Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 15:28:05 MDT From: . . Subject: Hot and Humid 5 The usual legal jargon, get the hell outta here if you don't belong or don't care to read :P. I don't claim to know anything about any of the celebrities mentioned in this story. This is a work of fiction nothing more. Hot and Humid Chapter 5 For the next few weeks I immersed myself in my work, making sure that everything was in order and functioning just right. On the outside I was happy, outgoing and in general a pleasure to be around. On the inside; however, I knew that something was missing. There was a hole left in my side from when the guys had stepped out of my life and I had no idea where to turn to mend it. Emily, over the past few weeks, after that night at the club had been very supportive. I could never manage to hide anything from her :(. (I'm not too sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing or even if she knows). Oh well, she came over a few nights after work and we rented movies or just talked. She knew that I was more upset than I was letting on, although I never told her about the phone number and I never did call. I convinced myself that they were better off without me bugging them and that just because they are nice guys (and one in particular is very cute :)) is no excuse for me to glomp all over them. One night about a few days ago when Em was over visiting I noticed a weird change in her mannerisms. She had said that she wanted to call Mitsie to tell her that she'd be back to the apartment a little later than expected because she was keeping me company at my place while I was cleaning up. She went to use the phone as I went into the kitchen to start popping us some popcorn for the movie she had brought over. But when I immerged back into my living room to start the movie she had really changed, something was on her mind, she was preoccupied about something and she wasn't about to tell me...................... "What's she up to?" I wondered to myself. (Emily's point of view) I grabbed my purse off the dresser and hunted for my keys. No keys. "Where the hell...." I began but I was interrupted by a wet nose pressed up against my nylons "Mitch," I bent down to take the keys from my german shepherd's mouth. "Oh you're a good boy, yes you are," I cooed to him. "Mommy's gotta go though hun, I love you. You be good while I'm gone," I patted his head as I gathered all of my belongings and scooted out the door. I turned around in the hallway and had to set down my purse to lock the door. "Ryan," I thought to myself addressing him as though he were in front of me. "I feel so terrible that I messed up your chances with Justin. Sheesh," I smacked my forehead with the heal of my hand while walking towards the end of the hall way, "I should'a known that he hadn't told em that he was gay or for that matter interested. Not that I can REALLY blame him, I mean this whole thing is kind of my fault." I sighed to myself and took the stairs down to the parking lot. "Just like life," I mumbled, "one stair at a time." In minutes I was in my car and on my way. "This should brighten him up a little," I though as I looked over to the movie that was sticking out of my purse. It was an action movie with absolutely no romance, I figured the last thing that Ryan needed right now was a straight happy ending. I had picked up the movie from a blockbuster just a few blocks from the apartment after I'd gotten off work. These past few weeks I've tried everything to brighten him up, I'd even suggested that he go out with some of my other male friends that I knew were gay. Unfortunately Ryan had already met just about all of my other gay friends and I have to admit the majority of em aren't keepers. I slowed down and took the last right into the back of the apartment complex, I gathered up all my stuff and stepped out of the car. I locked up (while making sure that I hadn't left my keys in the car for another repeat performance of last weekend (god don't get me started)). I was about to buzz Ryan when I remembered that he'd already gotten me a set of keys cut to save me the trouble of the intercom (we're very close :)). Although that's probably one of the reasons why I managed to chase Justin off that night. (No matter how much Ryan may tell me that it's not my fault I still feel like crap). "I need a way to make it up to him," I said while I was riding the elevator up to his floor and tapping my foot against the hard metal floor. "Other than these stupid movies all the time..... Oh Christ, his depression is starting to wear off on me," I whined, "and I'm supposed to be the one cheering him up." I laughed to myself when I heard the familiar