It was Friday afternoon. Marissa and Sandy were comfortably sitting in his office together working on research for a case and talking leisurely about their past week. This was their Friday ritual, the catch-up session, and it meant even more now since she was no longer living with the Cohens. Moving had been a whirlwind. As soon as she told Kirsten the plans she and Ryan had made about getting an apartment together, Kirsten had been on the phone calling her realtor and setting up an appointment for them to meet with her. Four days later, they had an apartment and were now trying to juggle not only work and school but unpacking and organizing while mixing in a little play time as well at Ryan's insistence.
"So, the new apartment…with Ryan, how goes that," Sandy asked with a slight raise of his eyebrows.
Unbidden, a smile graced Marissa's face and a giggle escaped her lips as she thought about her new living arrangement. "At the rate we're going, we'll be moving out before we're all unpacked."
"Well," he replied back cheekily, "that will mean less packing down the road."
"Haha, very funny, "she shot back at him trying to keep a straight face but failing. "No, but seriously, we try to work on it but we just end up goofing around and talking the whole time. We haven't even moved all of our furniture yet that I have stored in the Roberts' garage."
"Any time you need the Range Rover," he offered without any hesitance, "just ask."
"Thanks, I think we might have to take you up on that offer, but not tonight. Trust me," Marissa said with a roll of her eyes, "there are plenty of things we already have at the apartment that can be unpacked without going and picking up more."
"So you and Ryan are spending your Friday night together, what does the boyfriend think of that," he asked as he kept prying for more information, curious as to what was going on in her life.
Feigning shock, Marissa gasped at Sandy. "Ryan has a boyfriend!"
He shook his head and looked at her closely. "Nice try, but you're not avoiding this topic. I think you need to talk about this before you get yourself into some hot water."
"He's not my boyfriend, Kevin, I mean," she said without even batting an eye.
"Does he know that," Sandy continued to cross examine her gently.
"I think so," she spoke slightly with unease. "I think I've made how I feel perfectly clear, that I'm in love with Ryan but just…can't be with him now, yet, and that I'm just looking for some simple, lighthearted fun."
Pushing her on, he continued, "And what does he want?"
"More," she whispered avoiding his unwavering gaze. "But I told him I don't want that, that we can't have that kind of a relationship. I mean, we're not doing anything," she trailed on as her face flushed. "He tired to kiss me, but I couldn't do that to Ryan, so I pushed him away."
"Why are you still spending time with him if you know there's no chance for a relationship and if you know that you ultimately want Ryan," Sandy queried.
"Why not," she shot back without a second's thought. "What's wrong with hanging out with a friend? I spend time with Seth, alone, and no one seems to have a problem with that."
"Yes, but Seth doesn't have feelings for you," he responded wisely. "Spending time with this Volchok character,"
She cut him off, "Well obviously you don't like him if you speak about him that way, so you're a little biased here."
"You're right, I am biased," he acknowledged. "I see you with Ryan, and I know that's where you belong. I've known that since the first time I saw you together, before any of this mess happened."
"And I was ready to be with him then, although I hadn't told him yet because I was scared," she defended herself, "but then he went and broke my faith in him, and that's a little hard to move past. I'm getting there, slowly, but it's going to take time, and why should I be lonely in the meanwhile?"
"Look, all I'm saying is that it's not fair to…..what's his name, Kevin, because even though you've told him you're not interested in a relationship, spending time with him is going to send mixed messages; it's going to make him think he still has a chance." When he noticed that she seemed to be taking in what he said and pondering it, he continued a little more gently, "and that's not fair to you, to Ryan, or to Kevin. But, that's enough about that, I'll let you think about it for the next two days since you said he's gone on business, but when he gets back, you need to sit down and talk about this with him, make a decision once and for all. For now, tell me about school."
Her face instantly brightens as she thinks about their new topic of conversation. "School is great! You know how most people hate going back to classes, well, not me. I'm so excited, and I didn't realize how much I missed it until I sat down in that first class Monday morning. Now, buying my books on the other hand was not as fun."
