Chapter Thirteen
Tyler
“Thank you for today,” I said to Kelsi as we drove back to her place. “That was the best visit I’ve had with my father since I’ve been home.”
“Yeah, that was a beautiful afternoon.”
“Would you be free to come to an art studio with me tomorrow?”
“An art studio? What are you doing there?” Kelsi asked.
“Oh, it’s just a cute place that I did some marketing for. Not this particular studio, but the chain that owns it. I promised the owner I’d stop into one sometime and I’ve never followed through. I noticed it was in Fort Worth near the restaurant and thought I’d make some time for it.”
“I wouldn’t be able to go until after dinner. Would that be too late?” Kelsi asked.
“No, I think that will work. I’ll call them tonight and I’ll get back with you in the morning if that’s all right?”
“Yep, sounds good.”
As I pulled into her driveway, it dawned on me that meeting Kelsi at the reunion had been one of the best things to happen to me in a very long time. There wasn’t another person in my life who I could have shared such an intimate moment with as my father was nearing the end of his life.
“You know, I haven’t actually painted since that time you and I stayed late to finish our art projects.”
“Wow, I remember that night like it was yesterday,” Kelsi said as her eyes glazed over with the memory. “You were insatiable that night.”
“Insatiable?” I laughed. “From what I remember, it was you who started the kissing that night.”
“Me? No way. I was just minding my business and finishing my painting. You were the one who spilled paint on your shirt and just had to take it off,” she said as she climbed out of the car. “I expect your clothes will stay on at this art studio we are going to?”
“You can assume anything you’d like,” I teased.
“I’ll talk to you later, thanks for a great day.”
“Thanks for coming with me to see my dad. Have a great night,” I said as she shut the door.
I sat in the driveway to her house and watched as she climbed the steps and looked back at me just before going into the house. I couldn’t help but flash back to the many times I had dropped her off in that very spot when we were teenagers.
I didn’t really have to go visit the art studio, but I needed another reason to get together with Kelsi. When she was next to me, it felt like the old days. I felt like the man I used to be, the one who was excited by each day and had plans that wouldn’t stop running through my mind.
When I pulled into my driveway, I knew right away that Mike was in town. There was no other reason Bryce would be at my house unless there was some sort of emergency with my father. But even if there had been an emergency, Bryce wouldn’t have been called. I walked up the steps, nervous about what was going on and why Bryce was in my house.
Relief washed over me when I walked through the door and saw Mike, Bryce, and Maryann all drinking and playing cards at the kitchen table. It was a rare sight that Maryanne was actually smiling and enjoying herself; she was so sad about losing our father that the sadness had taken over her normal personality. I didn’t blame her for being grumpy, though. I knew how sweet her soul was and how much it was hurting at the idea of going on with life and not having Dad around. Maryanne and Dad were inseparable, they had a different kind of bond than my father and I had. With Maryanne, Dad was soft, kind, loving, and not at all like he was with me. My father loved me, but he wasn’t overtly affectionate toward me like he was with Maryanne; the two of them had their own special bond.
“Did I miss the memo on poker night?” I laughed as I joined the group at the table.
“Yeah, I CC’d you on it last week,” Maryanne said playfully. She was drunk, which I also hadn’t seen for a while.
“So, you decided to come back home, old boy,” I said as I patted Mike on the back. “You missed us and just couldn’t stay away?”
“He thought you and I were partying without him,” Bryce added. “I tried to explain to him that there was no partying going on, but he didn’t believe me.”
“How was your date?” Maryanne asked.
“It wasn’t a date. I just took Kelsi out to visit with Dad. He was doing really well, though. We got him up and took him for a roll out through the gardens. I haven’t seen him that happy in a really long time.”
“Aww, I’m sorry I missed it. I would have loved to see Dad happy,” Maryanne said nostalgically as she sipped on her drink.
“So, what’s going on here? A little poker?” I asked.
“Did you poke her?” Mike said crudely.
“Mike, come on, man. We gave up the bet, remember? You win, I’m letting you use the jet for a vacation. Drop it, please,” I said as I looked from him to Maryanne.
The last thing I needed was Maryanne finding out about that stupid bet and telling Kelsi. I was the first to admit it was a stupid bet and I never should have made it, but it would like awful if Kelsi found out about it. I wasn’t hanging out with her because of the bet; it had absolutely nothing to do with the time I was spending with her. Only harm could come from her finding out.
