She had surprised him, she was no longer the little impish girl that he once knew. Instead, she was a grown up woman who was definitely in control of herself and knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. Ryan was very impressed. And the strangers intermingled with their friends on the dance floor to give them plenty of options to choose from. Ryan went from one dance partner to another, bumping and grinding his way across the room. He was sweating and laughing and with the current ass pressed against his crotch, he was getting a little turned on. But, distracted or not, he kept his eye on his little sister. That protectiveness never wore off.
Heather had, for the moment, completely forgotten the underlying purpose in coming out tonight at all, just reveling in the freedom to party with her brother and the ever-growing company of friends who had joined them. When her parents were home, Heather was usually kept on a tight leash, because they knew what she was like. Ryan never tugged the leash unless she went too far, and that didn't look like it was about to happen. She was currently embarrassing his ex, grinding against Greg's leg while he blushed and stammered and tried to look as though he hadn't noticed, reducing Heather to helpless giggles in the process.
Ryan laughed out loud at his sister's antics. Served Greg right! Moving on from Mr. Tightbuns, he traveled closer to her and pulled right up to another sweaty body to bump and grind into. He held out his hand to high five his sister in the process. "Go, Heather!" he laughed again and then smirked at Greg. He didn't hate Greg, but did enjoy watching him squirm. Turning quickly, he grabbed his sister and whirled her around before setting her back to the ground. "Whoo!"
Deeply relieved when the girl was whisked away from him, Greg took the opportunity to disappear into the dancing crowd, leaving Heather laughing as Ryan spun her about, pressing her lips to her brother's cheek in a playful smooch. "Looking smexah tonight, brother mine," she laughed at him, waving a hand to fan her face. "I need a drink - you want one?"
"Not too bad yourself, hot schtuff!" he laughed with her and began to lead the way back to the booth. "I'd love a drink, what're you having?" Always the gentleman, he stood beside the booth and gestured to it with his hand for her to take a seat. "It's so hot in here," he wiped his brow with his hand, and his grin was proof enough that he was thoroughly enjoying their outing.
She waved her hands around at him as he tried to make her sit down. "No, I offered, I'm paying!" she objected, pointing at the booth for him to sit down with their friends, a stubborn pout on her face. "Don't make me stamp my foot, these are very delicate heels. And expensive!"
"Ok, ok!" he laughed and scoot into the booth, making sure there was room for her beside her. He felt like something light and fruity would quench his thirst without intoxicating him. "Appletini," he gave his order to the waitress that appeared. Ryan smiled for her, then took a good look around the room. "Hey, Otter, look!" he gestured with his chin at a table not too far away. "It's Christian!"
"Small Chiraz," was Heather's order, her slender body thumping down into the booth next to Ryan and deliberately hustling him very close against Flynn, a friend she knew for a fact was harboring the world's biggest crush on her brother. Ryan's gesture caught her attention, her eyes flicking across the room to the table he indicated, and Heather felt herself blush. What the hell? Looking back at her friends, she warned Dawn with a look to keep her comments to herself. "How is it he's always where we end up?"
"Maybe it's fate," he grinned and put his arm on the back of the booth's seat to make more room. Ryan knew about Flynn's crush, and the flirting between the two had been fierce but friendly over the years. For one reason or another, neither of them had been available the few times they'd seen each other since high school. And now, both seemed to be single, but Ryan wasn't sure he was ready to jump from one relationship to another and to lead Flynn to believe that there was hope for anything more than friendship. At least, right now. Flynn was too good a friend for all of that. Still, Ryan couldn't resist dragging his fingertips over Flynn's shoulder as he spoke with his sister. "You going to make yourself known, Ms. Garabedian?"
"Just because he's here doesn't mean I should jump on him," was Heather's startlingly mature response, though she smirked as she said it, her eyes pointedly following the trail of Ryan's fingers over Flynn's shoulder. "Besides, I don't even know if he's single. I mean, sure, he's sitting there on his own, and ... God, he looks yummy ... but I'm a grown up, in theory. I can handle this." She grinned, winking at her brother as the waitress came back with their drinks.
"Oh, I see," he chuckled, taking is drink in hand. By this time, Flynn was pressed to his side and Ryan didn't seem to mind in the slightest. It was comfortable and comforting at the same time. "But look out, he's staring straight at you and he looks hungry." This elicited a round of snickers and giggles from the group at the table.
"I thought good girls didn't go throwing themselves at guys, even if they liked them," she objected laughingly, not daring to look over at Chris Moretz, even to make sure that her brother was just pulling her leg. "Oh, come on," Dawn declared in a loud voice. "Since when have you ever been a good girl!"
Ryan laughed once again and clinked his glass with Dawn before taking a sip of the tart drink. His cheeks sucked in and he puckered. "I think she was two, maybe," Ryan chuckled as he teased his sister good naturedly. Leaning back, he curled his arm around Flynn's shoulders and smiled at him. What passed, silently, between the two men left his smile a little softer, and with a slight nod. They'd give tonight a chance. Leaning, he gently kissed the corner of Flynn's lips before turning his attention back to his sister. About to say something, he was cut off by a deep baritone voice that didn't belong to anybody at the table.
