I was always a playful, optimistic person, but in Kentucky, around all of my boy cousins who teased me all the time, I cut up and smack-talked even more. It wasn't that my personality changed, I was just slightly less reserved in Kentucky.
Case in point would be the lip sync battle Stella and I got into that evening while she was at the house getting dressed with me. She came over before Tanner's basketball game to hang out and help me fix my hair. I had been in Lexington for two days, and tonight I would finally see Eric.
Stella and I were so silly and pumped that we danced and sang to a song called Then He Kissed Me by the Crystals. We were basically reenacting a scene from a movie called Adventures in Babysitting. We used to watch it all the time when we were kids because it was one of her mother's favorites.
We sang along to that song and danced like we were some serious lip-sync-masters from way back. Stella was freshly married and oh, so in love. And I must have been feeling a little something myself because I acted like a big goof ball, feeling all warm and fuzzy and imagining the whole time that the "he" in the song was Eric.
Stella and I spent an hour or so together before Tanner's basketball game. I didn't gush about it, but she got the idea that I liked Eric. It was hard for me to hide. I was happy, and I was so very anxious to see him. I hadn't seen him since that first day at the coffee shop. I had talked to him a ton since then, but I hadn't seen him in person. It was a surreal feeling, waiting for him, knowing he was coming to Lexington.
I wasn't quite sure how to treat him. We got along so well on the phone, that I wondered if that effortless familiarity would translate to seeing each other in person. I wished I knew if he liked me. I thought he did, but we didn't talk about that or put any sort of label on our budding relationship. It was more of a friendship so far, but I couldn't help but feel like he liked me. I knew I would soon find out.
Stella and I had similar taste in fashion, and she let me wear some of her clothes that night to the game. Her pants were a little tight on me, but I fit into her shirts and we even wore the same size shoe. She wasn't rich, but she had good taste and some nice things, and it was always fun to try on something new. It was cold here. Not quite as cold as it was at home, but I still had to bundle up.
I wore my own jeans but borrowed a shirt/jacket combination from Stella. It was a burgundy shirt with a brown herringbone wool coat. She also let me borrow some brown boots, and we styled my hair down with loose, mermaid waves that Stella made with a curling iron. She brushed it out, making it look natural and beautiful. I loved the whole outfit. I felt put together without looking like I was trying too hard. I was thankful that my cousin had helped me and been willing to share her clothes.
I enjoyed hanging out with Stella so much and missed her when we weren't together. She had been to see me in Philadelphia twice over the years, but my situation there wasn't like their life in Kentucky. My dad had never been as stable as either of his siblings. Stella knew she was welcome to come to Pennsylvania, but we almost always caught up in Lexington.
I felt happy, confident, and full of anticipation that night when we headed to the basketball game. Tanner's game was an 'away game' which meant we traveled to a different high school in town to watch him play. We had seen one of Jordan's games the night before, and I loved the atmosphere at both.
Tanner's high school was huge and they always played in large gymnasiums that were usually crowded, but Jordan's college games were far-and-away a much bigger deal. Last night's game was in a packed arena with jumbotrons, and tonight I had to basically walk on the court with the players to get to our place in the bleachers. It was a large high school, and the gym wasn't tiny or anything, but it definitely wasn't an arena.
There were at least twenty of us in Tanner's cheering section, and I had left them all behind to head toward the front door of the gym. I knew Eric would be there any moment, and I was alive and buzzing with anticipation over it.
I made my way down the bleachers, being careful since I wasn't quite used to Stella's boots. The doors were on the opposite side of the gym. I waited until the players were at the other end of the court to make my exit. I had to walk in front of a bunch of people and then finally behind a few cheerleaders to get through the door.
The next room was full of people but not nearly as crowded as the gym. It was a corridor that led to the restrooms, concessions, and ultimately to the gym entrance. I knew I had time to use the restroom before going out to meet Eric. I had just gotten a text saying that he was on his way from the airport to the gym and the GPS told him he would be here in fifteen minutes.
He was late but it wasn't his fault. He was supposed to arrive at 1pm this afternoon instead of right now, at 6:48pm when we were midway through the first quarter of the game.
There had been weather delays in Philly that set his flight back. He hadn't even checked into his hotel yet. He came straight to the game with his luggage in the back of the rental car.
Eric had a part-time assistant named Alice who took care of his travel plans, and there was always a nice vehicle waiting for him at every airport, no fuss. Sometimes it was a sports car, a sedan, or depending where he was traveling, a truck. This time, it would be an SUV. I knew all of this because he sent me a link to his itinerary and it mentioned the Range Rover Evoque. I saw it on the details.
I ran into Stella's new husband, Caleb, near the concessions area. I had been in the bleachers sitting next to Stella the whole time so far, and I knew Caleb hadn't been there. He was in the locker room with the team before they came out, and he was just making his way to the family. I told him where they were sitting, but he seemed like he had done this before, and he was confident he could find them.
