Free In the Silks by Lisa Wilde Page B

over the menu.
    “Uh, sure, whatever you want is good.” Okay so maybe he should have just invited him to dinner. He hadn’t considered that Ryan might have wanted to eat.
    “You sure?”
    “Yeah, go for it.”
    Ryan squinted his eyes and smiled at Henry. The waitress returned at that moment. Ryan asked, “Do you have Hawaiian Pizza by any chance?”
    Henry was in the middle of taking a long pull off his beer. He choked, and beer went up and out of his nose. It was humiliating, but it was no match for what Ryan had just said.
    “We do have that on the entrée menu. Did you want to skip the appetizer and go right for the main course?” the waitress asked, while eying Henry awkwardly.
    “Hmmm,” Ryan bit his lower lip, “What do you think Henry? Do you want to go right to the main course?” Ryan asked wickedly.  When Henry didn’t respond, Ryan laughed and turned to the waitress. “I think we’ll have the appetizer sampler.”
    “Sounds good,” the waitress said and went on her way.
    When she was gone, Ryan looked back to Henry with a huge grin on his face. “I’m sorry, I had to.”
    “You had to huh? Well, you made me shoot beer out of my damn nose.” Henry wiped at his shirt again with the napkin. He smiled at Ryan. When he laughed, Henry got a better look at the ring. It was silver and black, and it looked like it had a word on it. Ryan caught him looking and without a word stuck out his tongue. Henry was already humiliated for getting caught ogling, he thought, what the hell? He leaned over the table and almost knocked over his beer when he read the words; suck it .
    “Priceless,” Ryan said unapologetically as he leaned back and drank his beer.
    Henry shook his head and chuckled. Sitting back and picking up his own beer, before taking a drink, he looked at Ryan and said, “I think you like to see me squirm.”
    “You know what, Henry, I think you’re right.”
    “So, what happened to you? I mean, you said you were injured. What happened?” Henry asked. He was trying to play it cool and not let it show how much Ryan’s suggestive joke and suck it tongue ring had affected him.
    “It wasn’t too bad. I was rehearsing, and one of my ankles was wrapped a little more securely than I had intended. I slipped and twisted my knee pretty bad. I tore my ACL.I don’t need surgery just therapy. The damage wasn’t too severe, the doctor said.”
    “How long will you be out of commission?”
    “My recovery time is about three months, at least that’s what they tell me.” It’s already been almost a month. I’m supposed to wear a brace and use crutches. I ditched the sticks a few weeks ago and now I only wear the brace when I go to physical therapy or it’s acting up.”  Ryan said, before taking a gulp of his beer.
    “Ouch, damn. That must suck. Will you go back as soon as rehab is done?”
    “Yep. Without a doubt.”
    Henry hated that he felt disappointed by that declaration. “You know, I saw the show. Your show that is. A few weeks back. Me and my girlfr-” Henry stopped, shook his head and started speaking again. “Me and my ex-girlfriend went to see it.”
    Ryan eyed Henry suspiciously. “Ex huh? Sorry about that,” Ryan leaned over the table, “or am I?”
    What did that mean?
    “Thanks, but it’s cool. It was long overdue.” Henry finished his beer and started looking around for the waitress. “Want another?” he asked Ryan.
    Ryan picked up his beer and finished it off in a few large gulps. Before putting the empty bottle back on the table, “I sure do.” He smiled.
    After Henry got the attention of the waitress and ordered two more beers, they went back to their conversation.
    “So Henry, you said you saw the show. What did you think?”
    “It was good.”
    Ryan frowned, “Just good?”
    “It was great.” Henry winked at him.
    “Did you know I was in the show before you went?” Ryan eyed him suspiciously.
    “Nope. It was a surprise.”
    “When did you