Chapter 6

Conner couldn’t understand why he was suddenly so nervous. When Taylor had called, he had assumed it was to file a formal complaint about something he must have done, but he was mildly surprised that she had taken him up on his offer. Initially, it had been a joke to make her blush, and she had. But now, she called his bluff and was on her way over to accompany him to the community potluck.

The doorbell rang and he rushed over to open it. At the last moment, he stopped himself and took several deep breaths. He wasn’t acting like himself and if he wanted to keep it cool, this wouldn’t work. When he opened the door, he wasn’t sure that would be possible at all. Standing on the other side dressed in a beautiful pink dress was Taylor. She was a vision and he was feeling a bit uncomfortable as he stood there staring at her.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Yeah, sure” he replied.

She was holding a container in her hand and he suddenly realized that it wasn’t proper to arrive at a potluck without a pot.

“I forgot to get something to take with me,” he said. “They may crucify me.”

“It’s fine, I don’t think anyone will be expecting you” she replied, “and they’ll just chalk it up to your usual bad behavior.”

“Great so I can thank my bad reputation for something,” he replied sarcastically.

“Yeah, at least it’s worth something,” she said.

He laughed and together they began walking towards the community park where he could hear laughter and music. The sun hadn’t fully set and as they walked, he began to feel something he hadn’t felt for many years. It was strange how walking next to this beautiful woman made him feel like a nervous twelve-year-old all over again.

“So, how was your dinner party the other night?” he asked. “Did they reveal all my secrets?”

From the way she blushed, he could tell that she heard something interesting. He only hoped that it wasn’t too scandalous for her poor little heart.

“Not all,” she replied. “Just enough to encourage me to stay away from you.”

“Oh, the weak hearts,” he teased. “They never give me a break.”

“Rightfully so,” she replied. “They have you pegged correctly if I’m guessing right.”

“And what about you?” he asked. “What do you think of me?”

“Well, I can’t say for sure. You seem troubled and desperate for attention but I’m wondering how long that will last before you burn out,” She replied. “I have you on a clock, Conner.”

“Is this your professional opinion, Doc?” he asked.

“I have no professional opinion on the matter,” she replied. “I just think each person deals with their burdens in different ways.”

“So you think I act the way I do because something is wrong with me?” he asked.

“Well, why else would you act like that?” she asked.

He was silent. He didn’t have a good reason and he knew she was right. He had been messed many years ago and it had changed his life forever. Somehow, dealing with that problem was scarier than anything else he may encounter in life.

“I can’t say you’re wrong,” he replied, “but I won’t give you the satisfaction of telling you that you’re right.”

“How about you just thank me for giving you an opportunity to leave your house and not be a hermit for a day,” she said as politely as she had ever heard her speak.

“Thank you,” he said mockingly. “Your largess knows no bounds.”

“Good job,” she replied.

As they walked, he couldn’t help wondering what was going through her mind.

“So, you play sports?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“I play sports,” he replied, “but I play basketball professionally.”

“That sounds interesting.” She replied. “Is that all you want to do in life?”

The question threw him off a bit. He didn’t think he had ever been asked that question by anyone except his high school coach.

“I want to practice law” he replied. “Basketball just makes more sense to me right now.”

“Really?” she asked. “I wouldn’t have pictured that.”

He laughed at the way she sounded when she was surprised. Her voice went lower and somehow sounded much sexier.

“I actually already have my degree” he replied. “I just don’t practice. I keep up with it and I do plan on starting once I’m too old for this.”

“You love what you do?” she asked.

“I do” he replied. “It’s familiar and it’s profitable.”

“I know” she replied. “I have a few athletes as clients and they’re well off.”

“You know basketball players?” he asked.

She turned and smiled up at him. 

“You don’t think I know people?” she asked. “I know many players, footballers, basketballer, even hockey players. My father was a footballer years ago.”

He had to admit he was mildly impressed.

“So, you’re like a crazy nerd, right?” he asked.

“The craziest” she replied, “but someone’s got to do what I do.”

“I don’t mind” he replied. “If I ever get a knock on the head I’ll come to you.”

The way she laughed filled the air with a new and exciting sound.

They chatted a bit longer as they neared the crowd of people and he could tell by the surprised expression on his neighbor’s face that they didn’t expect him to come. A few of the children who recognized him ran to him and began bombarding him with questions. He fielded them one by one, allowing them to get as much out of him as possible. He was used to them and he much preferred the children to the adults here.