He and I ended up talking for a several minutes down there by the concession stand. Stella was my girl, and this trip was my first time to meet her new husband, so I enjoyed getting to know him.
Caleb and I parted ways, and I headed for the door. There were glass doors in front of the gym, so I decided to watch for Eric inside since it was cold out.
I saw that black Range Rover pull into the parking lot, and my heart felt like it was about to explode. It was surreal to me that I was about to see the same guy I had so many conversations with.
You can learn a lot about people through lengthy conversations on the telephone, and I had them almost daily with Eric. It was odd feeling this excited and shaken by someone with whom I had shared so much. Half of me felt entirely comfortable and happy and the other half was nervous and uncertain and full of butterflies.
I resolved to treat Eric like a friend and see where things went from there. I had all sorts of thoughts and made all sorts of plans while I waited for him to park and make his way inside.
I stepped outside once I saw that he was headed my way. I could not help but take in his lean form and athletic looking stride as he walked down the sidewalk that lined the parking lot. It was dark out, but there were plenty of street lights, and he smiled at me when he saw me come outside.
I smiled back, waving at him.
He waved. He was dressed nicely in jeans and boots with a thick thermal shirt layered with a thin coat. He had obviously left his luggage in the truck because he had nothing in his hands. He just walked toward me, his arms barely swinging with his cool stride. I began walking toward him. I felt like I was being drawn to him with an unseen force.
The closer he came to me, the more difficult it was for me to resist. I moved toward him slowly at first, doing my best to keep cool. I had left my purse in the stands with my family, and both of us were open-armed. I blame my impulsive decision to hug him on this convenience and the fact that our momentum was moving toward each other.
I didn't even hesitate when we approached each other. I walked into his arms, and he opened them, taking me in. I let out a relieved sigh, and I smiled because Eric did the same thing—I could hear him and feel his chest expand and contract as he did it.
He smelled nice, and I breathed in the wo
odsy scent. I couldn't help but notice the feel of his lean muscular body. His embrace gave me a sort of magical feeling, like electricity was coursing through my body. I was pretty sure if you looked at me closely enough I would be glowing. It was a level of excitement and anticipation I had rarely, if ever, experienced. And then I realized that I wasn't sure what he was thinking and maybe this greeting was a little too much. I pulled back smiling but feeling like I had to explain myself.
"I'm sorry. It's Kentucky. They've got me hugging down here," I said as I stepped back.
"Why would you be sorry for that?" he asked lightheartedly, but I was already starting to say something else before he spoke.
"Let's get out of the cold," I said, gesturing toward the gym.
We started walking.
"How was your trip?" I asked, turning to look at him after we fell into stride next to each other on the sidewalk.
"It was good," he said. "Once we got into the air. Did I miss the game?"
"No, no. We're probably in the second quarter," I said. "It had just started a few minutes before you texted me."
We approached the door and Eric reached out to open it for me. Our eyes met as I walked past him, into the gym.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi," he replied.
We had already greeted each other, but the second greeting was more of an acknowledgement of our eye contact.
"Thanks for coming," I said, still looking at him.
"Thanks for inviting me," he said. "It's not every day you meet Ezekiel Tanner."
I had never told him I was related to Uncle E, and I knew he was saying that to let me know he knew.
"Uncle E's not at the game tonight," I said. "But he and Aunt Rhonda want you to stay on their farm. They mentioned it about five times. I hoped you might agree once you figured out who he was."
I glanced at Eric and he grinned at me.
"I knew who he was before I ever bought the horse," Eric said. "Your last name being Tanner and everything, it wasn't that difficult to put the pieces together."
"So much for making you change your mind about staying at the house," I said with a playfully hopeless shrug. I waved at the ladies at the admission table since we had already paid, and Eric and I began making our way past the concessions toward the gym doors. "Aunt Rhonda told me to mention it again just in case. They've got a lot of room. There's an empty apartment next to Jude's."
"I might reconsider if you're staying close by."
Chapter 9
Eric
Olivia wrapped her arms around Eric right when he arrived, and the long day of waiting and traveling was instantly worth it. She was wonderful. The last time he had seen her, her hair was up in a ponytail, and now she was dressed up with her hair mostly down over her shoulders. She had on nice clothes and a little makeup. She still looked natural and innocent, but he could tell she dressed up to see him. She was comfortable in her own skin no matter what, and that was one of the things that attracted him the most.
She met Eric outside, and he followed her into the gymnasium. It was loud, packed, and chaotic. The screeching of sneakers along with crowd noises and cheerleaders chanting all hit him like a wall of noise when they opened the door. He followed close behind Olivia, taking in as much of this over-stimulating situation as he could.
Her family was situated at the top of the bleachers, occupying the space of about three rows. There were a lot of them, and Eric, one-by-one, met them all. He knew Olivia had a big family, but he hadn't quite expected to encounter what must have been twenty of them at the basketball game.
