The Palo Alto Method
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Hi, I'm Ryan Dunmor. You probably don't know me by name, and you probably wouldn't recognize me if you saw me, but if you've been watching porn on all those free-tube sites in the last five or six years, I'm willing to bet you've heard me. I'm a dubber - a voice actor who specializes in foreign films. I work for a company called Omnivox Entertainment. "Company" is probably flattering ourselves too much. It's more like a five-man operation (and at least two of those men are actually women). It...
Straight SexI am standing outside a door marked in Russian script 'Julia Romanova'. I knock and a voice calls, "Come In!" I am confronted by another girl. She about my age with a bush of curly hair (oh, to have unkempt hair again, just for the fun of teasing out the tugs and tangles in it). She looks up quickly and beams a broad welcoming smile. "Vyerochka! Welcome! Dr Medeleyev said you were coming. I have just made coffee. You will have some?" You bet I will - and one of the croissants, if I'm...
Jason had forgotten about Jenny until she knocked on his door Tuesday evening. She smiled sweetly as he opened his door. "Hi, I'm Jenny. Coach Russel told me to come over here and you would give me some special training." Jason smiled back and invited her in. He looked the girl over as she stepped through his door and into the living room. He liked her initial appearance. Her long silky black hair made a dark halo as it hung about her face. It hung smoothly as it flowed down to the middle...
Jess was an hour or so into her therapy session when the nurse led me through a confusing set of hallways to a nondescript door marked "Stimulation Room 4". I could hear my wife's moaning faintly through the door, but when we entered the room I realized she was nearly screaming. All of this had been explained to me earlier of course, but seeing it in person was still a shock.My plump wife was nude on all fours, with a cushioned platform holding up her torso, and a thick black cuff attaching...
Mind ControlAuthor’s note: The story is part of Literotica’s unofficial tag team competition. Twenty of Literotica’s authors have accepted the challenge of being randomly paired with a partner to co-author a story under the pen name ‘The_Odd_Couplings.’ The pairings have remained anonymous and the true authors of this story will be revealed in the comments section one week from today. Disclaimer: Because part of the fun of this challenge is the secrecy of the partners I would like to ask that readers and...
I sat from the observer's chair as they were brought in. For the first time, they looked scared. They knew what was coming. Not pain, not punishment as such... just that they were going to be turned round, into... someone who would hate what they were. But everyone sitting next to me agreed this was the best thing. These kids had shown no interest or liking for the world they lived in, their community, their society... that was about to end. In a few months they would be the very girls...
Cyndi practically dragged Niki in the small copse of trees they used at lunchtime for Niki’s ‘activities’. “Damn, I thought she’d never shut up about the new club and all the rules she was going to enforce. It’s not like anyone is going to complain, not after the way you all got off yesterday, but it was so frustrating watching you and Rachel sitting naked atop her desk, masturbating while she made us all sign the rules.” Cyndi’s voice was almost petulant with need as she lifted her skirt...
Ellen and Jasper had been recently married and Ellen couldn't be happier with the man of her dreams. Sweet caring and passionate about his work. She hasn't a clue what he does but its evident its quite important. As she movied into Jaspers 6 story lab and home in the country she could sense the enormity of Jaspers research. The first two floors were the general living area for Ellen and Jasper the third being a general storage area and when needed an observatory and study room accompanied by en...
Note from Jake Rivers: This is my seventh semi-annual ‘invitational.’ The initial one was based on the Statler Brother’s song, ‘This Bed of Rose’s.’ The most recent invitational included songs written or performed by Willie Nelson. The current effort consists of stories based on song titles that have a weather term in them, such as ‘Stormy Weather, ‘Foggy Mountain Top,’ ‘Dusty Skies’, ‘Heat Wave’, ‘Summertime Blues,’ and ‘Ballad of Thunder Road.’ Regards, Jake This story contains no graphic...
My inspiration for this story is the song "Rhythm of the Rain" by the Cascades - released in November of 1962. Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain Telling me just what a fool I've been I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain And let me be alone again The only girl I care about has gone away Looking for a brand new start But little does she know That when she left that day Along with her she took my heart Rain please tell me now does that seem fair? For her to steal my heart...
