Capítulo 6: Stray
Savannah staggered out of her faded Fiat 124 Sedan, slightly twisting her ankle on the jagged asphalt of the bar's parking lot. She should have known that wearing 4-inch heels would reward her with some form of pain, especially considering how much weight they were straining under. Sucking in air between her teeth, she kept her breath locked inside her chest for a second longer than she probably should have. She then crouched over against her side, pressing a hand to the spot and gently patting it.
"Excuse me, Miss."
That strong, raspy voice did something delicious to her insides just now. Savannah straightened up on impulse. "Yes?"
"Could you please…"
Could she… what? Share a couple of drinks with him? Hell-to-the-yeah! He was good-looking, all right. The kind of face that could leave a girl swooning for days on end, and boy, was she just a girl.
Even better if he turned out to be the same guy Holly had hinted at before the call dropped. Her so-called "perfect find." A match made in heaven for sure. Savannah could already picture introducing him as her plus-one at Breanna's wedding—him and not Ryan. Certainly not Ryan.
"So… what can I do for you?" Savannah said, flashing the stranger a toothy grin. She tucked a nonexistent hair strand to the back of her ear for good measure.
"Eh. Gross." Someone exclaimed from behind her, forcing Savannah to look about her shoulders in search of them. "That was painful to watch," they added in a nauseated tone.
What in the world was he doing here? Savannah's eyes shouted her question at the intruder, who was none other than her very own nemesis.
"He just needs your car out of the way so he can leave," Ryan said, deadpan. "No use leaking your parched hormones all over the parking lot."
The other guy burst into laughter, leaving Savannah too floored to even react. She was more stunned by how Ryan casually fished out the car keys from her purse, which he'd caught mid-fall as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In a beat, he hopped into her car and parked it effortlessly. Anyone who didn't know them would think they were closely acquainted, which was, of course, centuries far from the truth.
"Thanks, man," the guy said, stopping to shake Ryan's hand before getting into his car. To think that a woman was comfortably sitting in the front passenger seat all along. How was she noticing that now as they drove off?
Pressing her palm to her forehead, Savannah turned to Ryan, frowning. "Are you stalking me now? Because if you are, I won't hesitate to call the cops."
"On what charge?" Ryan asked, coolly slipping his hands into his pockets. "Saving you from making a complete fool of yourself as a concerned colleague?"
"I didn't ask for your help." Savannah slapped her keys out of his outstretched hands, ignoring the warmth creeping up her cheeks. She stalked off toward the flickering bar sign: The Alley Cat.
Pfft. Savannah fought back the urge to huff. Could any good come out of this place? It was the same bar she'd hung out in with Holly that had led up to her uploading that stupid ad on social media. And now, Ryan wouldn't let her live it down. He'd be all up in her business until she finally got fed up and decided it was best to move clear across country to an entirely new state.
"What took you so long to get here?" Ryan, falling into step beside her, asked in an offhand tone that annoyed her. "You look stunning, by the way."
Right. Like a compliment would magically erase the crippling embarrassment he'd put her through tonight. Savannah gave him a glare that said nice try, but Ryan didn't notice or care. He reached for the door, breezed past her, and disappeared inside.
It hit her then.
That question—"What took you so long?"—wasn't random. He knew she was coming. Did that mean…? No way.
Savannah hurried after him, her teeth grinding against the beat of the loud music blasting from inside. She'd gotten a text from Holly just as she stepped out of her apartment that read 'at The Alley Cat.' And now she was finding out Ryan had probably been with Holly this whole time? What was she supposed to do with that information? What with him listening in on Holly's gibberish over finding her a boyfriend?
And, God help her, if he was the so-called boyfriend Holly claimed to have found for her…
God, please, no.
Holly couldn't possibly downgrade her like that, much less in Ryan's presence. Then again, sober Holly wouldn't. Wasted Holly? Now, that one was a bummer.
Savannah scanned the packed bar, weaving through the throng of people. Her irritation deepened with no Holly in sight.
Up ahead, she caught Ryan chatting with some bouncer-type by a crimson-curtained door. She didn't think a door like that existed at the bar before. She watched for when Ryan ducked inside—and then followed to make her way inside, too, without giving it much thought.
"Sorry, but can't go in," the bouncer said with arms crossed, halting Savannah in her tracks. She should have thought it through after all. Now, she needed to devise a fast plan in case Holly was actually in there.
"What do you mean I can't go in?" she said in defence.
"No strays allowed," the man said, voice tight. "VIP only."
Savannah tsked at that. How wonderful it felt to be called a Stray. As seconds switched into minutes, she thought about arguing her way in, maybe throwing in how she and the man who'd just entered worked together, and this was work-related, but she didn't buy that excuse. She was still fumbling for a better strategy when Ryan reappeared, grinning as he grabbed her softly by the shoulder.
"She's with me," he said easily. Then, like he hadn't just detonated her sanity, he added, "My fiancée, to be precise."
"Fian-what?" Savannah choked out, but the bouncer was already waving them both inside.
She walked in just deep enough to spot her best friend, who was sprawled on a couch, passed out cold. The sight made Savannah's stomach tight. All thoughts of Ryan's ridiculous claim were pushed aside as she rushed to Holly's side, slightly brushing back her hair.
"Hey," she said softly. "Are you okay?"
Her next question was sharper, directed at Ryan: "Is she okay?"
"She'll live," Ryan said, slipping into the opposite couch. "Not sure why anyone drinks that much when they can't handle it, though."
Savannah shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. "Now's really not the time for your unsolicited advice, Dr. Phil."
Ryan held up his hands, muttering something under his breath.
"I couldn't find a cab," he explained eventually. "And she wouldn't let me drive her, so…"
"So you just left her here?" Savannah snapped. "Alone? What if something had happened while you were gone?"
"Well, it didn't," Ryan replied, flat. "Besides, I texted you, didn't I? You had one job: to show up on time."
Savannah held herself back. She wanted to strangle him so badly. "Unbelievable."
An awkward silence hung between them, with neither of them itching to say anything for a little over a minute. Holly's faint snoring was the only loud noise in the room besides the music filtering in from the bar outside.
"You two shouldn't be out this late anyway," Ryan said, breaking the ice between them. Then he paused, eyeing her with something unreadable. "You especially—"
He stopped, his jaw visibly tightening despite the dull lighting like he'd said too much.
"Let's just help her up," he added quickly, moving to lift Holly.
Together, they got Holly on her feet, her arms draped over their shoulders as they walked outside. Savannah couldn't stop the chill that drilled into her bones the second they stepped outside. But it wasn't just about the cold night. It was about what Ryan had said or what he hadn't said in this case. What did he mean, 'you especially'?
.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Nancy_Jim
Nancy_Jim Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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