"Never is," he laughed with her.
"Hey, but at least I didn't have to carry them back to my car. Ryan insisted upon carrying them all for me, and now he won't even let me carry my book bag."
Lost in thought she sat there thinking about Ryan's ridiculous, chivalrous behavior until all of a sudden, startling Sandy, she jumped out of her seat and flew to the outer office and her desk and tossed what she was working on aside. She grabbed her bag and her keys, and went back to Sandy's doorway.
"I'm so sorry, Sandy, but I have to go, right now," she said so quickly he could barely understand what she was saying. "Ryan's first game is today, and I promised him I'd be there; I want to be there, but I'm not going dressed like this," she looked down disdainfully at her work suit, "so I have to run home and change before I go. Plus, I wanted to be early so that I could wish him luck before it started." She went out the door, but stopped, turned around, and came back up to the doorway. "Oh, and I'll be in tomorrow morning to finish up my hours for this week, so if you want to talk some more, you know where to find me. Bye," she yelled out excitedly as she scurried out of the office. As he heard the door shut behind her he sat back and laughed for a few moments to himself at her crazy and exuberant behavior.
"That is a girl in love," he said still shaking his head as he went back to his work, his mind on what he could do to help Ryan and Marissa find their way back to each other.
Across town at Newport Memorial, two women, growing closer every day, were also talking and catching up, discussing one very important issue and another one that was just plain fun.
"I just don't understand," Dawn objected for what could possibly be the hundredth time since the issue started, "why is he all of a sudden so against Ryan?"
Julie reflected on this for a moment, organizing her thoughts before she replied in a soft, gentle tone, trying to soothe Dawn's aggression. "At first I was like you, I thought he had something against Ryan, that he hadn't believed you that he wasn't violent and that he mistrusted him, but the more I talk to him about the issue, the more I realize that he really doesn't have a reason. He's just not ready to accept the fact that his little girl is now a woman, supporting herself and ready for a relationship. He wants to keep her young and innocent, the little girl who used to sit on his lap and tell him her dreams. At first, he was alright with her on her own, but now that his cancer is progressing, it's as if he knows he's going to loose her soon and he just wants to protect her from everything. No man would be good enough for her now in his eyes, because if she feels for someone, then there's a possibility she'll get hurt."
"How bad is he," Dawn inquired, her tone void of anger as soon as Julie said Jimmy's condition was deteriorating.
"Not good, that's for sure. He won't tell Marissa either," Julie confessed as her head dropped to her chest as a few tears slid down her ashen face. "I think all this worrying and added stress that he put on himself is making it worse, not to mention that every time Marissa goes to see him, which is becoming less and less because of his grudge against Ryan, they fight, sometimes ruthlessly, and it's just eating away at him. No matter what I do though," she continued, "no matter what I say, he won't stop. He's killing himself!"
Finally, unable to hold back her sorrow any longer, Julie collapsed into Dawn's ready, able, and supportive arms. Dawn let her sob for a few moments, softly whispering reassurances and comforting clichés into her ear until she calmed down enough to listen again.
"I have an idea, and I know he will do it, but I don't know what you'll think of it. It might be exactly what we need to reassure Jimmy or it could backfire in our faces and make matters worse."
"What is it," Julie asked as she pulled back from Dawn and started to dry her eyes hastily with her hands.
Dawn took a deep breath before she plunged into her idea. "What if we had Ryan come and talk to Jimmy, lay the truth down for him, plain and simple, tell him exactly how he feels about Marissa? Talking about his feelings is not Ryan's forte, but if it means he will be helping Marissa's father live longer, he would do without any vacillation."
Julie pondered the idea for a moment before she spoke. "I think Ryan would do it, too, but I'd rather not put him through Jimmy's wrath right now if we can help it. He doesn't deserve that. Let me talk to him some more, and if nothing else helps, then we know what our last resort will be."
