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Ryan checks on Skip

Ryan closed his phone and sat back against the sofa in Marissa's apartment. It seemed that everything was going well back in LA. He'd spent the last few hours answering emails and talking to clients and staff, clearing up problems and assigning tasks to keep things moving on all the projects that he currently had on the go and it seemed that handling things by remote control was not only possible but fairly easily doable as well. At least they had managed to cope for 2 days without him and he hoped that the next 2 and a half weeks would happen just as easily. He had just spoken with Annabel and reassured himself that there was nothing else that needed his urgent attention and so he was wondering what to do next. He still had an hour before he needed to leave to go and meet Marissa and he looked around the room wondering what to do with himself.

Since he'd just been talking to Annabel he couldn't help but think about the problems that he knew he was going to have to face with regards to her when they eventually returned to LA. He still had no idea whether she had told Skip about what she'd been up to with Keith or not. Much as he wanted to ask, he knew that he had to keep their relationship purely professional, especially until he returned. He couldn't afford to rock the boat. There was too much to lose.

Thinking about Skip, he checked the time and decided to give him a call. It would be about 9pm in Australia so he might be able to catch him after he had left the hospital for the day and before he went to sleep. He hadn't been able to do it earlier because he knew that Skip had to keep his phone turned off while he was with his father in Intensive Care. But he figured that if Annabel had told Skip about what she was up to in Las Vegas then Ryan wanted to be able to reassure Skip that Keith really wasn't to blame. He knew that Keith was concerned about how Skip would take the news once he found out. And he figured he could offer Skip some reassurance that she wasn't worth being upset about. But he decided that if Skip still didn't know … then Ryan had no intention of telling him until he returned to the states. He had enough to deal with right now.

He picked up his phone and dialled the number, waiting patiently as the international connection was made.

The ringing stopped and Ryan heard Skip's voice say "How're you going hairy legs?"

Ryan laughed. "You know I do have a name?"

"Yeah … But it's a lot more fun to keep thinking up new nicknames for you."

"Says who?" Ryan asked.

"Me. That's who. Mind you … you used to give much better reactions than you do now."

"That's because now, I expect it. You've lost your element of surprise." Ryan replied thinking that if Skip did know about Annabel then it obviously wasn't causing him too much distress …. He seemed to be in fine form.

"Hmmmm we can't have that. I'll have to think of something new to get you with. But enough of all this rubbish, has Marissa realised the error of her ways and decided to throw you over for me yet?"

"It's never going to happen." Ryan laughed.

"But come on. She must have found out what you're really like by now?"

"Of course. That's why she wants to stick around." Ryan replied. "It must be my natural charm."

Skip guffawed. "Excuse me. I thought I was talking to Ryan Atwood. You must have the wrong number. I don't know you."

"You'll never know me like Marissa knows me." Ryan suggested.

Skip coughed and spluttered on the other end of the line. "And I never want to."

"Okay. I'm glad we got that cleared up." Ryan laughed; happy that he had finally managed to leave Skip surprised … it was usually the other way around. "But I wanted to see how things were going? How's your dad?" Ryan asked.

"He's doing good. Getting stronger every day. He's even starting to give everyone a hard time and be cheeky to the nurses so he must be feeling better." Skip laughed.

"That's good to hear." Ryan replied and then couldn't help but ask. "Did Annabel call you back the other day?"

"Yeah she did. Thanks for doing that for me. I'm sorry that I interrupted you and Marissa having a leisurely sleep in … although knowing you two, maybe it wasn't so leisurely …" Skip suggested enjoying teasing his friend.

Ryan thought back to Sunday morning. "It's okay. You did wake us up but that just meant that we had more time in bed together before we had to leave. Maybe I should be thanking you …otherwise we could have slept through the whole morning instead of …"

"Okay. I don't need to know exactly what you were doing. Remember I'm over here without my girlfriend. I don't need to hear about your sexual exploits. It'll only make me even more horny than I already am."

Ryan instantly knew that Annabel had said nothing about Keith otherwise Skip wouldn't be talking about her like that. "So you're telling me there's no talent in Sydney?"

Ryan waited.

He was expecting a glib comment from Skip about Aussie girls but nothing came. He wondered if the call had been disconnected.

"You still there?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah….I'm here." Skip replied softly.

"What happened then? Did I say something wrong?" Ryan asked trying to think back over what he'd said.

"I really … really …don't know." Skip replied thinking about the blue-eyed blonde that he couldn't get out of his mind. All the humour had gone from his voice.

"I don't understand." Ryan said wondering about Skip's sudden change of mood.

"Me either buddy…. So welcome to the club."

"What's going on?" Ryan asked. "You want to talk about it? Maybe I can help."

Skip sighed deeply. "Well .. let's just say that I keep having to remind myself that I have a girlfriend at the moment."