Heather had, for the moment, completely forgotten the underlying purpose in coming out tonight at all, just reveling in the freedom to party with her brother and the ever-growing company of friends who had joined them. When her parents were home, Heather was usually kept on a tight leash, because they knew what she was like. Ryan never tugged the leash unless she went too far, and that didn't look like it was about to happen. She was currently embarrassing his ex, grinding against Greg's leg while he blushed and stammered and tried to look as though he hadn't noticed, reducing Heather to helpless giggles in the process.
Ryan laughed out loud at his sister's antics. Served Greg right! Moving on from Mr. Tightbuns, he traveled closer to her and pulled right up to another sweaty body to bump and grind into. He held out his hand to high five his sister in the process. "Go, Heather!" he laughed again and then smirked at Greg. He didn't hate Greg, but did enjoy watching him squirm. Turning quickly, he grabbed his sister and whirled her around before setting her back to the ground. "Whoo!"
Deeply relieved when the girl was whisked away from him, Greg took the opportunity to disappear into the dancing crowd, leaving Heather laughing as Ryan spun her about, pressing her lips to her brother's cheek in a playful smooch. "Looking smexah tonight, brother mine," she laughed at him, waving a hand to fan her face. "I need a drink - you want one?"
"Not too bad yourself, hot schtuff!" he laughed with her and began to lead the way back to the booth. "I'd love a drink, what're you having?" Always the gentleman, he stood beside the booth and gestured to it with his hand for her to take a seat. "It's so hot in here," he wiped his brow with his hand, and his grin was proof enough that he was thoroughly enjoying their outing.
She waved her hands around at him as he tried to make her sit down. "No, I offered, I'm paying!" she objected, pointing at the booth for him to sit down with their friends, a stubborn pout on her face. "Don't make me stamp my foot, these are very delicate heels. And expensive!"
"Ok, ok!" he laughed and scoot into the booth, making sure there was room for her beside her. He felt like something light and fruity would quench his thirst without intoxicating him. "Appletini," he gave his order to the waitress that appeared. Ryan smiled for her, then took a good look around the room. "Hey, Otter, look!" he gestured with his chin at a table not too far away. "It's Christian!"
"Small Chiraz," was Heather's order, her slender body thumping down into the booth next to Ryan and deliberately hustling him very close against Flynn, a friend she knew for a fact was harboring the world's biggest crush on her brother. Ryan's gesture caught her attention, her eyes flicking across the room to the table he indicated, and Heather felt herself blush. What the hell? Looking back at her friends, she warned Dawn with a look to keep her comments to herself. "How is it he's always where we end up?"
"Maybe it's fate," he grinned and put his arm on the back of the booth's seat to make more room. Ryan knew about Flynn's crush, and the flirting between the two had been fierce but friendly over the years. For one reason or another, neither of them had been available the few times they'd seen each other since high school. And now, both seemed to be single, but Ryan wasn't sure he was ready to jump from one relationship to another and to lead Flynn to believe that there was hope for anything more than friendship. At least, right now. Flynn was too good a friend for all of that. Still, Ryan couldn't resist dragging his fingertips over Flynn's shoulder as he spoke with his sister. "You going to make yourself known, Ms. Garabedian?"
"Just because he's here doesn't mean I should jump on him," was Heather's startlingly mature response, though she smirked as she said it, her eyes pointedly following the trail of Ryan's fingers over Flynn's shoulder. "Besides, I don't even know if he's single. I mean, sure, he's sitting there on his own, and ... God, he looks yummy ... but I'm a grown up, in theory. I can handle this." She grinned, winking at her brother as the waitress came back with their drinks.
"Oh, I see," he chuckled, taking is drink in hand. By this time, Flynn was pressed to his side and Ryan didn't seem to mind in the slightest. It was comfortable and comforting at the same time. "But look out, he's staring straight at you and he looks hungry." This elicited a round of snickers and giggles from the group at the table.
"I thought good girls didn't go throwing themselves at guys, even if they liked them," she objected laughingly, not daring to look over at Chris Moretz, even to make sure that her brother was just pulling her leg. "Oh, come on," Dawn declared in a loud voice. "Since when have you ever been a good girl!"
Ryan laughed once again and clinked his glass with Dawn before taking a sip of the tart drink. His cheeks sucked in and he puckered. "I think she was two, maybe," Ryan chuckled as he teased his sister good naturedly. Leaning back, he curled his arm around Flynn's shoulders and smiled at him. What passed, silently, between the two men left his smile a little softer, and with a slight nod. They'd give tonight a chance. Leaning, he gently kissed the corner of Flynn's lips before turning his attention back to his sister. About to say something, he was cut off by a deep baritone voice that didn't belong to anybody at the table.