Baby Steps

India Tor reads the paper over one more time, and then listens to the file one more time.  With a chuckle, she realizes that, if she doesn't get them in an envelope, she might mess with it a million more times and NEVER get it sent.  Getting the envelope she ordered out, she addresses it, places the two sheets inside, along with a micro SD card and seals it up.  Putting it on her desk, she reaches for her phone.  It's a new one ... purchased online.  It only had one number in it so she was able to quickly send a text message.

'Could you stop by after work, please?"

Short, sweet and to the point.  Pressing the 'send' button she sets the phone down, not expecting a reply immediately.  The manila envelope catches her eye and suddenly she is sorry she sealed it up so fast.


Ryan is trying to drown out the sound of Angie talking on the phone to her teenage son, reading him the riot act about the chores he needs to get done if he wants the internet password as he types a series of long complicated witness names into a report.

"You think your clean clothes just grows on trees? I'm not opening that hockey bag...." she rants on.

Ryan squints at the screen "Dakshinamurti...." he says aloud to himself, spelling it for the third time with a sigh.

His phone buzzes and he swipes at his jacket hung over the back of his chair to grab it. Looking casually at the texts he smiles a bit, seeing India's. He replies back "Love to. Want a coffee? XD"


India is tapping at the envelope on her desk when her phone vibrates slightly on the top.  Since it can be only one person, she picks it up, eagerly and smiles.  With a deep breath, she replies.  "Please? XD Some kind of nut milk and one sugar.  Same as always.  I'm boring."  she sends the message and leaves the desk, grabbing the remote control and turning on a music video channel, which is showing a news show.  After a year it's almost like a 'where are they now' show.


Ryan just texts back one word "Hardly."

A few hours later he stands in front of India's door holding two coffees and a bakery bag. He knocks in a pattern he's used before and waits.


The news had been mixed, and at the end of the program, she turned off the news and went back to trying to write music of some kind.  She is staring at the wall when the knock comes.  It is one Ryan used to let her know it was him.  She went to the door and placed her feet the way hed taught her, in case it wasn't actually him and she had to force the door closed again and opened it, peeking around it.  But it was him and she pulled the door wide.  "Hey!  Come on in, coffee god." she chuckles and backs away to make room in the cramped little entryway.  She is in a beige lounger with her locs tied up with a matching piece of fabric.


Ryan smirks "Coffee god. I like that. I got brownies too. They're vegan and gluten free. You keep asking for nut milk so I was wondering if you had some kinda allergy. My sister's doing this elimination diet....and that's probably way more than you need aside from would you like a brownie?" He laughs at his own rambling.

Ryan discreetly takes in India's clothing, his eyes lingering briefly where her tied up hair meets the base of her neck. He's wearing his often seen black and grey hoodie with a headphone graphic, grey jeans and black high top runners.


India chuckles.  "You are.  And you bring me brownies?"  she shudders visibly and reaches for the bag.  "This is better than bringing me roses."  she tells him.  "I don't have any allergies.  A friend of mine introduced me to cashew milk and .. oh my god!  I loved it.  I also like stevia ..  I really should just order a box of the packets to have around here.  My mother was diabetic, so .... why take the chance, right?"  she moves to the desk.  "Would you like to share my brownies, coffee god?"  she asks, glancing over her shoulder.  "How was your shift .. or your day off, for that matter.  I admit, I kind of missed running with you that day."  she doesn't mean to pry .. or maybe she does.


Ryan felt his cheeks go a bit warm and  rubbed absently at the back of his neck "Pretty sure they sell all the alternative sweeteners at Chen's if you want me to check? Or I could raid Steph's health food stash...." He teases her now "You know I did buy two brownies, but I'll take one if you're sharing."

He sighs about his shift "Today was long, not as long as Saturday night, but long." He gives her another little smile "I missed running with you too. I did have fun with my friends. My best buddy Adum lives in Alexandra. It's an island not too far away. He's a cop of course, Chief even, over there. So I hung out with him and Megan, he fed us like hobbits, and I got to show off my pyrotechnic skills."