“What bet?” Maryanne asked as she continued to play her cards.
“Oh, nothing. Just a stupid thing between Mike and I. Are you guys going to deal me in? I just need to make a quick call and I’ll play with you.”
“Yep, next hand we will add you,” Bryce said as he went along with my distraction.
I went to the other room and dialed Kelsi to let her know I had made the final arrangements about the art studio. Of course, there were no actual arrangements that needed to be made because I already knew the owner and had already reserved the place for the evening, but I went along with my story.
“Hey, we are good to go to the studio after six. Does that work for you?” I asked as I walked further away from the noisy crew at my kitchen table.
“Yep, that will work,” she said just as everyone burst out laughing in my dining room.
I wasn’t exactly sure why they were laughing so much, but I was sure that Kelsi had heard them. There was no way to deny I had them all over at my house.
“Sorry for the noise; Bryce and Mike are over and they are drunk. I feel a slumber party coming.” I laughed.
“Oh, that sounds like fun. Hopefully, Mike doesn’t puke all over your couch like he did at homecoming.”
“Man, that was horrible. My dad had to throw the couch out because it never stopped smelling of pizza and beer. It was nasty.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go. I’ll see you tomorrow. What time will you be picking me up? Are we staying at the hotel?”
My heart literally flipped over in my chest at the idea she was considering staying with me at the hotel. I could certainly reserve a room there again if she wanted me to.
“The hotel?” I asked.
“I’m kidding,” she said as she crushed my dreams. “I’ll be ready at five-thirty, how does that sound?”
“Not as good as the hotel, but I think that works just fine. Talk to you tomorrow, and enjoy your night.”
I immediately called the hotel and reserved a room for the following night. Even though I was perfectly fine with bringing Kelsi back home after our evening together, I still held out hope that she had made her comment with a little bit of hope of her own. She and I had a connection, there was no denying it. And I didn’t see a reason why we shouldn’t enjoy each other while we were both available. Life was short; we needed to enjoy every moment of it.
“So, how was Kelsi?” Maryanne asked. “Does she know about the bet you made to sleep with her?”
“Mike!” I yelled as I slapped him on the head.
“What? She asked me, and I couldn’t lie. Look at those beautiful brown eyes. How could I lie to those?”
“It was a joke and before I had even talked to her since coming home. We canceled it. Please don’t tell Kelsi; it has nothing to do with her now. It was stupid.”
“I know, you big jerk. I wouldn’t tell her. But you are right, that was a stupid bet. How old are you guys anyway?”
“It was Mike’s idea,” I said as if I was still the teenager she was accusing me of being.
“Sorry,” he said as he looked sweetly over at Maryanne. “Sometimes I do stupid things. I just can’t help myself, I think it’s because of all the hits I took while playing professional football. Did you know I was a football player?” he asked as he overtly flirted with my sister.
“Yes, Mike. I’ve known you since you had pimples covering your forehead,” she replied, totally uninterested in his advances.
I sat with Bryce across the table and rolled my eyes at what I was observing. How was it even possible that Mike was flirting with my little sister? After knowing her for almost 20 years, he decides now is a good time to make a move?
“So, Mike is in love with your sister,” Bryce said. “And you’re in love with your old high school girlfriend. Then there’s me, boring me with a wife and children and no excitement at all.”
“Hey, I’d kill to have a wife who loved me as much as Ashley loves you. That’s what we are all looking for, you know?”
“You’re looking for love?” He snickered.
“I didn’t know I was looking for it, but being around Kelsi is bringing up all sorts of things for me.”
“Dude, it’s the unknown that’s getting to you. As men, we always want what we can’t have, and she’s made it clear you couldn’t have her. Now, she’s giving you a tiny glimpse at the possibilities, and your mind is mesmerized by the idea of her.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“You need to bang her. It’s the only way to see clearly again. Just close the deal and then you’ll be free.”
“Maybe,” I said as I pondered what he was saying.
Bryce was a little crude in his delivery, but maybe he was right. Maybe I was feeling all these emotions for Kelsi because I had wanted her so badly when we were younger. Now, even though we were older, I still hadn’t had her, and it was a primal urge that I couldn’t let go of. It was a clear possibility.
“When do you see her again?”
“Tomorrow. I’m taking her painting.”
“Shit, you are all romantic and stuff. Man, Ashley would wet herself with pleasure if I pulled some of this shit. Dude, you’re giving guys a bad name.”