Ryan didn't know whether he should tell him that as far as he was concerned he didn't. "You want to explain that comment more clearly?"

"Remember when you were a kid and your parents had friends who had a daughter that they kept trying to set you up with?"

"Um didn't happen to me. I don't think my parents ever had friends … only drinking buddies and I have no idea if they had kids." Ryan replied. "But I can get where you're coming from."

"Yeah…. well … I used to play with this girl a lot when I was little but her parents moved away for a few years and when they returned I was at high school and there was no way I was letting my mother set me up… I mean what do mother's know about the needs of teenage guys? …Zilch … I wasn't about to start my sexual experimentation with someone they knew. So I wouldn't have anything to do with her and I'm guessing that she felt exactly the same. My parents used to talk about her all the time … but on principle I avoided her at all costs. I mean there was no way that my parents were going to pick out my girl friend for me."

"And ?" Ryan asked. He thought he could see where this was going.

"She's here. She's been to the hospital nearly every day. Dropping by to see how my Dad is and how Mum's coping. Obviously while I've been away she has become quite close to them and I can't believe how great she is. I mean how was I stupid enough to spend all that time avoiding this girl when she's just …. just … perfect."

"Perfect?" Ryan asked surprised. It wasn't like Skip to exaggerate.

"In every way. She's fun and caring and bright and gorgeous and sexy and hot. And…"

"I got it. I got it. So what's the problem? Sounds to me like you've finally lucked out."

"You forget. I, Skip Taylor, for the first time in a very long time, actually have a girlfriend. Talk about sucky timing. I mean I know that Annabel and I were having some problems before I left but I'd decided that I wasn't going to give up so easily this time around. See what you've done to me? I watch you and Marissa together and I'm thinking that just maybe I want that too. If I give up at the first sign of trouble then I'll never find anyone for the long haul. But Cait is ….. she's amazing."

"I think you should go for it." Ryan stated clearly … wondering whether he should tell Skip about Annabel after all. "I mean, we both know that Annabel isn't the long term type. Maybe this Cait is?" Ryan smiled. "You know you always should listen to your mother."

"Yes mum." Skip replied.

Ryan laughed. "I mean you should at least see if there is anything there."

"Let me assure you there's something there." Skip replied looking down at the hard on in his pants from just talking about her.

"Then don't beat yourself up about Annabel. I'm sure that she wouldn't be expecting you to behave like a saint." Ryan stated trying to hint at Annabel's behaviour.

"What are you saying?" Skip asked perplexed by Ryan's comment.

"I just think that … if the opportunity arose … she'd fool around."

Skip pondered the suggestion. "You think? I know that neither of us have very good track records with this sort of thing but we sort of both said that we'd try to make it work this time so I guess I can't very well …" Skip began … only to be cut off.

Ryan knew that they'd all decided not to tell Skip about what had happened with Keith but in light of the current situation he decided to change his mind. "Skip. I wasn't going to tell you this… at least not until you got back to LA … but … she cheated."

"What?"

"She cheated on you." Ryan stated thinking he couldn't make it any clearer.

"I can't … I don't … when ?" Skip asked trying to process the information.

Ryan wondered if he'd done the right thing. "When we were in Vegas."

"Cheated …." Skip said again as if still trying to take it all in. "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah." Ryan waited for some reaction from Skip and then went on to explain. "I thought that she may have said something to you. But maybe she decided, as we did, to wait until you got back before saying anything. You've got enough to deal with." Ryan suggested. "But I don't want you missing out on seeing if there is anything there with this other girl."

"Cait." Skip supplied the name.

"Cait." Ryan repeated. "So if you think that she might be something special then I don't think you should forgo the opportunity to investigate just because of Annabel." Ryan added and then waited for a response. It was a long time coming. "Skip? You still there?"

"Cheated?" Skip said again and Ryan was starting to wonder if he had done the wrong thing by telling Skip.

"I'm sorry." Ryan said.

"Sorry. It's great. G R E A T Great." Skip replied laughing as he said it. "Could you please get off the phone now? I need to use the line."

"Sorry? I was scared that you might have been broken hearted." Ryan said.

"Over Annabel? Not bloody likely. But I just might be if Cait turns me down. But I won't know that unless I give her a call. So could you please piss off now? And thanks for the good news."

Ryan laughed. "Well I'm sure that Marissa will be pleased to know that you took it so well. Talk to you soon and remember … don't do anything that I wouldn't."

"Promise MOM …But that does leave me with plenty of options." Skip commented. "Now get lost. I've got things to do." Skip replied and then hung up.

Ryan laughed to himself as he closed up his phone. That was not the conversation he had imagined he would have with Skip but it sounded like things were looking up for him and Ryan couldn't have been more pleased.