India considers.  "If your sister has Stevia, I's love some.  I'll pay, of course."  she offers hurriedly.  Then she takes the brownies out of the bag and offers him one.  "I would share anything with you, Ryan."  she tells him, shy herself.  She clears her throat.  "What happened Saturday night?"  she inquires and then smiles.  "He sounds older ... or young for a Chief.  You are into pyrotechnics?  Like blowing things up?  Demolitions?"  she chuckles.  "My father liked that.  Well, he was on the bomb squad of the Chicago Police Department."  she bites her lip and swallows.  "So ... Megan is your girlfriend?"  she strives to keep her voice casually curious.


Ryan's eyes go wide and he laughs "Megan is NOT my girlfriend. But after this last week, she's definitely Adum's girl. Long time coming for those two. And of course they made sure to rub it in a bit with a single third wheel rolling around their love nest." He chuckles some more and then says "Thank god for headphones." Raising a brow he asks "Your Dad is or was a cop? Yeah Adum's the youngest Chief in Alexandra's history. Sort of inherited the job from the last dude." He goes on to explain about the pyrotechnics "I like fireworks. Been playing around with them since my brother and I were kids and we took them camping." He takes a brownie and completely forgets about the stevia conversation.


India raises her brows, hearing about Megan.  "Sounds like a romantic love story that might make a song someday."  she muses, taking a bite of her brownie.  The comment about headphones almost makes her choke.  She drinks some coffee, laughing softly.  "Oh .... my ...." and then she nods as he moves onto her father, motioning to one of the two beds.  "Sit on down."  she suggests.  "Yea.  WAS.  He was on the force quite a long time."  she sighs a bit.  "Line of duty."  she murmurs.  Ryan likely knows that means he died on the job.  She clears her throat.  "Oh, I love fireworks.  Haven't seen any in ... couple of years, I guess."  she sits on the other bed opposite Ryan, if he decides to sit.


Ryan sits across from her just as she says line of duty and closes his eyes for a full breath. He feels for her loss and it's every cop's fear on the job "I'm sorry.." he says quietly and then inhales again.

He hops onto the next subject train with her "Well next time I get the hankering I'll text you. Sometimes the lighthouse guy lets Garrett and I play around up there. That's a no brainer because they just drop down into the ocean. The fish probably hate us.." he laughs.


India sees his compassion and appreciates it, but she only nods and whispers "Thank you."  Then she brightens.  "I think I can manage that, if the audience isnt too large." she tells him.  She bites off more brownie and sighs in contentment.  "My chocolate coffee god."  she mock moans, leaning back a bit and supporting her weight on her arms, jostling the laptop on the bed.

Ryan's jaw tenses at her mock moan and he almost drops his brownie on the floor. He catches it and then tosses it and catches it again, trying to make it look like he was just goofing around. Rolling his head casually from side to side he spots the laptop and his distraction redirects to her tech "Sweeeeeet machine India..." he says, now taking a bite of the brownie "Mmmm that is good.." he mumbles as he chews. After swallowing he says "But not as good as this crazy cake I had at Adum's."


India thinks his play with the brownie is cute and completely intentional.  She smiles and picks up the laptop.  "It came a couple of days ago."  she tells him.  "I'm told its all the latest blah blahs and so simple even I can work it."  she laughs and offers it to him to look at.  Then she raises her brows.  "OK, I'm almost scared to ask about the crazy cake.  Your friend a baker or a cook?  *I* can make sandwiches!"  she places her hand on her chest as if making an incredibly impressive statement.


Ryan takes the laptop and completely knows his way around the operating system and specs after about 7 mouse clicks "Awww......nice...." his attention to it is almost intimate "Good memory...." He multi tasks going back to the cake conversation as he pokes around a bit more "Nah it was from a bakery but dude can cook. I dunno it was some kind of chocolate cake with chocolate cream and chocolate chips, laced with fuckin cocaine or something." he muses "I'm a pretty pathetic cook. If it wasn't for my family's restaurant I might starve. But I can make a mean KD."


India nods.  "Yea?  Good.  You can show me how to work the damn thing."  she chuckles.  "I just went to Amazon and looked ... decided fifty thousand was a bit much considering it wouldn't make me coffee, bring me brownies, or give me orgasms, so I opted for a two thousand dollar one instead."  her eyes get progressively larger with each mention of chocolate and asks.  "Cocaine?  Seriously?  Coke cake?"  and she blinks.  "Alright ... we may have just hit our first cultural snag ... what's KD?"