"Are you sure," Dawn prodded gently. "What if it's too late by the time we ask Ryan; what if Jimmy's already too far gone, health wise?"
"Dawn," Julie started softly, "it's already too late. No matter what we do, Jimmy's going to die. I'm going to die. It's inevitable. A couple of weeks is not going to make that much difference at this point."
Her tone was resigned, and Dawn knew that she was right, despite what both of their wishes might be, but purposely changing the subject, she brought up something that made them both smile and become giddy with excitement.
"So, I have a 'catch-up' dinner tonight with Mike," she said using quotes to emphasize her point. "I'm cooking for him, poor guy, and he's coming over to see my new apartment for the first time."
"Is this a date then," Julie asked with a pleased smirk on her face.
"Not yet," Dawn replied a little sorrowfully although nothing could wipe the smile off of her face, "we can't officially date until after the trial is over or he gets transferred to a different case, but it doesn't really matter. We're still getting to know one another, and I have fun with him whether we're dating our not. Besides, I just filed for divorce last week, and unless they find Dan soon, it will be a while before that's finalized. My life is pretty much in limbo until they track them down."
"Any sign of them yet, any clues as to where they might be hiding out," Julie asked interested. "It's not fair that everything in your life has to stop just because they're too cowardly to face the consequences of their actions."
Laughing, Dawn agreed with her. "Unfortunately, I haven't heard any news, but you never know, maybe Mike will have some for me this evening."
"Alright, enough about those deadbeats," Julie said dismissively with a wave of her hand, "let's talk about the important things. What are you cooking, what are you wearing, and, just in case, did you shave your legs?"
They continued to laugh and enjoy each other's company late into the afternoon, sharing past dating experiences, laughing until they cried over the bad ones and relishing the fondest, until Julie had to eat her dinner and Dawn had to go and make hers. Parting, they hugged goodbye and made plans to talk the next day so they could discuss the 'catch-up' dinner.
Hastily, Marissa rummaged through her boxes of clothes, searching for just the right outfit to wear to the game that afternoon. She had to hurry if she wanted to talk to Ryan before it began, but she also wanted to make sure she wore something he liked. If she would have had time to think, she might have realized that she was not behaving like a friend, that it shouldn't matter what she wore to Ryan's game if she wasn't in love with him, but her brain had stopped focusing on anything besides clothes long before that moment.
The bottom of her outfit had been easy to pick because Ryan had gotten her some Harbor sportswear so that she could show her team spirit at the games, and since it was a hot day, she had decided to wear the warm-up shorts. She noticed as she slid them on her tanned, slim legs, that they lived up to their name; they barely covered her butt cheeks. Smirking, she thought that she would have fun torturing him in them. However, she could not figure out what to wear for a shirt. It was too hot to wear anything tight. She did not want her clothes sticking to her, and she knew that any of the t-shirts he would have gotten her would no doubt be a size to small just to ensure that he would be able to see more skin. Frustrated, she grabbed one of his boxes of clothes and spotted exactly what she was looking for right on top of the pile, one of his wife beaters. Sliding it over her head, she grabbed her keys and ran out of the door, throwing her hair up in a causal, messy bun as she went.
Locking the door behind her, she almost had a heart attack as she felt hands slide around her waist. Panicking, she almost screamed until she remembered that Ryan had attached some pepper spray to her keychain.
"Take your hands off of me! I have pepper spray," she threatened without turning around, moving the protective weapon into her hand and preparing to use it.
"Whoa, wait, what's this," a familiar voice laughing asked her. "I go away for five days and you completely forget who I am?"
Turning around she was confronted with a face she was not prepared to deal with yet. He was not supposed to be back until the end of the weekend, but here he was and she was running late.
"After you told me on the phone," he continued, "that you finally found an apartment, I wanted to surprise you and come home early. I guess it worked; you were definitely surprised."
"Look Kevin," Marissa replied in a hurry, brushing his hands off of her body brusquely and walking quickly towards her car. "I'm late. I really have to get going, but we need to talk, so call me later tonight okay. Thanks."
