He turns around when I grab his arm. “Ryan,don’t run away.”
“I’m not running, I’m sprinting. Why are youholding your shoes?”
“I can’t run that fast in heels,” I say, as Islip my black Pradas back on. My feet are absolutely frozen.
“Please come back inside,” I beg.
“Alana, I don’t know...”
“They’re not going to judge you.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” He runs hisfingers though his hair and pulls. “I know who I am,whatIam,” he says, and his voice sounds sad.
“Don’t worry about me, my aunt and unclearen’t like that.”
“She’s right,” my uncle John’s voice rumblesthrough the air, both of us turning at the same time to look athim.
“Alana, would you give me and Ryan amoment?”
I glance between them, Ryan giving me alittle head nod.
I turn and walk back to the restaurant, but Ilight a cigarette before I go inside. I can see Ryan and my uncletalking in the distance, but they’re too far away for me to heartheir conversation. God, what I wouldn’t give to be a button onRyan’s shirt right now. There’s a lot of head gestures on his partand it sort of looks like my uncle is lecturing him. But I can’t besure. When they start walking back I quickly kill my cigarette thenhurry inside, getting stuck in the bottleneck of people trying toget through the second door. Swallowed up in the mass I hear myuncle’s voice: “I’ll tell you this one last thing son, if you hurther I’ll kill you. I’m one of the top attorneys in New York Cityand my brother is a judge,I’ll get away withit.”
Holy shit, he just threatened Ryan.
“No sir,” I hear Ryan respond, “I would neverhurt Alana. I can barely breathe when we aren’t in the sameroom…”
My heart swells hearing him say that.Especially to my uncle.
I slip through the crowd and scurry back tothe table, wanting to sit down before my uncle and Ryan return.
“Is everything okay?” my aunt asksconcerned.
“I think so,” I say, taking a big gulp ofwine.
“Is he coming back?” Emily asks.
“Yes, your father talked to him.”
“This has to be the most interesting dinnerI’ve been to in a while,” Alex comments amused. Emily elbowshim.
“Don’t make him feel uncomfortable,” shehisses.
“I won’t.” He rubs his arm. “I just want toknow how often he gets laid, he must be teeming with women.”
I look at Alex appalled. “I am sitting righthere, you know,” I snap at him, and that’s the end of theconversation as a tense Ryan sits back down.
My Uncle gives me a wink from across thetable as he picks up the check. I can only return a small,uncomfortable grin.
Ryan and I say our goodbyes in front of therestaurant, then walk a few blocks just to get some air. Silencestretching with each step we take.
“So, that was eventful,” I say to break theice.
“Definitely one for the books,” Ryan huffs,his breath swirling around in front of his face.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Fine, are you?”