Ryan fumbles his clicking when she says orgasm and the computer ends up making an error type beep noise. He laughs nervously "Shit, sorry, just a sec. I swear I didn't break it...." After putting the font size back to normal he gently sets the machine to one side and shrugs "Kraft Dinner? Guess it's a Canadian thing eh?" He adds the eh to mock the stereotype, even though it's often true. Shaking his head he says "It didn't have actual cocaine. It was just really hard to stop eating it."


India's eyes widen at the beeping and then relaxes with Ryan's assurances.  "I didn't smell ozone so ...."  she  opens her mouth when he explains KD.  "Mac and cheese?  Oh I LOVE mac and cheese.  Now you're gonna have to make me some.  We'll have them with big ol deli sammiches I will make for you.  Even Steven!"  she smiles, letting a little Ebonics slip into her voice.


Ryan grins "You're on. But I can never let you eat Adum's cooking or I will never impress you with food from a box." He waves his hand in front of her, jedi mind trick style "These are not the preservatives you're looking for."


India laughs.  "Well, I would like to meet your friend someday.  If that's alright."  she turns slightly darker and makes her face go mock blank.  "I must be faithful to Ryans food ... must ... only ... foodgasm with Ryan."


Ryan doesn't even try to hide his flustered reaction this time and makes a show of running his hand through his hair while clearing his throat and then cracks up. He plays along after grabbing the neck of his hoodie and fanning it against his collar bone "I'm afraid to ask how it would go if I really could cook." he teases back.


India smiles at his reaction.  So he IS human.  "Maybe I will write a comeback song that will explain it to you." she suggests with a wink.  Then she clears her throat, searching for safer ground.  "OK ...  what happened to you on Saturday night?"  she asks, because her last innuendo was a little too close to what she'd called him here in the first place for.


Ryan chuckles about the idea of the song and then exhales with a small grunt "An assault, bullshit and drama. Adum's ex is a bit of a psycho. If you were out and about you'd hear the gossip so I'm not violating any work ethics by telling you. Her name is Alison. She got drunk at the Black Hole. The bartender and owner, Jack, tried to do the right thing and take her car keys and she flipped out and put him in the hospital. It gets more complicated....Jack is Megan's Dad...Megan is now with Adum." He hesitates but then goes on "and the part that's not common gossip, so please don't share this bit, Alison basically got with Adum to hurt Megan, because she was in love with him since high school and the two girls had some kind of falling out. It's the most messed up story ever...I know, but there it is. I'm pretty sure Alison would have come at me too if I hadn't pulled out my tazer. Jack's OK though."


India listens with raised eyebrows.  "Wow ..."  she finally breathes.  "Sounds like ATL drama."  she laughs slightly.  "Which R&B star is with which rappers ex girlfriend and which of those hood rats is gonna try and kill the other first."  she blows out a breath and shakes her head.  She looks at him.  "I still don't let housekeeping in here, Ryan.  Who am I gonna tell?"  she teases and then bites her lip.  "But .. that might change ...."  she is ready and takes another bite of the delicious brownie to fortify herself.


Ryan smiles politely, the R&B reference kind of sailing over him in an obvious way and then looks curious at the beginning of her last sentence "Oh yeah?"


India sees the confusion and tries again.  "Think Hollywood Divorce.  Maybe O.J-like?"  she assumes everyone heard of OJ.  Then she finishes her brownie and licks her lip, drinking more coffee.  She stands and goes to the desk, bringing back the envelope.  She will now sit right beside him, if allowed.  "I want you to mail that for me.  Overnight, as a matter of fact.  I can pay for it, that's not a problem."  she offers him the business sized manila envelope.  "If this ... happens ... I may ask you to look for a place for me to live....  here ... in Cedar Point."


Ryan had heard of O.J. and takes the envelope and looks intently at India as she sits so close. His eyes twinkle with a smile but his lips part in speechless but muted happiness. He just stares at her for a moment and then nods before saying "Ok...cool....what's the magic package?"


