clean.”
Silence fell across the room, and it was as awkward as she expected. Ryker wiped his hands and picked up his phone, typing on it before setting it down again. Not long after, her own phone went off.
?: This meeting is boring, just thought I’d share that.