Brody checked the lasagna while he waited for Ryan. He hoped she hadn’t gotten stuck in traffic, although he figured she’d call if something like that happened. It seemed strange that the six weeks were over. The only thing wrong was that he wasn’t still playing hockey. Not that he would be even if the team was still in the playoffs. He was improving and would try skating again the next week. Still, he chafed at the restrictions. The knock at the door jerked him out of his thoughts and he...
Brody checked the lasagna while he waited for Ryan. He hoped she hadn't gotten stuck in traffic, although he figured she'd call if something like that happened. It seemed strange that the six weeks were over. The only thing wrong was that he wasn't still playing hockey. Not that he would be even if the team was still in the playoffs. He was improving and would try skating again the next week. Still, he chafed at the restrictions. The knock at the door jerked him out of his thoughts and he...
Love StoriesRyan laughed to herself as she hung up the phone. She did feel a little guilty about conning Brody into bringing her food, but she reminded herself that they had had plans, and he likely would have made dinner anyway. This was a simple matter of timing and location. She sat for a minute with her eyes closed until she heard a knock on the door. With a groan, she dragged herself off the couch and opened the door. She had to bite back a smile at the exasperated expression on Brody's face. "You...
Love StoriesRhythm and the Blue Line Ch 02 © 2011 All rights reserved ‘So, Mark, what’s the story with Ryan?’ Brody asked a couple of days later. They sat in the dressing room, lacing up their skates before practice. ‘What?’ Mark looked up. ‘What story?’ Brody shrugged. ‘She seeing anybody?’ Mark narrowed his eyes. ‘I don’t know. Why?’ ‘Just curious.’ ‘I don’t think she’s your type.’ ‘My type?’ Brody raised an eyebrow. ‘Why not?’ Mark stood and grabbed his helmet. ‘Her IQ is bigger than her bra...
Rhythm and the Blue Line Part 6 © 2011 All Rights Reserved The next morning, Ryan stretched and rolled over in her bed, but Brody wasn’t there. She blinked awake and frowned, wondering how late it was and why he would have left. So far as she knew, he had nothing going on today. She took a deep breath, smelled food cooking, and smiled. She rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, then ran a brush through her hair and went out into the kitchen. ‘Hey. A person...
Rhythm and the Blue Line Ch 03 © 2011 All rights reserved ‘Hi, Mom,’ Ryan said. ‘Hi, sweetie. How are you? I’ve been worried about you. Maybe you should come home while you heal up.’ ‘I’m fine, Mom. Really, I’m fine. I promise.’ Ryan stared at the ceiling. ‘The insurance is covering it. I can come off the crutches this week, and they’ll give me a soft cast for a week or so.’ ‘I called you last night but you didn’t answer. Were you all right?’ ‘I was fine. I was with the band last night. I...
Rhythm and the Blue Line Ch 04 © 2011 All rights reserved Brody stared at the screen. ‘ This is what you watch when you’re upset?’ ‘I warned you.’ Ryan reached into the bag of chips. ‘You’re the one who wanted to make the bet.’ ‘You are . . . different,’ Brody said. ‘I mean, most girls I know, they’d be sniffling through The Notebook or something. Eating a gallon of ice cream and watching Titanic. When you said dark, I figured some horror movie or something.’ ‘I didn’t break up with a...
Ryan knocked on Brody's door, bursting to tell him about the tour. Word had gotten around, and she'd gotten congratulatory calls from Annette and others, but it wasn't quite the same. She was about to knock again when he opened the door. "Hey, come on in." Brody held the door open for her. "Thanks." Ryan's excitement dropped a few notches. Brody looked and sounded far different than he had on the phone earlier. "You okay?" "Sure. What's up?" He closed the door. "I, um, I have news." "Yeah? Good...
Love StoriesRhythm and the Blue Line Part 6 © 2011 All Rights Reserved The next morning, Ryan stretched and rolled over in her bed, but Brody wasn't there. She blinked awake and frowned, wondering how late it was and why he would have left. So far as she knew, he had nothing going on today. She took a deep breath, smelled food cooking, and smiled. She rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, then ran a brush through her hair and went out into the kitchen. "Hey. A person could...