India likes being this close to Ryan.  The twinkle in his eye makes her also smile.  "It's a poem."  she shrugs.  "I don't think I can sing like I used to."  she sighs.  "I KNOW I can't sing like I used to.  I've already tried, to be honest.  Something about my ear, I think.  I sound ... different.  I AM different."  she touches the envelope.  "So this is a poem ... or maybe even a song.  I recorded myself reading it and put the file in there too."  she runs her finger over the front of the envelope, which is addressed to Kagiso Jackson in Atlanta, Georga.  "He can help.  I guess you haven't heard of Aqoustic Spirit ... acoustic with a q instead of a c."  she says it as almost a gimmie that he hasn’t heard of the man.


Ryan shakes his head honestly and shifts the envelope from one arm to the other after she touches it and explains. He had been watching her hand move as she did so. Leaning back a bit on his other hand. It almost rests behind India, between them both, his body posture very open to her as he looks ready to hear more, truly and actively listening.


India nods.  "Yea.  He's like me in America, but male and worth a couple million more."  she laughs nervously.  She notes his change of position and moves herself so her weight is on her arm behind him.  "Kagiso is Aqoustic Spirit's real name.  And he's a friend.  Possibly the last I have since I left that I trust."  she searches his face ... they are close physically.  "When he isn't recording his own stuff, he's been known ot help out new artists.  I'm not new, but I have to repackage myself if I am even going to sing again.  And maybe I won't.  Maybe this will be a farewell single."  she smiles into his face.  "Well this and how you can best give me a foodgasm."  she teases lightly.


Ryan laughs, his breath wafting at her because of the proximity. He exudes coffee and brownie and an undercurrent of previously chewed cinnamon gum before he got to her door "Careful now, that'll go right to my head." He realizes the innuendo potential and blushes, turning his face away "Sorry..." He looks back at her seriously "Maybe it's just changing, not ending India. Whatever it is, I'm happy to help. Hopefully you can trust me too...or will." he says not assuming he's earned it yet.


India inhales his breath and smiles softly when he looks away.  "I meant it to.  SO no need to be sorry, okay?"  she tells him and shifts slightly,   First placing her hand on his and then, if he doesn't pull away, sliding her hand under his, as if asking it be held.  "It is changing.  And its a needed change for me.  And I DO trust you, Ryan.  Or I wouldn't be running with you.  You wouldn't be here."


Ryan lightly curves his fingers around her hand under his, shifting forward a bit so his weight isn't going to be pressing down on her hand. After the shift he gives her hand a sweet little squeeze and now with his mouth growing into a smile that matches the one in his eyes he just says "OK." in a gentle tone.


India smiles as she feels his fingers curve around hers.  "Great."  she whispers.  "It's time for me to fly on my own.  Any suggestions of where to live around here?  Not a house, I don't think.  A rental.  Apartment."  she bites her lip.


Ryan keeps holding her hand with the slightly leaning side but lays the envelope down on his lap, gesturing in different directions now with his other hand. His tone is a bit more assertive now and casual "There's really only three options." He points his thumb towards the bachelor suites over the shops on main "Those little places over on main. Bit small, landlord's a bit of a strange guy...mind you buddy's renovating the loft places over the Black Hole, the pizza place and the laundry close to the cop shop." He retracts the thumb and now swings his arm the other way, using his pointer finger. "It's kind of a cool old building if you don't mind the music from the bar." He opens and flattens his hand and moves it across his body now in the direction of the big condo building "And there's the condos over Sakura's." He then teases "Instant delivery if you live up there." He lets his arm drop and then adjusts his hoodie as it rode up when he gestured to the condo building, revealing a crumpled white tshirt riding with it, the line of his black cotton boxer briefs just above his jeans and the side of his abdomen with the curve particularly accented on a fit man's body that runs between his hip and his abdomen. Not even realizing what showed but just feeling the draft, he simply yanks the hoodie and shirt back over his jeans.


India watches his arm as it moves one direction, then the other.  She glances down to think and sees a bit of flesh and swallows.  Then she looks up again.  "Music, pizza and a laundry.  Sold."  she smiles at him.  "I'd rather be near the cop shop ... you know ... in case I ever want to buy a cop."


Ryan's eyes widened and he laughed "Don't you know you can have me for free if you pretend to like my crappy cooking?" Then he pretended to muse as if helping her shop "But there may be other selections. Let's see, don't even look at Nault, he's defective. Tamela's cute...she can cook...she likes girls..." He thinks about it too long and then shakes his head around laughing "Angie's married but she'd adopt you as an extra kid. And then the Chief...." He tenses up a bit "Yeah don't...he's a good guy but also slightly terrifying. So those are the choices really..." he jokes.


