The closer I get to Damon’s, the more my anxiety heightens. The sweat from my hands coupled with the over hundred-degree weather is making the steering wheel slippery. I’m not good with meeting a bunch of new people at once. Tonight, I’m stepping outside my comfort zone long enough to meet some of the guys, have a beer, and then I’m going home. Everybody gets what they want, and I can get some much required sleep. The sun has already been on me all day, and the first thing I plan to do is find somewhere to get out of it.
As I turn onto his road, there are at least ten cars lined up in front of his home. How many people are here, anyway? I rock my head and park behind a gold Toyota. What the hell am I getting myself into? I rub my sweaty hands on my pants, and hike up the driveway.
“Glad you could make it,” Aiden says.
A nod is my return, and I stroll past them. “Where is everyone?” There doesn’t appear to be anyone in the house.
“We are all out in the backyard. Come on, man.”
He slides the glass door open and I practically throw up. There must be at least thirty people in his backyard right now, but my eyes settle on a woman in a long lavender sundress with aviators on.
“Everybody, this is Jeremy. He’ll be joining us starting next week,” Damon reveals, and everybody turns to look at me.
My hand raises, and I force a half smile onto my face for the sake of not offending anyone. I’m not the type of person who likes to be in the spotlight; it gives me anxiety. Damon knows this. Once the eyes come off of me, I follow him, waiting for my chest to untighten.
“Come on, we’re barbecuing over here. Need a beer?” Aiden asks.
He drops into the container and hands me one. “Come on, drink one for me. I’m sober.”
My sister cleaned his ass up, and I’m glad for it. Aiden, up until recently, was known as the township slut and drunk, until she showed up back into town for Damon’s wedding and whacked him off his feet again. It’s nice to see him sober and still having a good time. “Alright, this one’s for you.”
This is the first time I’ve been to his new house, and it surprises me how extravagant it is. A shiny red swing set and matching slide pushed toward the back of it, and a tree house settled high in the branches of a huge oak tree. Around the back of the house are painted rocks speckling the flowerbeds. What catches my attention the most is the radio set up blaring country music now. Damon has always seemed to me like someone who is frugal with his money.
“Ready to start Monday? It’ll be nice having you around. It’s a different pace than construction for sure,” Damon says.
‘Yeah,” I respond, but not fully paying attention to what he is saying. The woman is speaking to Tessa, but every so often, her attention shifts to me. Who is she? I can’t seem to take my eyes off of her, and her lengthy brown hair and fair skin.
I try to pay attention to Aiden as he speaks about his bookstore, and how well it’s been operating, which I couldn’t be more thrilled about, but my focus isn’t on him. The eye makeup she has on enhances her brown eyes, and it only makes me want to approach her even more.
Self-doubt takes effect, speculating if I should even pursue to present myself. What if we hit it off? It’s not like I have time for anybody else in my world right now. My old man would instruct me to go for it.
“Are you even paying attention?” Aiden asks, whacking me on the arm.
I rattle my head. “Who’s that girl?”
“Not sure. Never seen her before. Go talk to her, bro. Never hurts to try.”
Can I put the time and effort it takes to bloom a new relationship?
“It’s been way too long for you. You need some pleasure in your life,” Aiden says, patting me on the shoulder and trying to instill confidence.
Fuck it, I’m doing it.
My chest rises and falls as I get closer, and I try not to chicken out. “Hey, Tess. Who’s your friend?”
Tessa glances at me, brings her palms up, and answers, “No need for the banter. I’ll go hang out with Damon. She’s single, by the way.”
When she leaves, the woman remains in front of me, offering a flash of a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes. I don’t wish to be assertive, so I take a sip of my beer, and evaluate her interest. She has been staring me down since I entered, so that means she must be keen, right?
My pulse quickens, not wanting to be rejected. “And you are?” Someone with her elegance should keep her head high, but her eyes keep finding the ground. Who demolished her confidence?
“I’m, uh, Raquel.” Her left hand is holding her right elbow.
She is still not making direct eye contact with me, and self-doubt has me considering maybe it was very forward of me to come over here and introduce myself. My hand grazes across the back of my neck. “Not to sound like a total crackpot, but want to go sit down?”
She nods, and I follow her over to a section with a couple of tables and armchairs in the grass, off from most of the guests. The warmth isn’t doing us any favors, but at least this spot brings us some much desired shade from the sun with an oak tree protecting us. There is still an hour until the sun sets. I try to get her to open up a bit, show me some of her charm. Her disposition transforms once we are elsewhere from everyone, and she grins. There it is.
“You from here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around town before,” I ask. The question is theoretical. Grapevine is small enough to where, if I had seen her around before, I would remember.