Playing for Rya

10. Gravity

Photo of Derek Black

Song: Gravity by Sara Bareilles, cover performance by The Apex Project

Rya gave a frustrated sigh as she peered into her closet, and realized that she had no idea what to wear. Rubbing her fingers against her temples, she checked the time again.

Seven-thirty.

It would make her life so much easier to assume this was a normal date, and usually, she would pick whatever outfit first came to mind, but tonight, with Derek, she had this niggling desire to do something extra, to dress up, to gain his undivided attention.

There were a few options in her closet that she'd worn on previous dates and student functions while in school, but most of which she felt were either too formal or too damn casual.

Eventually, after carefully looking through her options, she settled on a long-sleeved, black dress, which came down to mid-thigh. It had a high neckline in the front, and a cowl neck draping at the back, which sat just below her waist line and right on top of the swell of her butt.

It was casual enough to go out in, yet formal enough for anything else he may have in mind.

Satisfied with her choice, she sat her towel clad body in front of her dressing mirror and began the process of making herself presentable.

After drying off her damp hair, she swept it back, clipping the front portion on the top of her head and away from her face, and leaving the lower portion of her hair to fall in waves down her back.

She slipped on a pair of black pumps, applied her makeup to the barest minimum and collected her purse.

She was ready.

....

'You look beautiful,' Derek said, as his eyes raked over her.

'Thank you,' Rya said, flushing in response to the coolly spoken words, she was thankful for the cover of darkness, the night, and the dark interior of the car provided her.

They were currently en route to a restaurant for dinner, but in the meantime, she struggled to make small conversation.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask, about his life, his work, how and why he'd ended up with an establishment like La Cura, she wanted to ask about his mother and what had happened after she'd left all those years ago, but she didn't, it didn't feel like the right time.

She glanced over at him, he seemed lost in thought, staring out his side of the window and she used the rare opportunity to take him in.

He was dressed formally, as he often was, in a suit, but had, once again, opted to forgo a necktie.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she didn't have any recollection of seeing him in one.

'You don't like neckties ?' she blurted out suddenly, wincing at how out of the blue, her question was.

But she was rewarded, a moment later, when he turned and fixed his piercing gaze on her, an amused smile playing around his lips.

'I don't see the point of them,' he said.

'Oh,' she nodded and swallowed, as he kept his eyes on her, until she realized that she'd basically just given herself and her supposedly discreet moment of scrutiny away.

She sighed and averted her gaze, but her attention was drawn back to him a second later.

'How are you doing at La Cura?' he suddenly asked.