And with that, she left Volchok standing there staring after her puzzled as to where she was off to in such a hurry when she looked like she was either dressed for the gym or going to bed. Shrugging his shoulders and fighting off the urge to become angry with her lack of interest, he climbed back into car and left while trying to think of new and romantic ways to win her affections for himself.
Breathlessly, Marissa ran up to Ryan literally minutes before the whistle would be blown to signify that the game had begun. The team was on the bench making sure their ankles were taped just right, taking their last drinks, and trying to calm the nerves they would deny they had. Ryan was pacing along the sidelines nervous as well and secretly fearing that Marissa was not coming despite the fact that she had promised she would be there, but then he saw her, running down the school yard, smiling in anticipation, and waving as she laughed at her own enthusiasm. Little did Ryan know that not only was he watching the blonde bombshell move towards him, but his whole team had turned to become transfixed upon the woman their coach was so obviously interested in. A few of them grumbled that he didn't deserve a hot woman like that, while the others were too awestruck to say anything, but, just like Ryan, Marissa was completely oblivious to the juvenile lust sent in her direction.
Reaching him, Marissa found herself launching her body into Ryan's and enveloping him in a tight hug as she apologized for almost being late. She realized this was probably not the smartest form of behavior but it felt right so she went with it, and Ryan was not going to complain. As they grudgingly pulled away from each other, Ryan looked over her shoulder and found the admiring audience his team was making, so he hastily barked an order to the captain to keep them warmed up and to lead them in a few laps around the field. Grumbling, the boys all shuffled off, casting backward glances over their shoulder at Marissa but leaving the 'friends' in relative privacy. Unable to help himself, Ryan let his eyes roam Marissa's body taking in her simple yet sexy attire that was driving him crazy with desire.
"What is this," he finally asked her motioning to her get up.
"What," she asked nervously, looking down at her own outfit and raising her eyes to meet his questioningly. "You bought me the shorts which cover just about as much as my underwear do. Thanks for that, by the way."
He interrupted her. "I know, and I like them!"
She shoved him away playfully before continuing. "And I noticed the shirts were all too small as well, so I went for comfort and decided to steal one of your wifebeaters. You don't mind do you?"
"No, I don't mind at all," he said grinning at her, but looking into his eyes she could tell that they were not filled with humor but, instead, with lust, and despite what she should be feeling, it sent a warm, happy tingle through her body at the thought that he felt that way towards her and she smiled back at him radiantly. Shaking herself out of the daydream that was clouding her mind with very un-friend like images of the two of them, she broke through their sexually charged silence and spoke with a flirty tone.
"So, tonight, after the game, you, me, dinner, and unpacking, how does that sound?"
"Perfect," he replied without a bit of sarcasm, actually looking forward to the prospect of having Marissa to himself all night once again. "And tomorrow and Sunday as well."
"We'll see," she teased walking off towards the bleachers, but his hand on the small of her back stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Where do you think you're going," he questioned slightly confused.
She looked around her and then pointed towards the bleachers, "Isn't that we're I'm supposed to sit?"
He shook his head and pointed towards a blanket and pillows underneath a tree a few yards away from the bench. "Nope, as the official cheering section for the coach, you get your very own spot to sit. Plus that way I know exactly where to look for you to see your reactions."
"Really," she asked, the shock and delight evident in her voice. As he positively shook his head to indicate that he was not joking with her, impulsively, she leaned over and kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear.
"Good luck!" With that she slowly walked off, looking over her shoulder every few seconds to see him watching her the entire way.
After dinner, Mike had suggested that they go to the pier, get ice cream, and walk along the beach to talk. He said it would be peaceful there; Dawn thought it was romantic. They each had gotten Balboa bars, his treat to repay her for cooking him dinner, and as they strolled along the boardwalk on their way down to the water, they chatted about all the minor things in life, the weather, their jobs, or in Dawn's case, the uncertainty of whether or not she would be hired for the job she had gone to an interview for that previous Monday, and their interests. Although he had been slightly quiet all evening, Dawn pushed it aside assuming it was nerves, because although she knew this wasn't an official date, it was only a matter of time before there was one, and they had both been out of the dating loop for many years. Finally, after he had cleared his throat three times, her curiosity over his silence got the better of her and she had to ask him what was on his mind. His response was not what she was expecting.
"It's your husband and son," he practically whispered, avoiding her eyes the entire time he spoke.
"Please don't call him, Dan, that. He's my soon to be ex-husband, that's all," she shot back slightly annoyed. "Why are you worrying about them right now?"
He considered his words carefully before continuing. "They, themselves, are not really bothering me. It's what their case….this case is doing to me, to us." At the sound of the word us, Dawn nearly fell down unconscious she was so excited and shocked, but somehow, luckily, she remained upright and didn't embarrass herself.
"I let my obsession with this case ruin my marriage, and I'm not about to let it ruin any chance of happiness that I might have now. I'm not an idiot; I know how to learn from my mistakes, but before I put in a request for reassignment, I need to know what you're looking for here. Is this….us, is it just something you're doing for fun, or is there a chance we could be more, something serious?"
The night just kept getting better and better, Dawn thought to herself. She just stared at him for a few moments, tears glistening in her eyes as she realized just how happy he was making her, afraid to open her mouth and have it all disappear, but when she noticed that he started to fidget and get nervous, she, too, had to clear her throat in order to talk. Impetuously, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it before replying.
"Oh no, this is something serious, definitely serious," she said so rapidly and with so much enthusiasm that he couldn't help but laugh at her. What had happened to the woman that was barely holding her life together, struggling each day to remain sober that he had met just a couple of months before. He barely recognized that woman in her anymore as he gazed into Dawn's eyes thinking silently to himself. Leaning over, he kissed her softly, keeping their hands laced together tightly. As they pulled back from each other, he let go of her hand and wrapped it around her shoulder, drawing her body into the crook of his arm as they continued with their walk.
"I'll talk to my superior on Monday," he said, making Dawn beam up at him, yet again, the contentment and peace, happiness and bliss evident on her glowing face.
They kept talking for hours about all the personal topics they had broached before and those they had left alone, Ryan and Marissa, her sobriety, her relationship with Julie, his failed marriage, his daughter, and briefly, guardedly, the future.
Ryan and Marissa had cooked dinner together, laughing and chatting the time away as they fondly remembered the game, recalling every monumental moment and memory and celebrating his first victory as coach. With no table to eat at, they had spread their feast in front of them on the floor and sat, crossed legged, facing each other as they ate, the conversation continuing to flow. The deal was that they would eat, relax for twenty minutes, and then get right to work at unpacking box after box of their belongings, but it had never happened. Three hours later as the hands on the clock moved steadily closer to midnight, they were laying on the floor, side by side, still talking about anything and everything they could think of. Without thinking, Marissa began to play with Ryan's hand, lacing her fingers through his and drawing idly with her finger tips on his palm. She did it absent mindedly, not even noticing how intimate her touches were, but Ryan noticed and relished the idea that she was so comfortable with him physically again, that touching him was that instinctual for her.
As the minutes passed by, he noticed that she her voice was getting softer and softer and that when she spoke, her words were slower than they had been earlier in the evening. When he moved his body so that he was resting on his side and not his back so that he could look at her, he noticed that her eyes were closed and that she was almost asleep. Gently, he reached his hand out and began to stroke her forehead, pushing back her silky hair and smoothing it with his tender touch. Because of her exhausted state, she didn't put up a protest to his caresses and ended up leaning into his touch as it comforted her and made it even easier to slip into sleep. Only a few minutes later, her breathing had taken on the deep, slow rhythm of a person who was at rest, so he sat up and took her into his arms, cradling her delicate body to his chest, and carried her into her room, placing her softly on her bed, and tucking her in. He kissed her forehead goodnight and went back down to the living room to work on unpacking some of the boxes for her.
