Episode 353: Love Won't Let Me

Adria hadn’t laid eyes on Ryley Vance since his Valentine’s declaration that he could fall for her, if she let him. Back then, she’d truthfully told him she had feelings for someone else and he’d respected it. Hadn’t bothered her since. She offered him a smile. "Daddy must have invited your firm to the garden party."

Ryley nodded, checking out her violet halter dress but attempting to hide the appreciative once-over. "So, um, how’s school going?"

"Fine." He looked so stricken by her guarded response that Adria felt regretted it herself. She grabbed his hand and led him inside her monstrous house to explain in private. "I can’t talk to you. You want a relationship and I just can’t do that."

"I know, you’re into somebody else, I wasn’t trying to put a move on you, I wouldn’t. It took months for me to get over New Year’s Eve; I didn’t even want to come here to risk it - but my job. I’ve been watching you the whole party warning myself not to go near you then you’re over here and I smell that honey scent of yours and..." He turned to leave. "I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I’m sorry, Adria. You’re just a really interesting person, hard to resist." His cheeks blazed. "I do mean more interesting than just how great you smell."

"I don’t have feelings for him anymore," she admitted, not sure why. She wasn’t anywhere near ready to put her heart on the line again. Twice bitten. First, Paul refused to encourage her acting, or anything else that might strike the world as impertinent, then Taro used her.

"Did he hurt you?"

She nodded. "I like you but right now I just can’t do more than friendship."

Ryley’s smile sparkled. "I could live with that. It’s already paying off. You brought me into air conditioning. My Irish skin thanks you."

She studied him a moment. It hit how lonely she’d been for a long time now. Thanks to her misery over Taro, friends at school had gone about their lives without her. Though she loved Sebastian and Justine and they loved her, she couldn’t share any part of her life with them that involved their parents. And nearly everyone she’d talked to at the party with their high-powered business and medical careers rolled their eyes at acting. Would Ryley, a moneyman himself, be any different? "I make superb lemonade, my sister taught me. We could hang out in the kitchen, I mean if you’re really interested in hearing about school, there’s this great workshop this summer I’d love to tell a friend about."

"I’d love to hear about it."

Episode 354: The Real Thing