Love StoriesRhythm and the Blue Line Ch 04 © 2011 All rights reserved Brody stared at the screen. " This is what you watch when you're upset?" "I warned you." Ryan reached into the bag of chips. "You're the one who wanted to make the bet." "You are . . . different," Brody said. "I mean, most girls I know, they'd be sniffling through The Notebook or something. Eating a gallon of ice cream and watching Titanic. When you said dark, I figured some horror movie or something." "I didn't break up with a...
Love StoriesRhythm and the Blue Line Ch 03 © 2011 All rights reserved "Hi, Mom," Ryan said. "Hi, sweetie. How are you? I've been worried about you. Maybe you should come home while you heal up." "I'm fine, Mom. Really, I'm fine. I promise." Ryan stared at the ceiling. "The insurance is covering it. I can come off the crutches this week, and they'll give me a soft cast for a week or so." "I called you last night but you didn't answer. Were you all right?" "I was fine. I was with the band last night. I...
Love StoriesRhythm and the Blue Line Ch 02 © 2011 All rights reserved "So, Mark, what's the story with Ryan?" Brody asked a couple of days later. They sat in the dressing room, lacing up their skates before practice. "What?" Mark looked up. "What story?" Brody shrugged. "She seeing anybody?" Mark narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. Why?" "Just curious." "I don't think she's your type." "My type?" Brody raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" Mark stood and grabbed his helmet. "Her IQ is bigger than her bra size and...
Love Storiesexploring alternative method to please and excite myself. in the begining, just like any teenage boy…busting that nut was the overall goal…which I can pretty much say the say the same for through out high school. My sex and jerk off session was done with very little imagination. There was those once in the blue moon, lets say at a friends house and happen to see the girlfriends used panties laying in their bedroom floor or hamper and snatch it to take home and suck the pussy juices and pretty...
exploring alternative method to please and excite myself. in the begining; just like any teenage boy...busting that nut was the overall goal...which I can pretty much say the say the same for through out high school. My sex and jerk off session was done with very little imagination. There was those once in the blue moon; lets say at a friends house and happen to see the girlfriends used panties laying in their bedroom floor or hamper and snatch it to take home and suck the pussy juices and...
Summary: My first day of creative writing class would change my life in ways I would never have believed. ~ ~ ~In the Fall of 1983 I was beginning the first semester of my senior year of uni. With most of my core classes long since completed I ticked off electives towards the 136 hours I needed to graduate the following May. While flipping through the course catalog, I noticed that Creative Writing 1 was not only 3 credit hours, but could also count towards my Humanities...
"Turn off the device," a deep, ominous voice commanded. One of the two black-uniformed Death Star troopers who stood against the far wall of the detention cell raised a remote device from his belt and pressed a button, deactivating the IT-O droid's interrogation program routine. Slowly the small floating spherical unit retracted it's needle from Princess Leia Organa's arm and moved away from the young woman until it stopped between the two troopers by the door, hovering in place. Cold...
Zax moved fast and stealthily through the meadows of the first Savage Cave and then the group of mountains where the entrance to the second Savage Cage was. His Soul Sense inspected every millimeter of the surrounding, detecting many bird type savage beasts and couple of experts who preferred to cultivate their souls in the cavities of the tall mountains. 'Is this the second level Core Master big sister Hagen found?' Zax found a skinny man with lemon skin tone lurking not far from the...
My wife Fiona and I drove around aimlessly for what felt like hours, trying to decide on a place to stop and eat. It felt like there was nothing to choose from in our careless opinionated rants about not wanting burgers or pancakes (all that was available at this midnight hour.) After a few more rounds across town, she slid her hand onto my knee and said, "let's just see what we have at home." I glanced at her while grinning and received a similar expression except much more intense. She was...
EroticBrody tromped into the dressing room after practice. It had been a good day so far, he thought. He’d talked with his parents and they were coming East for Christmas, along with a couple of his siblings. He hoped Ryan would have a chance to meet them. They hadn’t talked much about it yet, but he assumed she’d be spending the day with her family. Still, with his family staying for a few days and coming to a game, there should be time for everyone to meet. ‘Hey, Langer, big plans for tonight?’...