“Perhaps you should do something special for Ashley for that very reason? Wouldn’t it be nice to see her wanting you so badly that she couldn’t contain herself?”
“Don’t go all romantic commando on me, Tyler. I’m married; I already closed the deal.”
“Suit yourself. I’m just saying you might want to keep your game a little warm so she doesn’t wander off. Ashley’s one fine woman, and I bet when she goes to the gym, the guys are always hitting on her.”
“What have you heard?” he said in a paranoid tone.
I had to laugh; it was clear that Bryce wasn’t putting any extra effort into his relationship at all. Even though I didn’t have a long-term relationship, I did know women, and I knew they liked to be wanted. In my opinion, it didn’t matter if it was the first date or you have been married for 50 years, a woman liked to know her man wanted her.
“I haven’t heard anything; I’m just giving you my love advice.”
“Oh, okay. Dude doesn’t even have a girlfriend and is giving me marriage advice.” He snickered as we went back to playing cards.
Luckily, after a late night of playing cards, I was able to sleep in until nearly noon the next morning. It was by far the longest I’d ever slept since back home I hardly took a day off of work at all. Even when I did have a day where I wasn’t at the office, I was still at home working.
As I rolled out of bed and grabbed some coffee, I dialed Marcus to check in with how everything had been going. He had forwarded a few emails to me, but other than that, Marcus had let me relax more than I had imagined he was going to.
“I just got out of bed.” I laughed as he answered his phone.
“Now that’s weird.”
Marcus knew me well and knew I was always up and in the office before most of the staff. Even on Sundays, I was up and going for my run before most people made it to church. But I enjoyed the relaxed life I had in Rainbow; it was certainly growing on me.
“How are things going?” I asked.
“Things are going really well. I hate to tell you this, but I really like being in charge.” He laughed.
“That’s a relief. I really like not being in charge. How are the clients doing? No big complaints or anything like that?”
“Nope, I’ve got the account reps working hard to keep everything on time. The department heads say everyone is doing well and I even brought in a new client earlier this week.”
“Wow, I’m impressed. Thanks for taking the lead and running with it, I appreciate it very much.”
“How is your father doing?”
“He’s doing as well as can be expected. We got him up and outside yesterday, and I saw him smiling more than I’ve seen since I got out here.”
“Are they sure there isn’t anything else that can be done for him? I mean, if he’s doing so well, maybe his doctors could find a cure.”
I had to laugh at his comment and how similar it was to Kelsi’s and many other people’s. It was a natural human instinct to want to save someone who was ill. I know I had fought with that instinct for months after my father was diagnosed. Only after I had finished an exhaustive research and reviewed his case with several doctors had I finally succumbed to the reality of the situation.
“It’s just part of the illness. He has good days and bad. You make sure and call me if anything goes crazy. I’m still around, you know. I haven’t totally retired yet.”
“Sure thing, boss. Take care of yourself and your family.”
By five o’clock, I had visited my father and was on my way over to Kelsi’s house. Dad had spent most of our visit asleep, but it was still nice to sit with him. His number was growing smaller and smaller, and I wanted to take advantage of each day he had left.
I was almost 20 minutes early to Kelsi’s house and decided to pull into the driveway anyways. As I did, I saw her mother sitting on the porch reading a book. She looked exactly as I remembered her from my high school days when I’d come over to pick Kelsi up on the weekends. Déjà vu wrapped around my brain as I walked up the steps and gave Mrs. Sullivan a hug.
“Now this makes me feel old,” she said as she looked up at me.
“Me too.” I laughed. “Is Kelsi around, Mrs. Sullivan? I’m here to pick her up for a date.”
We both laughed at how similar our conversation was to so many we had had years before. Time was a tricky thing: one minute you were young and full of life and then with a blink of an eye, you were a grown up with 15 years of experience.
“She’s out riding one of the horses that needed breaking in. She was supposed to be back a while ago, but no sight of her yet.”
“Do you mind if I wait with you here? Or should I come back?”
“Oh, darling, you wait here with me. I’m not going to send you away. Although, when the girls find out you’re here, they will probably come and talk your ear off. You have caused quite the stir around here.”
“Really?” I said, suddenly very interested in the gossip that Mrs. Sullivan had to share with me.
“Yes, those girls sure do love having a handsome man around here. It reminds me of…” She trailed off.
“What was his name? Clyde’s father?”