“Oh, he chipped in,” he heard Taylor say from the table where the food was being set up. “You can say it’s from us both. He wouldn’t know what to bring.”

Conner smiled, knowing she was trying to cover for him. He was not used to someone being kind to him without requesting something in return, and he was eager to find out what it was that she wanted.

“Hey?”

Conner looked up and saw Charles, Paige’s husband, walking over to him.

Charles was one of the men in the community he got along with. It wasn’t that he didn’t get along with the other husbands, but they didn’t have much in common and many of them he hadn’t taken the time to meet or get to know him.

“Hey,” he replied.

“You here with the new girl, huh?” Charles asked.

“Nah, we just walked here together,” he replied, not wanting to make this into something they could gossip about later.

“She’s a catch though, isn’t she?” Charles replied. “The most beautiful girl here and so successful at such a young age.”

Conner shrugged. It was impressive and she was the most beautiful girl here, but he was trying his very best to not think of her in that way.

“She’s beautiful,” he replied, “but she’s hardly my type.”

“She’s anyone’s type,” Charles continued, “anyone who’s man enough to take advantage of the opportunity.”

“I think you people are trying to convert me,” he said, remembering the conversation he had recently had with his coach and Stanley.

Since the talk, he had been a lot less social. He didn’t know exactly how to do it and he was still trying to negotiate how he could keep his life and live up to their lofty standards. It was proving difficult to live up to those standards and he didn’t want to spend his life living for others.

“I think you’re a twenty-eight-year-old man-child who needs to settle down,” Charles replied, “not based on my conservative views, but based on the fact that you’re not happy and it doesn’t take anyone too long to realise that’s the reason you spend so much time running around with all these women.”

“Pretty heavy talk for a simple potluck,” he joked. “How about we tone it down?”

“I don’t know what to say, man. She doesn’t hate you. That’s all you need to make your first move.” Charles said. “How many women do you know who have heard what she’s heard and still don’t keep you at arm’s length?”

“She doesn’t hate me!” he replied sarcastically.

“And imagine, after all, my wife told her about you.”

The smug smile instantly vanished from his lips. He knew they would talk about him, but the thought of Taylor thinking poorly of him because of their gossip left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Your wife sure knows how to turn a person’s mind,” he said defensively.

“Hey, she speaks the truth at least,” Charles replied, “plus, the girl seems strong enough to form her own opinions. She arrived here with you, so that should be enough to tell you she may be interested.”

He looked over to where Taylor stood sipping a glass of wine and smiling down at a little girl who was showing her bruises. Taylor was listening intently and offering suggestions to solve the problems.

“Hey, I may be wrong,” Charles said patting him on the shoulder, “but in any event, she’s a nice girl. She won’t want for men falling over her.”

Charles didn’t stick around to hear his response. He walked away to find his wife. Connor decided to retreat to the side of the only person present who wasn’t actively judging him.

“Hey,” he said, “what’s going on here?”

“I was telling Dr.Taylor about my bruise,” the little girl chimed in.

“Yes, very well done,” Taylor replied. “If you come to my offices, I think I can get you a few extra stickers for your band-aid.”

With that, the little girl ran off in the direction of her mother to tell her of her impending plans to visit Taylor.

“You’re a natural charmer,” he said.

“Thanks, coming from the best most charming person here,” she said dramatically. “High prices, sir.”

“I was about to ask why you didn’t take any of your victims here today, but now I see your sarcasm must have driven them away.”

Instead of being insulted, she simply laughed. He wondered if she was generally good-natured or if she was a bit tipsy on the wine she was drinking.

“I don’t attract the type of men I like,” She replied.

“What type is that?” he asked.

In the back of his mind, he was hoping it was a man like him, but he pushed the thought as far away as he could.

“I have no idea” she replied. “I’ve never really dated, never been in love. Never had a type.”

He let out a shocked breath. Either she was joking or she was the most clueless woman he had ever met. Either way, he would have to maintain his distance. There was something about her that made him feel as if he wasn’t good enough for her. It was a bad thought but there was nothing he could do to stop it from lingering in his mind. While she didn’t seem like the type to be mean, he knew his reputation preceded him.