The night was humid and hot so he took his tank top off, leaving him in only his boxers as he worked on diligently. He laughed to himself as he saw how organized and neatly she had packed her belongings especially compared to his careless system, labeling each box meticulously and arranging things so that she could fit as much as possible into each cardboard container. He was startled out of his thoughts by the doorbell ringing around 1:30 at night. Quickly moving to the door, he swung it open without looking through the peephole, not wanting the person to press the bell again and risk waking Marissa up. Unfortunately, it probably would have been better if Marissa had opened the door instead. Standing there with an annoyed look on his face was Volchok.
"What the hell are you doing here," he spit out viciously as he saw Ryan when he opened the door, "and why the hell are you dressed like that in my girlfriend's apartment?"
"I live here, too," Ryan said as evenly as he could, Volchok's tone and demeanor sparking his anger immediately and his comments setting off his jealousy. Surprising both of them, Marissa's voice came out strong and loud as she descended the stairs, dressed in what she had worn to the game earlier, except with no bra.
"You're not my boyfriend Kevin, and what the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
"Sorry if I was interrupting something," he replied back caustically, the hurt and embarrassment evident in his voice.
Reaching the front door, Marissa stood by Ryan, not letting him leave even though he went to move away. "What do you mean," she asked confused. "The only thing you're interrupting was my sleep, which obviously was your intention in the first place since you came over so late. And you never answered my question, why are you here?"
Volchok glanced between the two people standing in front of him, disbelieving that he had to answer for himself in front of Ryan, but knowing that if he didn't, that would be the last straw with Marissa and she would send him packing for sure.
"You said to call you so we could talk, but I kept getting your voice mail, so I came here to see if everything was alright and maybe to see if we could talk in person." His tone went from apologetic to accusatory when he spoke next. "Why didn't you tell me you lived with him?"
With a roll of her eyes and a slight yawn, Marissa replied, "That's what I had to talk to you about. I didn't want to tell you on your trip because I knew you were working and it would just make you mad, although you have no right to be. We're not going out, and frankly, I don't see why it matters. Ryan and I are friends. I wanted this; I asked him." As he went to interject a comment, she cut him off and went to shut the door. "Look Kevin, it's late, I'm tired, I'm now annoyed, and you need to go home. I'll talk to you later." And with that, she shut the door and turned to Ryan, a contrite smile on her face. "Sorry about that, how he acted."
"Hey," Ryan said, slinging his arm over her shoulder, pulling her into a friendly hug as they walked back towards the living room, "he's an ass." She went to say something, but he stopped her by continuing to talk. "Don't deny it, you know it's true, but I'm used to it." She couldn't help but laugh along with him. "So, now that you're up, what do you say, Miss lazybones, to helping me work on unpacking these boxes for a while."
Teasing back, she flipped open the first one she approached and started pulling things out to put away. "Now how could I pass up an offer like that?"
A half an hour later, two water bottles down, and the air conditioning cranked, Marissa pushed the box she was currently packing aside.
"That's it, I can't do this anymore," she gasped out impatiently. "It is way too hot to be doing manual labor like this." Ryan laughed at her, continuing to work, but Marissa just stared at him, sweat beads running down his back as he unpacked the boxes, thinking. Starling him, she yelled out vivaciously, grabbing his hand and dragging him after her.
"Come on, let's go!"
"Where to," he asked, chuckling at her exuberance.
Tossing open their back door which led to the patio and walkway to the beach, she pulled him after her as they jogged down to the water.
"We're going swimming," she said.
Letting go of his hand, she ran into the crashing waves leaving him standing there baffled, amused, and definitely excited. Speaking softly to himself so that she wouldn't hear and grinning widely, he couldn't believe his luck.
"And you're wearing a white tank top without a bra. This is definitely going to be a good night!"
With that, he charged down to the oceanfront to join her, picking her and throwing her over his shoulder as they played and frolicked like two little kids at the beach for the first time, alleviating the physical and creating some sexually charged heat.