ding of the giant metal crate and the doors squealed open. I stepped through. "He really is like the little brother that I never had," I smiled and thought about the fact that I had been an only child, remembering how lonely it had been. I found his room and knocked twice on the plain white door. "Yeah?" I heard a male voice call from within. "Hey Ryan," I called back and waited for a sec, "well sheesh I'm here when're you gonna let me in?" The door abruptly opened. "Did you ever think to check and see if it was unlocked already," he joked, "you know just waiting for a certain good friend to get her late butt over so we can start the movie." I punched him on the shoulder and walked past him into the room. "Gee," I replied sarcastically, "let me know if she ever shows up. In the mean time I don't suppose that I could interest you in a really crappy movie that little old me picked up?" "Hi Em," he just smiled and gave me a hug, "how're you doing?" "Great," I beamed back, "but I should be asking you that very same question." "You know me," he sighed walking over to the kitchen, "I bruise easy in a certain department of life." "What was that?" I asked bounding up behind him and punching him on the shoulder repeatedly. "I could've sworn I heard you say that you bruise easy, you the karate enthusiast." "Hey," he pouted, "you know what I mean. Anyhow have you eaten already," he asked turning to face me, "there's some pasta on the stove and some sauce in the mike." "Come to think of it," I said rushing past him, "I knew that I forgot something." "You're hopeless," he just shook his head and laughed. "What?" I asked with a mouthful of spaghetti. "Aren't you hungry sugar, you don't look so good." "I'm fine thanks," he waved me off, "while waiting for you to grace me with your presence I've already eaten." I threw a pillow from the couch at his head as I sat down. "Humph," Ryan managed to mumble as the pillow connected with his head. We soon decided to watch a TV movie first before starting up the one that I had brought over. "Fine with me," I thought, "I haven't watched Crocodile Dundee in a few years and what's his face is such a cutie :). Ryan took the couch opposite the television and I took the armchair, his place isn't overly furnished but it's just comfortable. I looked over in my friend's general direction as he was channel surfing to find which one the outback Aussie was on. I could tell that that night at the club was still on his mind, I know him too well. He might be able to fool his co-workers and perhaps even the majority of his family (Uncle and Aunt) but he couldn't slip this one by me and I felt terrible. Terrible because I had been the one to cause him this pain (I know he's only known them for a few hours you should see what happens when he knows em for more than a week :() I knew that I had to find a way to make things right again...... But what? I sighed and sat back in my chair, trying desperately to relax and clear my head. "Nothing that you can fix right this second girl," I told myself. "Something'll turn up." Finally Ryan managed to find the right channel and the show had already begun without us. Before long the ending credits were rolling by and my empty plate of spaghetti was crusting over on the floor (by that I mean that it had gotten all stale). "Retch, kiddo," I complained as he got up and stretched, "I had almost forgotten all that poofy eighties hair until tonight. It'll take me years to screen it out again," I rubbed my tired eyes. Ryan let out a very friendly exasperated sigh, grabbed my plate and headed over to the kitchen. I looked around the room and glanced over to the phone. "Oh shit," I mumbled. "Something the matter?" his voice carried over from the kitchen. "Nothing hun," I said looking back, "I just didn't leave Mitsie a note when I left, she'll be wondering what happened to me." "You can use my phone if you like," he called back, "I'm just going to do the last little bit of the dished before we put your movie in ok?" "Thanks Ryan," I replied sweetly, "after I'm done I'll be in to help." But as I picked up the receiver I noticed something sticking out from one of his desk drawers. I tried to shove the naughty paper back from where it had come but I only managed to drop it on the floor. I bent down to pick it up. "A phone number?" I said in a whisper, "I wonder who.....?" I stopped dead in my tracks the name on the note read. James Lansten Bass. Now my memory of boy band members is fairly limited but I managed to recognize the name as one of the members from *N'sync. I picked up the note and copied out the number, then I discreetly pushed the original back into place so to make sure that he didn't figure it out. "Why hasn't he called him," I wondered, "if only he did it could fix everything." Then it hit me and I remembered that when I had met Ryan that he had had no trouble talking to me in person but he never did call me. That was until I had called him first. Ryan is by no means a shy guy but on the phone he's like a different person until the ice is broken. He thinks too much, over thinks he........ "Hey Em," a voice abruptly jolted me back into reality, "you ok? What did Mitsie say?" Ryan asked from inside the kitchen. I could still hear the water running and the noise of the pots and pans clanging as he shifted them around and an unusual popping noise but I dismissed it. "Umm, not much yet," I called back, "The phone is still ringing", I lied. I quickly dialed up my home number and awaited a response. "Hello," a feminine voice said on the other end of the line. "Mitsie," I started. "Oh hi Emily," her voice perked up, "are you ok? Where are you?" "I'm over at Ryan's keeping him company," I explained as Ryan walked back into the living room with a big bowl of popcorn. He mouthed the words, "surprise," to me as my jaw hit the carpeting and began to drool. He set the bowl down on the couch and started setting up the movie that I had brought over in the VCR and getting it in position. "Em?" Mitsie called, "are you still there? Em?" "Heh....." I asked, "OH! Mitsie I'm sorry sugar I must have spaced out." "Hmmmm no comment," I heard Ryan mumble playfully under his breath. I pretended to kick him in the ribs. He just withered on the floor in mock pain. "Anyhow Mitz," I returned to the phone call, "just calling to tell you that I'm ok. Don't wait dinner for me we've still got one more movie to watch before we call it a night. I'm not sure if I'm crashing here," I paused to look at Ryan for approval. He just looked at me and shrugged. "Or if I'll be home so don't wait up." "Ok Em," she replied, "tell Ryan I said hi and hey Em?" "Yeah?" I asked, curious. "Take care." I could almost feel her smile on the other end of the line. She's a real sweetie and as far as friend/roommates go she's the best. "Talk to you later kiddo, bye." "Bye, I'll see you when you get back," she replied, "don't go making tons of noise now I need my beauty sleep." "You can say that again," I teased. "What the? Hey...." She started. "Gotta go bye," I hastily responded and hung up the phone. "What was that all about?" Ryan asked with a mouthful of popcorn. "Not much," I shrugged, "just teasing her that's all." "The movies about to start," he gestured towards the screen with his free hand. "Yeah and you're hogging all mah corn," I complained as I hip checked him and sat down beside him. He just stuck his tongue out at me and I laughed. "Why?" I found myself wondering as the introduction started, "he had within his grasp all this time the ability to set things straight (no pun intended :P) and he simply didn't try." I leaned back and looked at my friend out of the corner of my left eye. "Why?" I pondered, "isn't life too short anyway? I mean how could he waste it by simply being too shy to call for help? "Wow," Ryan enthused pointing at the screen, "those special effects were simply too cool," he cheered. I glanced over to him and then to the television screen. "Hmmmm? Oh yeah," I replied off somewhere else, "just great." "Hey Emily?" he asked genuinely concerned, "are you ok you seem a little distant tonight was work all ok?" "Hmmm..." I murmured, "Oh yeah! Yeah I'm fine," I replied shaking my head, "it's just that I've been a little overstressed lately," I lied. "I'll be ok," I smiled, "you go ahead and enjoy the movie. "After all, I rented it for you." "Well ok," he didn't seem satisfied with my response but he let it go for the time being. "If you need to talk...." He trailed off. "Don't worry about me cutie," I said kissing him lightly on the forehead and reaching for the popcorn. "You go ahead and watch your movie and hey don't worry 'bout me. I'm fine." "If you say so," he lowered his head slightly and returned to the action and excitement of the fabricated reality of the small screen. I need to set things straight. I need to help my friend. This phone number might just as well be what I need to do it............ Well? How'd you like a change in the POV (point of view). I hope that it was effective :) and a little different (a slight twist). Send your comments and suggestions to Sec_ko@hotmail.com. I'm still not too sure whom Ryan'll end up with later on if anyone......... Let me know what you think about it or just in general Best wishes Until the next chapter P.S A special thanks to everyone for the emails of encouragement, they really mean a lot to me ^_^.