Page 12 of The NemeSis
I can see the cruel humor in his eyes, the smirk threatening to spread across his face. It doesn’t need to be like this. I want to argue with him, but I won’t. For his mom, I’ll brush it under the rug.
“Let’s just keep our distance then.” I half smile and spin on the balls of my feet. “That’s what you told me when you arrived.”
I hold my breath as I leave our home gym and move across the hall to the sanctuary of my bedroom. I’m in over my head. My phone buzzes in the side pocket of my leggings and I pull it out to see a message from Ryan. Just the distraction I need.
Ryan: Hey babe, I’m excited to see you. I was going to stop by and then go to the club.
I knowwhat he’s hinting at. He’s got a suite at Clear View Country Club and he’s here for my birthday.
Me: Can’t wait to see you! I’ll meet you at the club and join you for dinner, but I promised my niece I’d bake cupcakes with her tonight. So, I’ll have to head back to the house after dinner.
Ryan: I understand.
I groan.I hate feeling pressured, but I don’t want him to be disappointed.
Me: I’d love to come and spend the whole day with you tomorrow. It’ll give me a nice break from writing my paper.
Ryan: Yeah? Did you finally decide on your topic?
I thoughtabout it for a while this morning as I lay in bed. It started with responding to a few messages about the games I was getting organized. The Greek Games were a way to look back on history, both in Greek life and of the original Olympics.
It came to me suddenly. I hadn’t even considered it an option before. The Olympics originated in ancient Greece. It was already something I’d been doing extra research on; it was the perfect way to put a little bit of me into my essay. I had the title, at least: Sex, Politics, and The Original Games, even though I still needed to write it.
He would find out the topic soon enough. This morning, while making coffee, I submitted my topic for approval and already received the professor’s go-ahead. I wasn’t expecting him to get back to me, but I was grateful I didn’t have to sit around and wait to find out if the topic was good enough.
I swipe over to my email and read it again.
Ms. Storey,
Call me intrigued. Approved.
Professor James O’Clery
I smileand swipe over to my messages to tell Ryan.
Me: The Origin of the Olympics
Ryan: Are you sure there’s enough information out there for a thorough essay?
Me: Yes.
Ryan: Fair enough.
Ryan: We’re getting ready to take off. See you soon.
Me:
Ryan wasn’t supposedto arrive until tomorrow, but decided to come an extra day early to get more vacation time out of his spring break. It was just the excuse I needed to stay away from Ares. I’d spent the day with Beth yesterday. Now I could at least avoid him tonight and most of tomorrow.
I have just enough time to accomplish an everything shower and pick out what I want to wear. Part of me debates packing an overnight bag. Just in case. We’ve never stayed the night with each other. Our relationship hasn’t gonethat far.We’ve been together for nearly six months and the pressure is on, but I just don’t know if I’m ready to finally take that step.
I once joked about ripping the bandaid off, but Beth told me I’d waited this long, I might as well make sure my first time is with the right person at the right time. The problem is now it feels like an even bigger deal.
An hour later and I’m stepping out of the car and telling Selene bye. She offered to drop me off since she had a quick errand to run. I’m not worried about not having a car. I know Ryan will take me home or I can use a car service if it comes down to it.
I shoulder my small leather handbag before making my way inside. The breeze is picking up and I watch the palm trees sway slightly. I admire the arched doorways with the club’s crest displayed over each one. The chill in the wind has me stepping inside a little faster.
I step across the marble floor and towards the staircase on the left, taking it up to the exclusive members’ lounge. I could wait for him downstairs near the concierge. There are some comfortable brown leather armchairs, but I’d rather be more comfortable in case he takes longer to get here from the airport.
