The Players (TP4)

49 - I am now

Lana

Why did she sign up for this class? She had graduated Summa Cum Laude, but she couldn't understand this crap. Ryan was extremely patient, but by the end, she knew he was making fun of her. She deserved it, because she was beginning to hate listening to herself, too.

She was excited about Ryan coming back and staying with her. As beautiful as September could be, it was always sad after all her summer friends went off to their real lives. True, she had a lot of year-round friends, but this year she only had Heidi for two weeks and instead, she had Ryan. How did they get so close? She didn't realize how good of a friend he was until he left. Their friendship got stronger after the mess with Adam. She missed him during that time, although she was too busy being angry. Now she just missed him, but he was coming to visit. She smiled and began singing to herself. She had an hour before she had to leave for work. Poor Ryan had spent almost two hours trying to explain the material to her.

When she finished work, she walked toward the bar and sighed. "Why are you here?"

He smiled a smile that used to set her heart racing. "I wanted to come see you."

"And let's see my mother told you I was working."

"Maybe, but it was no great revelation, you work every Saturday, except in the summer."

She thought not every as she had already told Oliver she needed one off for when she had her houseguest. She would not share her information with Erik. Let him find out the hard way.

"Sit. Have one drink with me." She reluctantly sat and asked Jay for soda water with lime. "You're not drinking?"

"No, I gave it up for um, autumn."

"That's not a thing."

"Fine, I just don't want to. I have to drive home."

"You can stay with me at our apartment."

"Our apartment! How many women have you had there? Did you fuck her in my bed before the bathroom incident? No, don't answer."

"Why do we always ended up back at that night?"

"Because I'll never forget it or trust you. I'm trying to be friends with you, but we'll never get back together. You need to accept it."

"Then why does it bother you when I'm with someone else?"

"It doesn't." She lied. She didn't want him, but his womanizing reminded her of how foolish she was. Had he cheated on her before? He probably did when they were apart for the school year during high school. She was true to him even when one of the cutest guys in her class liked her. Could he say the same?

One of her co-workers called her over, Lana was glad to have an excuse to get up from the bar.

"Is that your boyfriend?"

Lana laughed. "No, he's my ex-husband."

"He's cute."

"He can't be trusted."

"So he'd be up for a little fun?"

Haylee at twenty-three was into partying and Lana didn't want to know what else. She reminded Lana of Adam's chick.

"Yeah, but use a condom so you don't catch anything." In her head she screamed, Oh no, I probably have a disease.

She went back to Erik. "This is your lucky night. I'm leaving, but you'll be rewarded if you buy Haylee a drink. Oh, by the way, did you pass any diseases on to me?"

"Oh my God! Were you still drunk?" He whispered. "I used a condom. You don't remember?" She thought back and shook her head. "I let you drive home? You're lucky you didn't get pulled over."