Page 48 of The Sound of Silence

Ryder laughed.

“I’m just yanking your chain. How are things going with The Mill Brooklyn?”

“Pretty good. I stopped in there a couple of days ago. Alyssa already has the place running like a well-oiled machine. She was a great hire.” I paused, noticing the music and people chattering in the background for the first time. “Where are you? It sounds like a party.”

“Vegas for a little R and R. I’m chilling by the pool at the moment. Happy hour is winding down, so I decided to give you a buzz. I honestly just realized the time difference. I hope I didn’t call too late.”

“No, it’s cool. It’s barely nine o’clock here.”

“Good, good. You know me. Even in Vegas, I can’t shut off work completely. I wanted to run through some numbers with you.” He ran through cost scenarios and projections for the Brooklyn gym, but I was barely listening to him. I was too distracted, thinking of ways I could slowly convince Val to give me a chance—to give us a chance. So, when I showed little enthusiasm over the fantastic revenue stream we were experiencing, Ryder called me out on my lack of focus.

“Dude, I feel like you’re barely listening. Did someone drop a barbell on your head?”

I laughed.

“Sorry, man. I’ve got some stuff on my mind. I didn’t mean for it to be so obvious.”

“Seriously. What’s up? You sound really…I don’t know… off.”

“Do you remember when I came out to Cinci to see you a few years back? We were going over the contracts for The Mill and planning the grand opening.”

“Sure, I remember.”

“When I was there, I met this chick…” I stopped short, knowing my description was all wrong. Val was not just some random chick. “I met this woman at the hotel where I was staying.”

“It’s always a girl with you, isn’t it?” he joked.

“Yeah, but this one is different. She moved to New York a couple of months ago and just so happens to live in the building across the street from me.”

Ryder snorted.

“Let me guess—you’re going to say it’s fate or some other nonsense like that.”

“Isn’t it? I mean, what are the odds?”

“Pretty slim, I guess. Did you ask her out?”

“Yeah, but she’s been through some shit.”

“My friend, they’ve all been through some shit. And if they haven’t been, they’re bound to putyouthrough some shit. I’m convinced all women have a little bit of crazy in them.”

I laughed and thought about the long line of psychotic women Ryder had dated. He and I had been college roommates so I was there for every girl he paraded through our dorm room. Sometimes I wondered if it was really the women who had the issues, or if it was Ryder’s wandering eye that drove them to madness.

“This girl ain’t crazy,” I assured.

“So what’s the problem then?”

“Whatever she’s been through is making her cautious. I asked her out to dinner earlier today. She told me to ask her again in six months.”

“Whoa! Back up. If I’m not mistaken, that sounds an awful lot like you were moved to the ‘I think it’s better if we’re just friends’ zone, if you know what I mean.”

I could see why Ryder thought that, but he didn’t know about the connection I had with Val. The two of us weren’t meant to be friends—there was way too much chemistry that couldn’t be ignored.

“You’re wrong. I’m telling you…there’s just something about her.”

“Well, then I suppose you have six months to win her over.”

“And I will,” I vowed. “So, anyway, enough about me. Let’s get back to why you called. I swear I’ll pay attention this time.”

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