Carrie Cooke might have promised Ryan Hardy she'd back off writing about Joe being alive for now, and about that crazy doctor that nearly had her and Ryan dismembered in his basement, but that didn't mean she couldn't follow Ryan around a bit and see what he was up to. When she finds him discreetly making his way toward a bar downtown at nearly 11 o'clock at night her interest is captured. It was a Friday so the bar would probably be open until 2 or 3, but what was Ryan doing there? Looking for a drunken hookup like that night she was the one to go home with him? She hopes he doesn't find himself rolling around with another journalist because this story is hers.
It also gives her another excuse to tail him. Being the ever-paranoid agent he was, Ryan looks behind him several times and nearly catches her skulking about in the shadows. He goes in the through a back door so Carrie sprints her way to the front door, following behind a group a people. As she makes her way over to the bar she's just in time to see Ryan giving a quick embrace to a handsome, young, blond man. Carrie recognizes him as Agent Michael Emerson Weston, one of the few people that can be seen in Ryan Hardy's company.
Carrie had researched the young man more while writing The Havenport Tragedy. The relationship between the two men was a curious one indeed. After the two men embrace they sit at a small abandoned table in the corner furthest from the bustling crowds of people. They're leaning close together, looking into each other's eyes. They jump apart when a waitress comes over to get their order.
Weird. Hmm, Carrie thinks they must be discussing quite the topic of interest to look so guilty.
When the waitress brings the men two beers, Carrie uses their distraction to edge closer to the table. She manages to find an ideal hiding spot between a man that looks like he's a club bouncer in his spare time and wild looking fern plant. Her small frame is hidden behind the man and she still has a perfect vantage point from behind the tall fern to watch and listen to the two agents.
She opens up the notes section on her smartphone, ready to type any juicy information she overhears. She knew Ryan wasn't the overly friendly type, so what else would two FBI agents be talking about besides work? She nearly drops her phone to the ground when she sees and hears what happens next.
"Do you want anything to eat? It's on me," Ryan says, eyes not straying from the face of the younger agent.
Mike laughs, and then jokes, "Is this a date?"
"Would that be so terrible?" Ryan says, almost shyly, and Mike stops laughing. He looks away from Ryan, takes a deep gulp of his beer, and finally remembers to breathe again.
"No," Mike says, "Not at all." The two men go back to locking eyes and Carrie finally realizes she has a death grip on her phone. She's not even sure where to start with this one…So Ryan Hardy is batting for the other team now, huh? She almost feels used, but she's the one who used Ryan in the first place isn't she? Mostly she's just confused because of all people in the world, Ryan shoot-first-ask-questions-later Hardy is the last person she would suspect of going all soft, and with another man.
Maybe not so soft after all, not with the way he's looking at that young man.
"Do you mean it Ryan? Because I can't play games…I constantly feel on the edge and I just couldn't deal with any more tricks," Mike says, words rushing out of him and Carrie is trying to type as quickly as she can, doubting her phone could record them in the loud bar. She would have to get way closer to record them anyway.
"No tricks, Mike. And yeah, I mean it. Unless you're, you know, involved with anyone," Ryan says. Mike laughs at that.
"Yeah because we all have so much time for relationships between looking for crazy ass cult members," he says. Carrie's hoping they'll bring up Joe or Lily, but she's also interested in where the hell this conversation is going too. She knows Ryan's cleaned up his act, he isn't a drunk like he was when she met him, but damn, she can't say she expected the complete 180 here.
The two agents smile at each other and Mike places his hand over Ryan's under the table. Most of the people in the bar are facing away from the table where the two men are and are watching the hockey game on the giant television, too absorbed in the game and their own drinks to pay attention. Carrie is avidly watching them with wide eyes though, typing furiously away on her phone. Ryan doesn't move his hand away, but he does take a sip of his beer. And then he's scooting closer to Mike in the booth. He looks at the other man for a second and then seems to gather his courage as he kisses Mike lightly. Mike presses back against Ryan, parting his lips and swiping his tongue across Ryan's lower lip. His hand starts to slide up Ryan's knee slowly going up to the man's thigh. Mike squeezes Ryan's thigh gently and the older man jumps, rattling the beer on the table. Mike laughs and slides his hand back to Ryan's knee, giving him a questioning look.
"Sorry," Ryan says sheepishly, "I'm kind of new at this"
"Making out in bars?"
"Making out with a guy in a bar," Ryan clarifies.
Mike gives Ryan a sideways smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "We don't have to, I mean…I'm honestly really happy just to be here with you," he says and Ryan smiles. Carrie thinks she didn't exactly sign up to write a friggin' romance novel, but if that's what goes into the next book, well then hey, so be it. These two are practically eye-sexing each other, but then they act like shy puppies. She snorts then brings up the camera on her phone, hoping to snap a decent picture.
Ryan looks at his friend and thinks this young man deserves so much more than he can give, but if he wants him anyway then all he is will be for Mike. He places a hand on the blond stubbled cheek and kisses Mike hungrily this time. No one is paying attention to them anyway, besides one journalist who they aren't aware of. Plus it's late at a bar, it's not like they're the only ones making out in corner.
Carrie gives herself a mental high five as the two start to kiss again. She reaches her hand through the fern and gets a clear shot of the two. Mike is practically in Ryan's lap now, kissing the man back with a fevered intensity. Carrie presses the button on her phone to take a picture and there is an unfortunate moment where the camera flashes. Damn! She could have sworn that was off. Both men instantly look toward her hiding place. Shit, shit, shit, she chants. They probably think she's a follower or something.
She quickly tries to maneuver her way around the man she was hiding behind and toward the back door. When she tries to step away from the man who looks like a bouncer she finds he has lightly grabbed her arm.
"Your phone," he says in a gruff voice.
"What? Let go of me!" She shrieks, just as Ryan and Mike appear from the other side of the man.
"Are you freaking kidding me?" Mike says, eyes narrowing. The bouncer man is telling Ryan that she's been watching them and using her phone.
"Thank you," Ryan says, then looks at her.
"Carrie, meet Special Agent Harrison, he keeps an eye on this place for us. Now you can either let me see your phone or you can be taken down to the local police station for questioning." Carrie gives Ryan her best scathing look before handing over her phone without a word. Ryan quickly finds her notes and the photo, deleting everything. Mike sees the picture on her phone and smiles.
"Well, at least we have proof we look good together," he comments and Ryan grins back at him. He hands Carrie her phone back and tells her to get lost. He really would love to be able to keep her locked up in jail until all this Joe and Lily stuff is over. Carrie has about 50 snarky comments floating through her mind, but instead she just scrambles away quickly, phone in hand.
Before she leaves she glances back at Ryan and Mike who are talking to the Special Agent, but have entwined their hands in the process. She admits that yeah, they do look pretty good together.
Besides, she thinks with a smirk as she leaves, at least she sent that picture of them making out to her email before Ryan deleted it.