After watching Brody suffer his concussion, Ryan could not sleep. She laid in bed and dozed fitfully at best, giving up around seven a.m. She dressed quietly to avoid waking Lara and went for a walk. After close to an hour, she still was not ready to return to the hotel. She found a diner a block away and went in and ordered some coffee. When her phone rang, she grabbed for it. ‘Hello.’ ‘Hi, Ryan? This is Bax. Chuck Baxter.’ ‘Hi, Bax. How are you?’ Her stomach tied in knots, why would Bax...
© 2011 All rights reserved * A week later, Ryan was pleased to be in a soft cast. Her ankle hurt far less and she was off her crutches, but she couldn’t wait to be done with the whole damn thing. At least, she thought as she came in from work, she wasn’t thinking about how it had happened every time she walked more than a block. Just a few more days, she reminded herself as she stared at the contents of the fridge. She frowned, pickings were slim. She wondered if there was any mac’n’cheese....
Author’s note: First, thanks to my beta readers for reading and estragon for copy edits. Thanks also to MugsyB and LettersfromTatyana for letting me borrow some characters. The next morning, Ryan stretched and rolled over in her bed, but Brody wasn’t there. She blinked awake and frowned, wondering how late it was and why he would have left. So far as she knew, he had nothing going on today. She took a deep breath, smelled food cooking, and smiled. She rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of...
Author’s Note: Well, here it is, the final installment. Thanks once again to MugsyB and Annanova for encouragement, my beta reader J, and to estragon for copyediting. Any errors are mine, but hopefully there aren’t many. Thanks to all who have read, voted and commented — it means so much. Lara looked at Ryan over the top of her latté. ‘You guys fought over a tour again?’ ‘Well, we didn’t exactly fight,’ Ryan said with a rueful smile. ‘I got out before it became a fight. But there was...
(c) 2011 All Rights Reserved A week later, Ryan was on the UMD campus. She walked over to the statue of the diamondback terrapin, symbol of the school’s teams, and rubbed its head. The week had been hectic, including a tense dinner with her parents, and it felt like it was the first time in days she’d even been able to take a deep breath. ‘So, let’s see.’ She patted the terrapin’s head again. ‘In the last week, I’ve filed a record number of reports at work, argued both on the phone and in...
Author’s note: Sorry for the delay, and there will likely be one with the next chapter. I caught up to myself. Thanks to estragon for help with copy editing. ================================== © 2011 All Rights Reserved The night after meeting Ryan’s parents, Brody was playing pool with Drew, Bax, and Tolya at an Arlington sports bar. He took his shot, missed, and stepped back for Drew, and told them about the dinner. ‘Her dad asks me if I ever played football, because obviously he thinks...
Brody debated what they might do now that the gig was over. It was fall, so a lot of places closed early. On the other hand, the weather was still decent, so he suggested they go to Old Town Alexandria. Ryan agreed, and he waited while she changed, musing over what Mark, Hilary and even Bax had been saying for the last few days. True, he wouldn’t mind being more than friends with Ryan. However, she’d been up front about not wanting more, and he wasn’t one to push once a line was drawn. Then...
Ryan gave herself a mental shake as she got her guitar out. It was Saturday, and in seven days, they’d be headlining at the 9:30 Club. She thought she must be excited, she kept telling herself the butterflies in her stomach meant she was excited. She chatted with Lara and Mitch as they got ready. Nate came in a few minutes later, and Ryan was surprised not to see Jason with him. Mitch and Nate started talking, and Ryan turned to Lara. ‘Where’s Jason?’ she asked. ‘He and Nate usually come...
Author’s Note: Yes, here’s a hockey romance. I know it’s been a long (long long long) time since I posted something other than a stand alone. Writing time has been hard to come by this year, unfortunately. I do hope you enjoy this. Votes and feedback always appreciated. Thanks to MugsyB, annanova, and LettersfromTatyana for beta reading and encouragement, as well as my chief beta reader J. Also thanks to Estragon for the copy editing. Hope you enjoy! =============================== ‘I gotta...
Brody hung by the blue line, waiting for his defensemen to get to the puck out of the corner. Time slowed as players jabbed at the puck, trying to free it from under skates and sticks. After what seemed like forever, the puck dribbled free and Bax snagged it and started up the ice. Brody followed him and saw Tolya joining the rush. They crossed the red line and Bax dumped the puck down the ice. Brody put on a burst of speed and went after it, colliding with a Devil player along the boards. He...
