wiggling.
“Ma’am?”
“Uh, are you looking up my dress?”
Ryan pulled his gaze away from the lacy white panties and lied, “Of course not.”
The woman huffed, wiggled and then after a long pause asked, “Can you please help me? I can’t move, and I think I’m losing the feeling in my hip.”
Ryan entered the stall and could only think to stand up on the toilet to reach the damsel in distress. Even then, he wasn’t sure of what part to grab or hold. He reached and then stopped to contemplate the situation--even wondered if this was some paparazzi setup.
“Can you please hurry? I’d hate to die like this.”
“I take it there was something wrong with using the front door?” Ryan settled on placing his hands beneath a part of her butt--a nice, firm butt to be exact¾and lifted her upward.
“What are you doing?” the woman yelled.
“Wait, let me just pull--”
“Stop, stop,” the woman panted. “You’re going to snap me in half!”
Ryan stopped and reassessed the situation.
“I don’t think lifting me is going to work.”
“You don’t say,” Ryan griped. “Maybe I should go and get the manager.”
“No. No.” Panic melded into the woman’s voice. “We can do this?”
Ryan chuckled. “I take it you’re not supposed to be here?”
“Gee. I bet you were the smartest in your class.”
Ryan frowned. “You know, I think it’s a rule somewhere not to insult the person who’s trying to help you.”
The woman huffed a frustrated breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted.” Ryan smiled and again averted his gaze from the woman’s Victoria’s Secrets. “So what should we do next?”
“I don’t know. You have a better view of this.”
“A damn good one,” he chuckled.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Why don’t I just...”
Before Ryan could react, the woman’s sleek legs wrapped around his neck in a Chinese scissor hold.
“...do this and you lean back and pull me through.”
This was one for the record books, Ryan thought. How many men could boast about meeting a woman’s crotch before being introduced?
“Okay. Now, pull.”
Ryan obliged before there was damage to his air supply, and to his great relief and surprise, the woman’s rump cleared the small windowsill. However, a toilet seat wasn’t an ideal spot for a game of tug-of-war. Immediately after his great heave, he and the mystery woman were suspended in air for an eternity before their big crash against the linoleum floor.
“Oomph.” Every ounce of air flew out of Ryan’s body.
“Oh, my God. Are you all right?”
“I think...I’m paralyzed,” Ryan croaked beneath a mass of legs and white panties.
The door squeaked open and Jay-Z’s rap lyrics bounced off the bathroom’s natural acoustics.
“Damn, man,” A voice boomed. “Get a room.” The door slammed shut behind the patron’s dramatic exit.
“Oh, good grief.” The woman scrambled off Ryan’s chest.
The sudden rush of oxygen to Ryan’s brain made him dizzy, and he still had serious reservations about whether he could get off the floor. However, that was nothing compared to the tricks his eyes played on him as he gazed up at the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “Hot damn. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
Chapter 4
“Ryan Donovan?” Joey brushed her hair back from her eyes and then blinked in surprise. “My God. It is you.” She took his hand and shook it. I’m such a big fan of your work.” She scrambled for her purse, and swore when she glanced inside. “I don’t have any of my business cards. Oh, I know.” She grabbed an ink pen, took his hand and sprawled her contact information across the palm of his hand. “My name is Joey Adams and I’m a screenwriter.”
Despite the pain, he smiled. “Nice to meet you, Joey.”
“What