Mrs. Sullivan smiled and then shook her head at my question. It was clear she wasn’t going to tell me about the guy. She just continued to shake her head and then made a motion like she was zipping her lips shut and throwing away the key.
“Oh, you’re throwing away the key?” I laughed. “I guess he must have been really handsome to cause so much secrecy.”
Mrs. Sullivan laughed and shrugged her shoulders before she finally gave in and responded to me.
“He was really handsome,” she said softly. “But he wasn’t a great guy. Not good at all.”
“So, tell me more about what the girls have been saying about me?” I said as I playfully raised my eyebrows.
“Oh, no, don’t you tell him anything,” Kelsi said as she walked up from the side of the house. “Sorry I’m late, and I’m filthy. Do you mind if I take a quick shower?”
“No, not at all. It will give me more time to interrogate your mother,” I teased.
“Don’t you tell him anything, Mom. I’ll know if you’ve talked. I’m like the National Security Administration; I know things.”
“Your mom and I will just enjoy the porch here. No worries. Go take your shower.” I laughed.
Kelsi just shook her head as she made her way into the house. She looked a little worried that her mom was telling me all sorts of wild stories, but Mrs. Sullivan didn’t tell me a thing. We sat quietly and talked about the weather mostly until Kelsi finally reappeared at the front door about 20 minutes later.
“I thought women were supposed to take a long time to get ready? That was speedy fast.”
“I’m not high maintenance.”
“Should we head out? I don’t want to be too late.”
“Yep, I’m all yours,” she said.
“Now that is music to my ears.”
“So, tell me, what exactly we are doing at this art studio?” Kelsi asked while I drove us toward the city.
“It’s a surprise,” I said as I grabbed her hand and pulled it up to my lips. “I think you’ll enjoy it, though.”
“I think so, too. You know, I’m going to get used to having you around, and that’s totally not fair.”
“I’m a horrible person.”
“Just like that? No argument at all? No defending yourself whatsoever?” Kelsi said as she giggled. “I would have thought you had some smooth answer for how you were going to deal with all these emotions you’re stirring up.”
“Nope, I’ve got nothing. I didn’t even have a plan going into that visit at your house the first time. All I knew was I really wanted to see you again.”
“Aw, you’re sweet.”
“Now I’m sweet?” I questioned. “I can’t be a horrible person and also be sweet, that just won’t work. We are going to have to decide on one of them.”
“After tonight,” she said softly as she pulled my fingers up to her mouth.
Kelsi let her tongue play with the tip of my middle finger and then seductively slid it around her lips. Instantly, my body hardened with desire. I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened, but it appeared that Kelsi was making a move on me. I certainly wasn’t going to complain about it; I was more than happy to be the recipient of any moves she wanted to make.
“You’re going to have to stop that or we will never make it to the art studio,” I said through deep breaths as I tried to calm the desire that was filling me quickly.
“I’m sorry, is this distracting you from your driving?” her husky voice said.
Kelsi pulled my wet finger out of her mouth and let it trace a trail down her chest and to the center of her cleavage. Now, I really was getting distracted and a little worried I wasn’t going to be able to keep my eyes on the road.
“Five minutes,” I said firmly. “We have five minutes until we get there.”
“Then do I get to paint you? Are you going to get naked and let me sketch you?”
“Naked?”
“Yeah, wasn’t that what you were going to do in high school?” She laughed.
“How did you know?”
“You took your shirt off, and then I saw your hands go to your belt, but you paused and then changed your mind. I was a little disappointed. I’d never seen a penis before, and I wanted to see yours.”
“I’ll show you anything you want,” I offered.
“Well, now it’s not as much fun. A penis is a penis; they are all pretty much the same.” Kelsi had an attitude of disappointment in her voice.
I still remembered my thoughts exactly during that night at the art studio. I was going to suggest she paint me naked, but I thought it sounded too cheesy and I didn’t want her to see how excited I was to be there with her. Instead, I just left my shirt off and went back to painting my own picture.
“I’ve missed you.” I laughed. “There aren’t many women in the world who could make a statement like that on a date.”
“You know, I hate to admit it, but I missed you, too. This is the most fun I’ve had in years. I’m glad you came home for a bit. I’m just sorry that it’s because your father is sick.”
“Okay, before this conversation gets all sappy and sad, let’s get into the art studio because I have something I want to show you.”
“Did you paint a giant picture of your penis?”
“No, but that does sound like a fun project.” I winked as I hopped out of the car and ran around to open her door for her.