India gtins.  "I can do that."  and she also seems to consider her options.  "I did defective in the past.  So no to that Nault.  I'm terminally straight, I'm afraid.  My parents are dead, but I'm a little old to be adopted."  she watches him tense and arches a brow.  "Is this the Chief here or your Adum chief?"  she waved her free hand.  "Doesn't matter."  she looks at him intently and asks.  "Well, what if what I wanted was you?  Crappy cooking and all?  I think I can invest in your care and feeding and still sleep relatively well at night."  she nods as if agreeing with herself.


Ryan looks so flustered now he doesn't even have a wise crack to follow up. Smiling stupidly he just sort of let out a "Ehh hehe..." somewhere between a laugh and a cough.


India looks at him and smirks at his reply, slumping her shoulders and looking at him as if she can't believe his reply.  "Ehhhh heeee?"  she blinks.  "Is that a Canadianism or ... what?  How you say 'Yes, India, I would love to be wanted by you, even though you are more scared than a shark attack victim.', maybe?"  she is a good nine or ten years older than Ryan.  She is starting to think maybe he has the 'testosterone poisoning' her mother used to accuse her father of.


Ryan looks mortified and puts his free hand over his face "Fuck I'm sorry, I'm really bad at this..." he's still kind of laughing, mostly at himself. With a gulp he looks up at her again and like a small child asking for more supper just eeks out "Yes please."


India smiles outright at the way he says what he says, and then moves her free hand up to his face.  If allowed, she will caress it.  "Alright. I'll take ya!"  and then she laughs.  "Just .. lets take it relatively slow.  This friendship thing is wonderful, but I would be lying to you if I told you I didn't want more ..."  she confesses.  "And that.."  she nods to the envelope.  "Is part of getting where I want to be."  she searches his eyes.


Ryan leans his face towards the caressing, his breathing getting a bit faster. He lifts his free hand, shaking a bit now and puts it on top of the caressing hand after and then if allowed gently takes it and  kisses the side of her palm before saying "Slow is good with me. I didn't know you.....I mean I would have been happy to always be your friend too......but I do like you as a hell of a lot more." He grins a bit sheepishly and continues "I told Adum and Megan about you....and they might have seen one of your videos on YouTube...I hope that's OK." he looks down at the envelope now, waiting for her reply.


India nods.  "Then we may officially be interested in each other."  she says with mock formality.  "We have met.  Talked.  You've brought me coffee and chocolate.  And now you are in my bed."  she grins, as she suspects it may make Ryan blush.  "Did you now?  Did they like it. or did you not catch it with your headphones on?" her hands have not moved.


Ryan smiles and then his eyes start going wider and wider, giving the strong appearance that his head may simply explode any minute. He laughs nervously and then shakes his head "Ah...India...have mercy...I'm kind of a clueless nerd. I'll try to keep up." He slips into a more genuine laugh and relaxes a little bit.


India laughs.  "You're eyes can get so BIG."  she opens her mouth as if to say more and then closes it.  "You DO bring out a playful side in me I DEFINITELY thought was ANCIENT history."  she tightens her grip on his hand.  "I promise I won't lead you wrong."


Ryan grins and drops his non leaning hand to her waist but as he does so the envelope slides from his lap. He pulls his hand back from her waist without letting go of her other hand "I should go take this before the post office closes..." he says as he straightens back up and looks at her, the envelope back in his hand.


India nods and sighs.   "Yes, you should.  Get the wheels in motion."  she stands and offers him her hand to get up.  "Thanks for doing this for me, Ryan.  It means a lot."


Ryan chuckles and takes her hand "Any time." He stands up now beside her looking unsure how to say goodbye. After thinking and looking at her sweetly he lets go of the hand she pulled him up with and holds out his arms, stepping in for a hug "Uh...may I?" he asks shyly.

India steps into his arms, chuckling.  "So polite.  I love it."  she hugs him and as they are separating, she will kiss his cheek if allowed.  "Baby steps."  she says, leading him to the door.


Ryan gives her a bit of a squeeze as he hugs her and then accept the kiss, respectfully not looking for anything more. He steps back and jokingly salutes her with the envelope "Text me later if you want. Off to sort this part for you. Take care India."