Aspen’s response is rapid. “No, he gets her the rest of her life. We get her tonight. Amanda should be almost ready to leave work. I’ll call her. Let's go.”
She heads to the door and I shrug at Simone and stand. “Let me at least go tell Ryland I’ll be back. We can take the elevator.”
“Fine.” She opens the door and waits for us on the other side. “This poor apartment. No one ever stays long. What will you do with it now?"
The question stops me halfway to the door. What will we do with the apartment? I hadn’t thought about living arrangements because Ryland and I spent the last few months passing between places like it’s one large space. I haven’t used a key in weeks. It’s probably been eaten by my purse.
“You could turn it into an extra bedroom for when you have kids.” Simone offers advice as she steps past me. I’m sure she thought it useful, but kids are the last thing I need to think about. I’ve been married less than twenty-four hours.
I meet them in the hallway. “We won’t live here. It depends on which team picks up Ryland.”
“You’ll figure it out. Maybe Amanda will want it if you decide to rent it out again,” Aspen suggests.
“I like that idea. Do you think she would?” I ask. If Ryland and I leave the country, she’d have the floor to herself.
Simone hits me on the arm in excitement. “We should ask at dinner. Everyone who lives here meets someone. Maybe Amanda will end up with Grant.”
I cringe, not as excited about the prospect of Amanda and Grant getting together. Especially if he and Clare did hook up Friday night. So much happened since then. I forgot about Grant’s latest dalliance.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Aspen says. “Amanda thinks Grant's a playboy, and since she isn’t far off, the odds are slim.”
“Grant’s the perpetual bachelor of our little group.” I knock on Ryland’s door three times as hard as possible before I twist the handle.
“I don’t think you need to knock on his door anymore, babe.” Simone laughs at me.
She doesn’t realize I haven’t knocked on his door since… well maybe never. This is purely for them in case Ryland’s decided to walk around the condo naked. I shudder. Or worse naked kayak paddling. I don’t put anything past the man. I keep the door open only a crack and do a quick scan of the main living area. When I’ve confirmed there’s no naked Rylands running around, I open the door the rest of the way.
“Okay, I’ll find Ryland and be right back.” I head to the master bedroom, the only place he could be since the other bedrooms are mostly empty. A few random boxes are in a corner of one.
As suspected he’s there, but surprisingly he’s curled up in the blankets sound asleep. Do I wake him up or let him rest? His bare chest moves up and down with his slow breathing. I decide he looks too peaceful to disturb and I leave him there.
I scribble out a quick note to Ryland and leave it on the counter.
“You did not just write a note saying I freaked out and you need to stuff me with food to shut me up.” Aspen leans over to finish reading as I stick an empty glass on the page so it doesn’t blow away.
I push her toward the elevator while I grab my wallet from the counter where I tossed it with our luggage this morning. Or afternoon. Whenever we made it back.
“Of course not.” I lie. “You read it wrong.”
I push the button for the elevator and the doors open immediately, still on this floor from when Ryland and I returned today. Aspen walks in first and stands in the middle, but Simone takes a spot on her side, her hand resting on the railing.
The exact spot on the railing Ryland handcuffed me to. I try to let it go even biting my lip to stop myself from making a comment, but the tips curl up. The laughter starts small and under my breath, but when Aspen raises her head with both eyebrows halfway to her hairline I lose it.
With a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter, I hit the floor button and watch the elevator doors close. There’s no way I can look at Simone and her sweet confused expression.
“What’s up?” Simone asks. “It wasn't that funny of a note, Marissa.”
Aspen quickly scans me from head to toe and turns back to Simone. “She and Ry did dirty things in the elevator.”
“Ewww, Marissa.” Simone crinkles up her face in disgust but doesn’t move her hand.
The elevator leaves us on the first floor, but I can’t stop laughing enough to make my feet move. I brace a hand on the elevator wall trying to get a grip and start breathing again.
Simone practically runs out of the elevator, but Aspen lingers back shaking her head. “I hope you sanitized.”
I slide down the wall a fraction, lost in my fit of laughter while Aspen holds the elevator doors open for me still shaking her head the entire time, as only a best friend can do.
