The Players (TP4)

26 - Severely Misguided

Adam

Why had it concerned him when he couldn't reach Lana? She was surrounded by people, who were in everyone else's business. Ryan knew more about her than Adam did and Ryan was becoming a pain in his ass. He called to discuss a trade and Ryan asked if he had spoken to Lana.

"Yeah, I know she was sick."

"Oh right, she had a tough week especially after her run-in with her ex."

"What ex? What run in?"

"Just the guy she was with for a while, her mother told him he could park in the driveway and it pissed Lana off. Her mother drives her crazy."

"I know she's always frustrated with her mother. The guy didn't touch her did he?"

"Touch her? You mean hurt her? No. She told him off good. I think the whole street heard."

Adam was asking if the guy had touched her as in come on to her, because he wouldn't want another guy on the scene. He knew deep down he was a hypocrite, but Amanda wasn't exclusive with him, so he wanted Lana to be.

He called her on Friday night. "Ryan told me you had a fight with your ex. How long did you date the guy?"

"A long time."

"But it's over now?"

Lana

"Oh yeah, it's been over for a while. I hate him."

She didn't tell him Erik was her ex-husband. She should have told the truth, but she couldn't get into it. She wouldn't have told Ryan the whole story if it weren't for the damn tequila. One shot and she was loose lips. The other problem was underneath all her angry, she didn't hate Erik as much as she should. She just hadn't figured out a way to forgive him, but she would never share it with anyone. Some thoughts were best kept protected.

"Good, because I don't want any competition."

Lana felt a tingle run from her heart. Adam wanted her for himself, and she felt the same about him. Long distance was not ideal, but she trusted he wasn't out with girls during the week. She liked how he worked and thought about coming to see her on the weekend. Her mind had already raced ahead to the fall. Would anything change when summer was over? She waitressed on weekend nights and couldn't afford to give it up. Long distance was definitely not ideal.

When Adam came for her on Saturday, the cottage was empty. With all the concern about leaving Will for the summer, more weeks than not, only their father came on Wednesdays to play golf. Their mother kept finding a reason to stay home. Maybe she was ready for a break from parenting, the way she nagged all the time must be exhausting. She made Lana and Will exhausted.

Adam greeted her with a kiss which made her knees weak. She pressed into him and just when she thought he might take things up a notch, he pulled away.

"Let's get some dinner."

Lana was growing frustrated. At dinner, Adam asked, "So tell me about this guy. You're over him?"

"Oh my God, you're jealous! You have no reason to be. It would be like me being jealous, because you work and never call or answer my calls every Thursday night. I trust you and have no reason to be jealous. Don't you trust me?"

"I do. I'm sorry. I guess it surprised me when Ryan knew about him before me. Maybe he's the one I should be jealous about."

Lana laughed. "Ryan and I are just friends. We couldn't be more incompatible relationship wise and Ryan knows it."

If she was a different girl, she might want to jump into bed with Ryan, because he would be an incredible lover, but that was all. Adam was the one she wanted to go to bed with. She was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen.