TELL ME SOMETHING FUNNY
Every moment of the five-hour flight was spent shaking my knees up and down. I used to think I would be afraid to fly, but I found myself far more fearful of what awaited me on the ground.
Unable to concentrate on anything but Landon, I couldn’t even read or focus on the movie to get my mind off of things.
Once we landed, I asked a stranger for money to take public transportation, which let me off right in front of Los Angeles Memorial Hospital.
I looked ridiculous, with runny mascara and a coat thrown over my belly dancer outfit. Feeling like I was going to pass out from heat, I took the coat off, which meant everyone was staring at me in my beaded bra top. It didn’t matter to me; all that mattered was getting to Landon.
I stopped at the front desk. “I’m here to see Landon Roderick. Can you tell me where he is?”
My heart was in my mouth the entire time the receptionist was searching the system. I braced for her response.
“He’s in Room 410. Take the elevator up to the fourth floor and follow the signs to the East Wing.”
I let out the breath I was holding as a rush of relief ran through me.
He was still here.
He was alive.
Thank you, God!
Having no clue what I was going to say or do, I ran into the empty elevator and pressed the number four button. My heart beat faster with each change of the digits.
Suddenly, my nerves were starting to get the best of me. Unable to fight the tears that were forming in my eyes, I wondered if I was really going to be able to handle seeing him. Or worse, what if he didn’t want me here under these circumstances?
The elevator dinged and opened to Landon’s floor.
I lingered for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping out.
Unable to remember where the receptionist had told me to go, I must have looked as frazzled as I felt because a nurse stopped to offer me help.
“Where are you headed?”
“Room 410?”
She pointed to a few doors down. “That’s right there, but it’s empty. The patient just checked out.”
“Where is he?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t give you that information. It’s confidential.”
“Was he definitely discharged?”
She hesitated. “I believe so.”
“How long ago?”
“Maybe about twenty minutes ago.”
Swallowing hard, I made my way back toward the elevators in shock. My throat was parched; I hadn’t had anything to drink in hours, and soon I was going to pass out on this floor and need to be admitted myself.
Where was I going next? I had no clue.
As I ventured back down to the lobby, I looked around in vain for any sign of him. It was getting late, nearing midnight, and I needed to find him. Where else was I going to go if not to him? I just hoped the woman was right and that he was truly discharged and okay as opposed to transferred somewhere else. I needed to know for certain that he was going to be alright.
Pushing my way through the revolving doors, I was just about to text him when the world seemed to stop spinning.
I quickly became aware that I wasn’t going to have to wait long to find out what had become of Landon.
The sight of him knocked the wind out of me.
I froze.
I recognized his brawny, tattooed arms from the back immediately. At least, I was ninety-nine percent sure it was him. Landon was standing near the curb as he presumably waited for a ride.
Now that I could see he was apparently fine, I became paralyzed by a new kind of fear.
He hasn’t seen you yet.
There’s still time to turn around and go home, Rana.
Landon reached into his pocket to take out his phone and began typing something for a while. I just continued to stay still, watching him from afar.
About two minutes later, my phone vibrated.
He’d been typing a text to me.
Landon: I know it’s late there. I’m sure you’re sleeping, and technically I’m in the middle of a self-imposed ban on contacting you, but I just wanted to let you know something. Life is fucking short. I’m okay…but I hit my head skateboarding. I got a mild concussion. Spent the whole day in the hospital so they could run tests to make sure my head was still screwed on straight. (Although that’s never really been the case, right?) Anyway, the whole point of this text is to let you know that it would have really sucked if for some reason I wasn’t okay, mainly because I would’ve never had a chance to tell you that I was sorry for hanging up on you. If by any chance you’re up, and you get this, I could really use a little of your crazy right now. Tell me something funny, Rana.
Oh, my God.
Okay, breathe.
Without thinking it through, I just began to type. My hands were shaking.
Rana: I’ve got one for you. It’s a long one, actually. So, I go to text you during my intermission at work, and you write back…except it’s not you. It’s your friend writing to let me know that you’re in the hospital, that you’d hit your head, and that he had no idea how bad it was. What does a sane person do in that scenario? She runs out of work and heads to the airport. I get there, and it turns out—big surprise—my credit card is declined. So, I wasn’t getting on a flight until the old man who’d been ogling me just minutes before decides to pay for my plane ticket. I proceed to kiss him on the lips and run to the gate. Never been on a plane before in my life. Six hours later, I’m at the hospital in L.A., still dressed in my beaded bra and sheer skirt, only to find out you were discharged. Broke, hungry, and dressed like a whore on Halloween, I come outside to find that by some twisted miracle of fate—you’re standing on the curb. So, I stay frozen, right behind you, scared as shit.
I hit send.
My entire body was now trembling as I watched him look down at his phone and read the message.
I waited for that moment, and it came when his body whipped around.
My chest was heaving. Finally, his eyes landed on mine. It was truly the most surreal moment of my life, as beautiful as it was terrifying.
The night wind blew my hair around as Landon slowly approached me. He was even more stunningly handsome in person and up close. His eyes were even lighter than I remembered, the slight bump on his nose more prominent.
Awestruck, his eyeballs were flitting back and forth as he silently took me in. He placed his large, warm hand gently on my cheek. I closed my eyes for a moment to cherish the feeling. The simple touch sent what felt like shockwaves throughout my body, nerves colliding with desire, fear clashing with comfort. So familiar yet scary.
Landon said nothing as he just looked at me intensely and then began to gently trace the contours of my face. I closed my eyes again as he ran his index finger along the slope of my small, upturned nose. His finger then travelled over my lips then down my neck and stopped just before my breasts, which were busting out of the jewel-encrusted bra.
“Holy shit,” he muttered. “It’s really you.”
Say what you’re thinking.
Say what you’re thinking.
Just say it.
He never did.
Our moment was interrupted by a loud horn, which barely broke Landon’s trance-like state.
A bearded, hipster-looking guy rolled down his window and yelled, “Yo!”
“Who is that?” I asked.
Landon was still looking at me in a haze and didn’t break his stare when he said, “My friend, Ace. He came to pick me up.”
Ace put his hazards on, got out of the car, and came over to where we were standing just outside the main entrance.
He lifted his chin once. “Who’s this?”
For the first time, Landon’s mouth curved into a slight smile. “This is my girl, Ace. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
Despite my frazzled state, I laughed a little. That sounded almost exactly like what I’d said to the airport attendant about Landon being the love of my life. He just doesn’t know it yet.
“You picking up random chicks at the hospital now?”
“Shut the fuck up. This is Rana, you dumbass.”
Ace laughed. “Ohhh. Shit. I’m sorry. I should’ve realized with the outfit. Didn’t put two and two together. He told me about you.”
“He did?”
“Yeah.”
“We spoke via text earlier,” I reminded him.
Landon scolded his friend. “How come you didn’t tell me she messaged me?”
“I forgot to mention it.” Ace turned to me. “You just flew here?”
“Yes.”
“Cool. You guys ready to go? I have to be somewhere.”
Landon held out his hand for me, and I took it, unable to remember the last time I’d even held a guy’s hand. His grip was firm and protective, representative of the type of man I knew he would be with me. I noticed he wore two silver rings on his fingers. It just felt incredible to finally be touching him. Like a dream, really.
After he led me into the backseat of Ace’s Jeep, we drove off. I had no idea where we were going, although I assumed he was driving us to Landon’s apartment.
Landon’s stare was focused on me the entire ride, but he said nothing. His eyes were expressive, as if he wanted to say something or ask me a million questions. We certainly had a lot to discuss, but he must have chosen not to talk about anything in front of his friend. Not to mention, our driver had the music on pretty loudly. He was blasting So What Cha Want by the Beastie Boys with the windows rolled down.
A light that was on a sensor illuminated the walkway as Ace pulled up to Landon’s house. The purplish, gray stucco structure featured a garage bay on the first level and a balcony on the second. There were three identical units in a row. The beach was across the road in the distance but close enough to be able to hear the waves crashing.
We got out, and Landon tapped the hood of Ace’s car. “Thanks for everything, man.”
“No problem. Nice meeting you, Rana.”
I nodded. “Same.”
The sound of Ace’s wheels hitting the gravel meant that we were finally alone. I looked out into the distance at the welcoming palm trees dancing in the evening breeze as if they were serenading the dazed girl from Michigan.
Landon turned to me, his beautiful, blue eyes shining even in the darkness.
As I stood facing him, I asked, “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah. My head still hurts a little, but I really lucked out.” He smiled. “Even if I was in pain, I’m pretty sure I’d be numb to it right about now.” He cupped my face. “Holy fucking shit, Rana. You’re here.”
“I know this is a shock.”
“It’s a good one, though. A great one. I knew you’d cave and see me eventually, but damn, you really surprised me.”
“I was scared. I didn’t even think twice about coming here when I thought you were in danger. There wasn’t even a decision to make as far as I was concerned. Wild horses couldn’t have kept me away.”
“Not even a ravenous snake could keep you away,” he joked.
“That’s right.” I laughed nervously, my body so incredibly on alert. “What happened to you?”
“I go to the skating park to unwind, and sometimes I go a little too crazy. I slipped, hit my head, and blacked out. The next thing I remember, I was in an ambulance. I obviously didn’t even know that you texted me until you pointed out that Ace answered you. I didn’t notice it because it wasn’t bolded since he’d already responded.”
“I was so worried about you.”
His mouth curved into a smile as he rubbed his thumb along my cheek. “You don’t have to convince me of that, baby. The fact that you’re standing in front of me right now is all the proof I need of how much you care about me.”
“Do you think I’m nuts for just jumping on a plane?”
“I’ve always thought you were a little nuts, but you coming here isn’t one of the reasons why. I’m blown away—to the point where I’m clearly blanking out on anything compelling to say. Your getting on that plane means more to me than you can ever possibly imagine.” He moved in closer. “And I can’t believe some old dude got to kiss you before I did, by the way.”
I thought maybe he was going to kiss me right then and there, but he didn’t.
Feeling suddenly embarrassed, I looked down at my feet. “I know you probably have a million questions about my appearance. I—”
“You don’t owe me any explanations.” He placed his hand on my cheek.
“But I’m sure you’re probably wondering…” When I lost my words, he completed my thought.
“Wondering where your nose is?” He chuckled. “I think it’s pretty obvious what happened there.”
“Yeah. I know it’s obvious. I just meant you might be wondering why I—”
“No, actually, I’m not. I’m too damn happy to see you right now to care about anything else. And you need a hot shower and some food in you. Let’s go inside. Leave your anxiety at the door. I’ll take good care of you.” Taking my hand, he led me toward the entrance.
“Aren’t I supposed to be taking care of you?” I asked as I followed him inside.
“No. The doctors said I’m going to be fine. I just need to take Advil and to be careful not to get into any more accidents involving my skull for a while, since the concussion made it vulnerable. So, no crazy shit for a few weeks, and you’ll have to refrain from throwing anything at me while you’re here. I’ll try not to provoke you.” He winked.
“I’m so thankful you’re okay.”
“Me, too—especially now that you’re here. It would’ve sucked to have missed this.” He gestured around. “Anyway, welcome to my humble abode. It’s not fancy, but that’s what you get in exchange for living near the beach.”
Landon’s place was nice. It was small but with an open floor plan and a decent view of the water.
When he brought me into his bedroom, he was showing me the view from his window, but all I could do was stare at him when he wasn’t looking. He suddenly turned to me and seemed to catch me gawking. I must have turned red or something because he could apparently sense my nerves.
“Relax. I don’t bite.” He approached and placed his hands on my shoulders, and I felt it in my core. “It’s just me. Don’t be nervous.”
That’s the problem. It’s you, Landon. And I don’t trust myself.
Was I nervous? Sure. But it certainly wasn’t because I was scared he’d try anything. If anything, I was caught off guard by how much my body wanted to succumb to every desire within it at the moment, especially when he touched me; how much I became intoxicated by his smell; how much I wanted to run my tongue along his full bottom lip. But it was evident that Landon was being careful. He was taking things slowly.
“I feel safe here. My nerves aren’t about any kind of apprehension. It’s more of a nervous excitement, one I’m not used to feeling.”
“Well, good, then.” He grinned. “You like breakfast for dinner?”
“Yes.”
Nudging his head, he said, “Follow me.”
“It’s practically morning anyway,” I said, taking his hand as he led me to the kitchen.
Landon ended up making us a delicious batch of cinnamon French toast before setting me up with a hot shower.
It intrigued me that Landon had high-end Anna Sui shower gel in his bathroom. That made me wonder if a woman had given it to him, or if she’d left it here. I tried to shake the idea out of my mind.
When I finished bathing, I wrapped myself in a towel and peeked out of the bathroom.
“Do you have something I can wear?”
He yelled from the living room, “I left some clothes on the floor outside the door. Those will have to do for now. Tomorrow we’ll go out and buy you some stuff.”
Sure enough, there was a pile of items folded on the ground right by my feet.
“Thank you,” I hollered, picking them up.