Author’s note: thanks again to my beta readers and to estragon for copy edits. Votes and feedback always welcome. © 2011 All Rights Reserved Brody drummed his fingers on his knee and bounced his leg as he sat on the team bus. They’d be on their way to Philly soon and few things got the Capitals pumped like a game against the Flyers, even though it was the teams’ first meeting of the season, in mid-November. Baxter dropped into the seat beside him. ‘Jesus, do you never sit still?’ ‘Just a...
Author’s Note: Many thanks to MugsyB and Annanova for their feedback on drafts, and to estragon for copy editing. Any remaining errors are mine — sorry in advance. After watching Brody suffer his concussion, Ryan couldn’t sleep. She laid in bed and dozed fitfully at best, giving up around seven a.m. She dressed quietly to avoid waking Lara and went for a walk. After close to an hour, she still wasn’t ready to return to the hotel. She found a diner a block away and went in and ordered some...
© 2011 All Rights Reserved Author’s Note: Thanks again to my beta readers and to estragon for copy editing. Ryan gave herself a mental shake as she got her guitar out. It was Saturday, and in seven days, they’d be headlining at the 9:30 Club. She thought she must be excited, she kept telling herself the butterflies in her stomach meant she was excited. She chatted with Lara and Mitch as they got ready. Nate came in a few minutes later, and Ryan was surprised not to see Jason with him. Mitch...
Author’s note: My apologies for the delay in posting this. What can I say? Life got in the way and foiled the best laid plans of mice and writers. Please enjoy, and feedback is welcome as always. * Ryan had just saved her work log when her phone rang. She answered, hoping it wasn’t a last-minute request for anything. She was anxious to finish up and get out, Brody was going to pick her up and they were going to get one last, quiet celebration in before the tour and the playoffs started up. ...
(c) 2011 All Rights Reserved Author’s note: Happy New Year, everybody! Sorry for the delay, here’s ch 7. ======================================= Four weeks later, on a Friday in the middle of January, Ryan was at work but all of her attention was on Lara. ‘We got it?’ Ryan kept her voice down as she gripped the phone. ‘Are you sure? Are you serious?’ ‘I know! I know!’ Lara all but squeaked. ‘I’m sure, I’m so sure! I just talked to him and they mean it. Once we calm down, we need to find a...
Ryan laughed to herself as she hung up the phone. She did feel a little guilty about conning Brody into bringing her food, but she reminded herself that they had had plans, and he likely would have made dinner anyway. This was a simple matter of timing and location. She sat for a minute with her eyes closed until she heard a knock on the door. With a groan, she dragged herself off the couch and opened the door. She had to bite back a smile at the exasperated expression on Brody’s face. ‘You...
A week later, Ryan was on the UMD campus. She walked over to the statue of the diamondback terrapin, symbol of the school’s teams, and rubbed its head. The week had been hectic, including a tense dinner with her parents, and it felt like it was the first time in days she’d even been able to take a deep breath. ‘So, let’s see.’ She patted the terrapin’s head again. ‘In the last week, I’ve filed a record number of reports at work, argued both on the phone and in person with my parents, argued...
The night after meeting Ryan’s parents, Brody was playing pool with Drew, Bax, and Tolya at an Arlington sports bar. He took his shot, missed, and stepped back for Drew, and told them about the dinner. ‘Her dad asks me if I ever played football, because obviously he thinks that’s the only sport worth playing.’ Brody shook his head. ‘Jesus. So there I am, trying to find a nice to way to say, no, I didn’t want to play the sport that he’s obsessed with.’ ‘Did he ask you about your intentions...
The incessant buzz of his alarm clock usually had Brody up right away, but this time it took him a good ten seconds of flailing before he found the button to shut it off. The team had played the night before, eking out an overtime win against Nashville, and he’d almost fallen asleep in his clothes when he’d gotten home. He lay in bed a while longer before opening his eyes. His day had so far consisted of going to sleep, waking up and trying to get oriented, then sleeping again. He dragged...
At the sound check, Ryan found herself more relaxed than she’d ever been preparing for a gig. It almost made her laugh. Jason’s absence was liberating, and added weight to the others’ argument that perhaps they shouldn’t replace him. She still wasn’t sure, but had to admit the idea was appealing, especially if it meant reduced stress levels like this. She looked up and saw Trout, who was nodding as he adjusted levels on the sound board. Brody was up there, too, standing back so as not to get...
