INTERIM LOVER, ryan howard.

005 ⋮ the bedroom oath

note: this chapter implies some sexual content. also, this scene is heavily influenced by the movie 'friends with benefits' and i highly recommend it!

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ㅤㅤㅤEven when they were drunk, Notting Hill remained one of the corniest films of all time. "Why do all these movies have such bad music?" Ryan asked, taking another swig of his beer.

She slapped his chest to silence him, mouthing the words to the film. "I live in Notting Hill. You live in Beverly Hills. Everyone in the world knows who you are, my mother has trouble remembering my name."

"You're such a loser," he laughed.

"Shut up, Temp. You willingly go to night school."

A silence befell the two friends, and Ryan began to wonder how in two and a half months he had become so close to Rachel that now he was spending every weekend at her apartment watching the few rom com DVDs her mother had apparently gifted her. He hadn't anticipated any attachment to the job except a healthy relationship with Michael, but the moment he stepped into the office, that plan had flown right out the window.

Beside him, Rachel was frowning intensely at the screen. Ryan suspected she would soon be voicing another one of her criticisms which he respected greatly. Rachel was real. He liked that. 

"I wish my life was a movie sometimes," she said wistfully, a tone he wasn't used to hearing from her. "I'd never have to worry about my hair, or having to go to the bathroom. Then, when I'm at my lowest point, some guy would chase me down the street, pour his heart out and then we'd kiss. Happily ever after!"

"I can't believe that somehow got worse," he muttered, honestly amused.

"Why don't they ever make movies about what happens after the big kiss?"

"They do," Ryan replied, finishing his bottle. "It's called porn."

Rachel laughed pitifully. "God, I miss sex. I mean, sometimes you just need it. It's like cracking your neck."

"There are always one night stands."

"You know how I feel about one night stands," she deadpanned.

"Well, how else are you going to get your fix of sexual pleasure? You know relationships come with a bounty of complications."

"And emotions," she added, rolling her eyes.

"And guilt."

"Great, you've successfully convinced me that I will never be in a relationship again and therefore will never have sex again. Thanks Ryan." And once again, the sceptic had returned and Rachel was putting on her stoic features.

"You know what would be great? If you could just have a relationship like... like playing tennis."

The woman surveyed him with complete confusion. "How drunk are you?"

"No, no. Hear me out," Ryan said, arms flailing. "Sex is a physical act. Tennis is a physical act. Two people should be able to have sex like they're playing tennis."

It was times like this, in his enlightenments, that made Rachel realise that maybe Ryan Howard was not ordinary. But it was hard to crown him extraordinary. Weird, perhaps. 

"I mean, no one wants to go away for the weekend after playing tennis."

"It's just a game," Ryan said as if to encourage her beliefs. "You shake hands and get on with your shit."