Page 23 of Between Then and Now
Ryan chuckles, giving me a mock stern look. “You’re not making this any easier, Bon.”
“So, let’s try again. Pretend I’m Alexa. Go ahead, show me what you’ve got.”
Ryan sighs dramatically, playing along. He looks at me. “Okay, uh… Hi, Alexa.”
“Hi, Ryan,” I reply in a bright, exaggerated tone. “Nice of you to finally say hello.”
He grins, catching on to the playful tone. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. So, how was your day?”
I exaggerate a contemplative expression. “Oh, you know, same old, same old. Saved a village, cured a rare disease. The usual.”
Ryan laughs, shaking his head. “I see you're keeping busy. What’s the highlight of your day then?”
I pretend to think for a moment. “Hmm, probably when I saw you stumble over your words earlier. It’s quite entertaining.”
“Hey, now,” Ryan protests. “I’m trying my best here.”
I can’t hold back a grin. “You’re doing okay, I guess. Just relax, Ryan. You’re overthinking it. And don’t ask people what the highlight of their day is. This isn’t a school essay.”
He sighs dramatically. “It’s harder than it looks, you know.” He walks away from me, then stops midway, turns to face me again, and says, “If she were you, we’d be married by now,” he says and when he notices my eyes widen, he adds “Sorry, I meant that the issue is Alexa as a person and if she were any other girl, I’d–”
“Relax, I know what you mean. And please. If I were the girl you’re obsessed with, you’d have a harder time talking to me.” I fake-flip my hair and make my way back to my bed to continue editing footage.
“Wanna bet?” he says.
I think about it for a while, then say “You know what? I could use a good laugh tonight. So go ahead, Miller.” I walk back up beside him. I come up to his chin, and I have to look up to say, “Charm me.”
Puppy also gets out of the bed. We decide not to name him yet, in case he gets claimed and we get too attached. But he is so adorable I’m already attached the moment he looked at me through the vines he was stuck in last night. I take Puppy as he leaps into my arms.
As Ryan takes a moment to gather himself, I stand still, amused and a bit curious about what he’s thinking about. “Alright, Bon,” Ryan starts, his voice softer than usual, “imagine we’re in a more relaxed setting, just talking. You know, like we do, but maybe with a bit more... intention.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I say as Puppy leaps away from my embrace. I stand and cross my arms, staring at Ryan intently.
“This is gonna be easy because, with you, I’d just be honest, I guess,” Ryan says, scratching the back of his neck nervously. I raise my eyebrows in inquiry as he continues, “I’d start by telling you how you light up any room you enter, how your energy makes everything feel so alive. And how unbelievably contagious it is.” He pauses and angles his body so he’s facing me, meeting my gaze earnestly. “And I’d mention how I’ve always admired your optimism, Bon. Since we were kids, you’ve had this way of turning any situation into a positive one. You’re like... quite literally, sunshine on a cloudy day,” he says, pointing to my shirt, which prints those exact words. I subconsciously drop my arms to my sides and just look at him for a while.
A few silent moments linger, then Ryan clears his throat and says, “Yeah. I’d say something like that, I guess.” He turns and walks a few steps away from me, and I instinctively sit down to avoid looking at him.
Whoa. I feel a sudden jolt in my stomach, which I try to mask by clearing my own throat. “Well, obviously it’s easy for you because you don’t like me like that. So, no, this doesn’t count,” I say, trying to ignore the feeling in my chest which is annoyingly still there.
“How about you tell her something like that too? You know, honest observations.” I look up at him and smile my usual smile to remove any awkwardness that may have resulted from that interaction.
Ryan, thankfully, plays along, chuckling softly. We fall back into our usual selves, easing the tension. “But I don’t know much about her yet to form an opinion. I mean, all I know is she’s pretty,” Ryan continues, his tone thoughtful yet uncertain.
I nod, trying to rattle my brain for any logical suggestion. “How can you get to know her if you chicken out every time?”
“Yeah,” Ryan agrees, his expression thoughtful. “That’s a question I should be asking you. What should I do?”
“Oh, right,” I say. “First off, just take it easy, Ryan. You’ve got time. So, step one: smile. Step two: ask personal but not too intrusive questions. I’m thinking maybe ask her while you’re doing some work, if the work isn’t too serious. Because I saw your confidence when you’re talking about medical mumbo jumbo.” I make air quotations.
“Just casually slip personal questions into medical situations? How exactly?” he asks as he makes his way again to the edge of my bed and sits there.
I sit cross-legged on the other side and say, “I don’t know, something like ‘Hey Alexa, what’s your favorite brand of scalpel?’ or ‘Are you a paracetamol or a painkiller kind of girl?’”
Ryan chuckles, but there’s a hint of a smile on his face.
“Yeah, because nothing says more about a person than their surgical tool preferences,” he replies, sarcasm lacing his voice.
“You’d be surprised, Miller. I, for one, prefer the forceps.”
