The Dare

Chapter 7

Ryan

I'm listening to my voicemail for the third time today. It gets funnier each time I hear it. And by funny, I mean impending disaster waiting to happen. These last three weeks I knew my PR team was up to something. I had some ideas what it could be. Brokering a deal for Rylexis 2.0 wasn't on the list.
I'm at home in Austin on a rare break from filming.

"Why don't you give that fence a rest."  My mom hands me a glass of tea and motions toward the porch. I've been working on the fence since eight this morning. I'm not even halfway through. "Got a lot of frustration to get out. This is the safest way to do it."

"Or you can go out and get laid like all the other young men your age do. And leave my fence alone."

Ladies and gentleman. My mother. And yes she's serious about me getting laid.

"And where do you suggest I take this random hookup ? Here? You'll never have any peace. They'll be popping up all the time thinking we had something special."

I've had strict rules about bringing girls home ever since I was a kid. Nobody comes to moms house unless she's special. My parents drilled it into me about respect and boundaries in the family home. Which meant I spent a lot of time in the flatbed of my truck until junior year when I started to go steady with Melanie Scott. Sunday dinners. Family game night. Good times. Maybe a handful of other girls made it past the front porch.  And Alexis. Although her interest in visiting Austin started and ended with the SXSW music festival.
My phone rings on the seat cushion beside mom.

"You're still avoiding their calls?"

"Got nothing to say to 'em mom."  The phone rings again. 

"Maybe I should answer it."  My mother hates being rude to people. 

"If you want.  But I still won't have anything to say to them.  Or rather nothing they'd be interested in hearing right now."

She just can't help herself.  She answers it anyway.  "Hello.  Oh. No.  You've called the right number.  This is Nancy, Ryan's mom." 

The smile on her face sets alarm bells off.  

"Well Ryan is in a bit of a mood.  Avoiding calls. I'm not sure he's available to talk."

She listens and raises an eyebrow.  "Why yes I can pass that along."  

More listening and nodding.  "Thank you for calling dear."

"Well?"

"Someone named Malia says you have five minutes to stop crying like a drunk sorority girl and pick up the phone."  She pauses for affect.  

"Or the next dare will have you naked on the coldest continent on earth."

"Now that's a sobering thought."  I mumble under my breath. 

Mom's nodding again.  "Interesting friend you have there."  

"I'm sorry you had to hear that."  

She throws her head back and laughs.   "I'm not.  So Malia.  Is that the girl you dated from Nash Com?"

"Nash Com?  No mother."

"The cute makeup artist on set?"

"Nope." 

"Then why does the name sound so familiar?"

"I dunno'".  Mom doesn't believe me.  She's giving me the you can't lie for shit look she perfected in my youth.

"Malia is the girl who came to visit the set."