Returning to the steam-filled bathroom, I put on the black, vintage Def Leppard T-shirt and baggy, black drawstring shorts. The shirt was roomy, so I decided to tie the bottom into a knot just above my navel to make it appear more feminine.
After I ventured out of the bathroom, I found Landon in his room. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking out the sliding glass door that led to his balcony.
“I feel homeless,” I said.
“Well, you’d be the most beautiful homeless person I’ve ever seen, then.” He glanced down to my stomach, noticing that I’d rolled up my shirt. He stared at my bellybutton. “You have a navel ring. I didn’t notice it earlier.”
“My skirt was covering it before.”
“I love it.”
Landon walked toward me. The sexual tension in the air was thick as he brushed his fingertip against my belly ring. I couldn’t even describe what that one little touch was doing to my body.
Clearing my throat, I said, “I got it pierced around the time I started dancing.” Landon wore one small, black stud in his right earlobe, and I’d noticed earlier that his tongue was also pierced. Finding the latter extremely sexy, I said, “I love your tongue ring. Is that your only piercing besides your ear?”
He cocked a grin and rubbed his chin, looking uncertain of whether to answer my question. “No. I have another.”
“Where?”
The smile on his face said it all. “Not some place I can show you right now.”
I suddenly felt hot. “Oh.”
He lifted his brow, looking amused at my slightly embarrassed reaction. “You asked.”
“I did.”
He grabbed my hair playfully, apparently finding my embarrassment cute.
“Do you happen to have a hairbrush?” I asked.
Scratching his head, he said, “Yeah. I’ll be right back.”
He returned with one and caught me off guard when instead of handing it over, he walked behind me and began to brush through my wet hair. I closed my eyes and cherished the feeling of his warm body at my back, his hands tugging at my long locks while he gently ran the brush through my strands. And of course—as anyone with a pulse would be—I was still thinking about his pierced cock.
“I don’t remember your hair being this dark when we were kids,” he said. “It’s so black…gorgeous.”
“Yeah. It’s natural—at least I can say that for some things, right?”
He ignored my attempt at self-ridicule, not dignifying it with a response.
I felt his soothing words against my neck. “How long can you stay?”
Answering honestly, I said, “I don’t know.”
He stopped brushing and ran his hand down the length of my hair, stopping just short of my ass. His touch was electrifying.
“Was your job okay with you leaving to come here?”
“I have no clue. I just told them I had a family emergency and left.”
“You’d better call them tomorrow for peace of mind, but just know if for any reason they give you trouble, I’ve got your back. I’ll make sure you can pay your rent.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“You couldn’t even afford the plane ticket to get here. It’s clear you need that job. And if you sacrificed it to come see me, then I’m gonna make damn well sure you’re taken care of.”
Not knowing what else to say, I simply whispered, “Thank you.”
Landon walked over to his dresser. There was a bunch of elastics tied together in a giant ball. He took one off and placed it in his mouth, pulling it between his teeth. That was oddly sexy for some reason.
He came up behind me again and gathered my hair into a low ponytail, fastening the band around it. His hand lingered before he let go. My body craved the return of his touch. Having his hands on me was quickly becoming my favorite thing.
I turned around to face him. Our eyes locked for several seconds. It was a little unnerving how badly I wanted him to touch me again. But he didn’t.
“You take my bed,” he finally said. “Tomorrow we’ll have breakfast on the beach. Then, we can have that talk.”
“You don’t have to work tomorrow?”
“Mel’s taking care of the truck. I’m officially on sick leave for as long as you’re here.”
“Can you do that?”
“I’m the boss. I can do whatever I want.” He headed toward the door. “I’m gonna let you get some sleep. It’s morning already in Michigan.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be hitting the hay soon, too.”
“Okay. See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Rana.” He tapped on the door twice then disappeared.
As I lay in Landon’s bed, swimming in his intoxicating, masculine smell, I realized I was listening to the actual sounds of the ocean. No machine…the real deal.
Lately when I couldn’t sleep back home, I would venture over to my closet and read one of Landon’s old notes. Tonight, I walked over to his window instead. I looked down.
Landon was standing outside, smoking a cigarette. I admired his gorgeous stature and the way his ass molded perfectly into his black cargo pants. This scene wasn’t exactly the way I’d pictured it from afar. In my imagination, the water was a bit closer when in actuality, I could see it in the distance. But this was pretty darn cool.
It hit me: my greatest fantasy—being in California with Landon—had become a reality. It was scary and exciting at the same time, particularly because I had no clue what tomorrow would bring.