“Nice to meet you,” I put forth. It wouldn’t be so bad to make friends while I’m here, although my time is limited and soon I’ll be in the City of Lights, sitting in little cafés and sipping on a cappuccino. Looking over her shoulder, I see Tyler heading back to me and can’t help the smile that’s building the closer he gets. I can see a gleam in his eye when he makes eye contact with me.
My lips part as he hands me one of the red cups. Tyler places his arm on my shoulders as he pulls me closer to him. Our lips meet automatically, both of us knowing that we needed to connect, even if it’s just for a moment. I can’t explain it and I’m not sure I even want to but I have this never-ending tingle whenever he’s near and it only intensifies when he touches me. I never want it to stop but know the end is near. I’m going to have to figure out a way to have him and Paris in my life and I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to manage either.
“Ahem!”
Tyler sort of pulls me partially behind him, as if he’s shielding me from something evil. I place my hand on his chest while my cup filled with beer rest near his hip. He tips his head to Annamae in a friendly gesture.
She steps forward, too close for my liking. I look at Tyler, who shakes his head ever so slightly. He lifts his cup to his mouth and takes a long drink. The sight of his Adam’s apple moving mesmerizes me for some reason.
“So, y’all together?”
I look up at Tyler and wink. He smiles and kisses me briefly, yet another habit that I’m starting to really enjoy. I could really get used to the type of treatment.
“I see you’ve met Annamae?”
“Did you tell her about me, Tyler?” she asks. I’m not even able to answer his question before she butts in. Apparently her presence in his life is important, at least to her.
“I’m sorry, he didn’t,” I shake my head slowly, trying to suppress a smile. Clearly, she feels as if she’s an important part of Tyler’s life and he doesn’t because he hasn’t mentioned her. Yet, she felt the need to come over and make her presence known. Shame I don’t feel it’s needed.
Annamae huffs and glares at Tyler. I want to slink back and hide from her daggers, but I stand firm. Clearly she’s someone in his life.
“I’m his fiancée,” she all but yells. My arms stiffen and I drop my hand from his waist. He quickly clamps his hand down on mine, holding it to his chest. Before I can say anything, he’s speaking.
“Ex, Annamae, and we were never engaged. You made the decision that I wasn’t good enough for you and shacked up with the landscaper. I don’t know what you’re tryin’ to pull here, but it ain’t gonna work. Savannah doesn’t need to listen to your lies. Go find Rufus, he’ll entertain ya.”
My mouth drops open slightly and Tyler just shakes his head. He motions for us to sit down and I take the lead, pulling his hand into mine. He sits down first and pats the spot between his legs, which I gladly take. I lean back, settling in his arms. My body sighs when he drapes his arm over me. When I look back at Annamae, she’s the in arms of another man, Rufus, maybe? Either way, it doesn’t matter. I’m all too aware of women causing drama when it’s not needed.
“I’m sorry about Annamae.”
“No need to be sorry,” I reply.
“We dated for a year until she met Rufus. Things didn’t end well.”
“Breakups never do,” I mutter. I wouldn’t know. While I’ve kissed plenty, I never made it to that “stage” where I could call someone my boyfriend. “Just Friends” is the title that has been used in the past. That was until now. I have no doubt I could introduce Tyler as my boyfriend and he’d agree.
Tyler rests his head on top of mine. “She’s harmless, but you’ll see her a lot. She likes to think that what we had was something great. Truth is, I probably would’ve married her had we stayed together and honestly I’m thankful that we didn’t. She’s really stuck up and way into her social status.”
“Sounds like girls from my school, all fake and pretentious. But this is nice. It’s my first time at a bonfire and everything seems so free here… nothing seems fake,” I mumble the last part. The more time I spend here, the more I realize just how fake I was in New York. I was trying to be someone I wasn’t.
“The country will do that for you,” he whispers against my neck. I turn my neck slightly to give him better access. As soon as his lips touch me, I shiver.
“Are you cold?” he asks as his hands start rubbing up and down my arms. I’m anything but cold.
“Not at all,” I say loud enough for him to hear as I snuggle into his neck. Right now I wish we were someplace else where we could be alone. With so many prying eyes I don’t want people staring at us. I turn back around and watch the others. Jeremiah waves and I hold my cup up, acknowledging him. I probably shouldn’t have hit him, but I was angry. I suppose I need to learn to take everything with a grain of salt. In hindsight, he probably only deserved the punch if he told my Uncle Bobby that Tyler and I were humping in the hay.
Tyler and I sit by the fire, listening to all the surrounding conversations. I’m content, being in his arms like this and don’t want to leave. He holds me as if it’s our last night together and not our first. I don’t even want to think of what our last night will be, assuming of course we’re still friends. With my track record I’m likely to screw this up before the weekends over and I’ll be back to square one, tiptoeing around him and being on the receiving end of his “I’m the boss” attitude.
We get up and walk around some of the property that Jeremiah lives on. His parents own it but only use it for horses, not farming or anything like Uncle Bobby. Tyler tells me Jeremiah works for him because his parents aren’t running a ranch and that’s what he went to school for. It’s hard to believe my Uncle Bobby makes enough off his ranch to have employees, but Tyler says the ranch thrives and does well.
It’s not something I’d want to do, live on a ranch and work. I have goals, dreams. I plan to major in fashion while in Paris. I want to live in a flat above the busiest street so I can hear the traffic at night and be able to listen to the street performers. I want to live close to the park and watch the tourists stare at their surroundings in awe. I’m going to have this is a few short months and I can’t wait.
Everyone comes over to talk to Tyler and he introduces me to all his friends. At one point during the night I overhear him say that I’m his girl. I try to hide the cheesy grin in my face, but I’m pretty sure he sees it. Thing is, he doesn’t turn away or try to hide that he said it. He keeps glancing at me while talking to his friends.
He makes me feel like I matter.
After the party dies down, I carry the blankets back to the truck and climb in as Tyler holds the door for me. He wants to take me stargazing tonight. My hand rests on his thigh, his arm around my shoulder as he drives down a dirt road. It’s a good thing he knows his way around because I’d never be able to find my way home with all these roads that stretch on for miles and seem to lead to nowhere.
He pulls over in a field and kisses me on the cheek. “Wait here.” He turns the truck off and everything is pitch black. If he thinks that I’m going to get out now, he has another thing coming. I startle when the back of the truck starts to move. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s about to burst out of my chest.