Ryan’s phone beeped as she and Brody walked to the club. She checked the screen and touched the icon to see Evan’s text message. I had to promise to come to dinner with Mom and Dad next week. You owe me. ‘Smart ass.’ Ryan shook her head with a smile and put her phone back in her pocket. ‘Who is?’ Brody asked. ‘Evan. Oh, hey, I guess we’re officially official, since you’ll be meeting a family member.’ He opened the door for her. ‘Yeah, but it’s only your brother. You’re starting me off easy.’...
‘Jason was a piece of work, wasn’t he?’ Lara shook her head as she drove them home. ‘He was.’ Ryan paused, trying to get a sense of Lara’s mood. ‘No worse than usual, I guess, but he does get under my skin. I think he does it on purpose.’ ‘Yeah. God.’ Lara smacked the steering wheel. ”Too bad you didn’t get an earlier date?’ Next time he can plan the damn gigs. I don’t see him offering to help. He won’t even put up any flyers!’ She shook her head. ‘Nate did I don’t know how many blocks last...
© 2011 All rights reserved ‘I gotta go, man,’ said Mark. ‘I told Hilary I’d meet her.’ ‘Right.’ Brody grinned. ‘You’re just mad because I was kicking your ass at Madden.’ Mark rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, that’s it. I’m so pissed about losing that I’m using my girlfriend as an excuse. Jesus, Brody.’ Brody snickered. ‘You have been whipped since she moved in with you.’ ‘Just get out.’ Mark glared at him. ‘Man, I never thought I’d see the day. . . .’ Brody dodged Mark’s half-hearted swing at his...
Brody waited for Mark and Hilary near the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station. He was looking forward to the show and seeing Ryan perform. When he thought about growing up, he always remembered music in the background. Classical, rock, blues, even some punk—his parents had played a little bit of everything, and he and his siblings had all added their contributions as they’d grown up. He’d tried to learn an instrument, but it had been plain from the first squeak on the clarinet that music was not his...
Lara looked at Ryan over the top of her latté. ‘You guys fought over a tour again?’ ‘Well, we didn’t exactly fight,’ Ryan said with a rueful smile. ‘I got out before it became a fight. But there was definitely a difference of opinion.’ ‘What happened?’ ‘I already told you. Brody got upset when he realized I would be gone the rest of the summer. Then I got upset and left. I just knew if I stayed and we kept talking, it would get ugly.’ Ryan stopped and took a drink of her coffee. She’d gone to...
© 2011 All Rights Reserved A week later, Ryan was pleased to be in a soft cast. Her ankle hurt far less and she was off her crutches, but she couldn’t wait to be done with the whole damn thing. At least, she thought as she came in from work, she wasn’t thinking about how it had happened every time she walked more than a block. Just a few more days, she reminded herself as she stared at the contents of the fridge. She frowned, pickings were slim. She wondered if there was any mac’n’cheese. A...
Game five back in Washington was even more tightly-contested than game four in Montréal. Brody saw the puck sliding to the corner and charged after it. He caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye, knew he had a step on the defenseman, and sped up as he focused on the puck. A few feet out from the boards he felt something slam into his back and then he crashed into the boards. He dropped face down to the ice. ‘Brody, you okay?’ He could hear an accented voice above him. ‘Don’t...
Ryan had just saved her work log when her phone rang. She answered, hoping it wasn’t a last-minute request for anything. She was anxious to finish up and get out, Brody was going to pick her up and they were going to get one last, quiet celebration in before the tour and the playoffs started up. It was her supervisor, but luck was with her—the work was already done. Relieved, she sent the files and copied them to the shared drive on the network. She looked at the clock and groaned, the end of...
Saturday morning Brody woke up and groaned as his leg throbbed. He’d gone down to block a shot in the game against Philly, caught the puck above his knee, and it still hurt. Given that, he’d talked with the coach and trainer and decided to skip the day’s optional skate. He stayed in bed a little longer, but sleep wouldn’t return, and so he got up, making his way to the shower with a grimace. Once out, he was rubbing his hair with a towel when the phone rang. ‘Hello?’ ‘Hi, Brody. It’s Ryan.’...