Ezekiel had a scheduled appearance at a conference, so he and Rhonda weren't there, but it seemed like everyone else was. Eric met Olivia's brother, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends, and one thing he noticed as a common thread the whole time was that no one called her Olivia. She had warned him of that, but it still felt odd hearing them call her nothing but Livi. He liked both names on her.
To an extent, Eric knew what to expect. He knew she had a large family and that Ezekiel Tanner was her uncle. He also knew they were going to a high school basketball game that evening and that her cousin, Tanner, was a really good player.
She had downplayed everything, though. She downplayed how cool her family was, how much they loved her, and how fun the whole atmosphere would be. He did not anticipate walking into such a welcoming, fun family situation. They made bets with each other, told stories, laughed, and cut up, and this was all in the first two hours.
It seemed like only seconds passed, and the next thing Eric knew, the game was over and they were headed toward the parking lot.
Tanner's team won the game. They were on a streak and would likely win state. On top of that, Tanner personally had an excellent game. At six-feet-tall, he was not the tallest guy on the team, but he was quick and scrappy, and he was, hands down, the stand-out—the star player.
They had a blast watching him, and they all headed out of the gym in great moods. Eric hadn't touched Olivia at all since the hug when he first got there, but as they walked out of the gym, he felt a gentle pinch to the back of his arm. He turned to look at Olivia who was walking next to him.
"I rode here with Jude," she said. "But if you decide to stay in Uncle E's apartment, I could just ride back with you. I know enough about Lexington to tell you how to get from—"
"I'll stay," he said. "If you're sure I won't be putting anyone out."
"Oh, no, it's an apartment. An empty apartment. My aunt wanted to make sure you knew that. It's like a hotel. There's a microwave and a washer and dryer." Olivia paused so that she could acknowledge the guy who had just walked-up from behind her and tapped on her shoulder.
"How long are you staying?" he asked.
"Till Saturday," she said.
"Okay, maybe I'll see you again before that."
It was a guy who had been introduced to Eric as a friend of the family.
"Yes sir," Olivia said. "I'll be at one more of Tanner's games."
"Oh, yeah, they've got another one Friday, huh?"
"Yes sir."
"Okay, we'll see you again, then. It was nice meeting you," he added, looking at Eric who smiled and returned the sentiment.
She looked at Eric again once that guy walked off. "I'll ride with you if you're staying at the house."
"Okay, I will," he said.
It took a few minutes for them to say goodbye to the family. Olivia admitted that she was only a little sure about how to get back, and right when Eric was saying that they would just search the address, Jude announced that they should just follow him. They discussed stopping for something to eat on the way home, but they had all eaten a hamburger at the game, and none of them felt hungry.
The next thing Eric knew, he was following Jude's pick-up truck down the highway with Olivia sitting in his passenger's seat.
"I love this car. Truck. What do you call this?"
"I like it too," Eric said. "And I don't think it minds being called whatever."
"I know it's an SUV, but I think if I had to choose between calling it a car or a truck, I'd call it a truck. I think it's more truck-y."
Eric nodded, wearing an amused grin.
"What do you call yours at home?" she asked, knowing he drove some variation of a 'Rover' in Philadelphia.
"I don't really know what I think of it," he said. He glanced over his shoulder. "Probably a truck if I had to choose between those two. It's a little bit bigger than this one."
"Oh, that's a truck, then," she said, sounding convinced. He laughed and glanced at her but then focused on the road again. He could feel her looking at him from her seat and he wanted to do something about it—to reach out and touch her.
"Did I hear your brother say that the apartment I'm staying in is right next door to his?" he asked.
"It is," I said. "And they're part of the stables," I said. "So, I hope you're not allergic to horses.
"Your brother already asked me that, and I'm not, but you're underselling i
t again. You say I'm staying in the stables, and it sounds like the manger scene, but I bet it's more like the Ritz-Carlton."
She laughed. "It's not like that," she said. "But, you're right, it's not the manger scene, either."
She paused and then said. "Maybe it is like the Ritz, now that I think about it. I don't know, actually. I've never been to the Ritz. The apartments are really nice, though. They don't smell like horses or anything. And you'll have everything you need. Sometimes I regret not spending a year or two working on Uncle E's farm before jumping into a corporate job." She let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Not that I have anything to complain about," she added. "My really tough corporate job now officially includes doodling on paper cups."
She had already thanked him enough for setting her up with that new position. She knew she didn't have to say it again.
"Lexington seems like a pretty place," he said, changing the subject. "At least in pictures. I couldn’t really see anything. It was dark when I got here."
"It's crazy about your flight."
"I know. The weather didn't even seem that bad."
"Was the airport packed?"
"It was, but I didn't have to deal with it. They called me thirty minutes before we were ready for take-off."
"Do airlines do that?"
"It was a plane my dad chartered, but we still have to go by weather advisories. I got out sooner than a lot of other people at the airport, though, everybody's trips were pushed back."
Eric had been talking to Olivia every day for a couple of weeks. They had talked about his trip and he had plenty of opportunity to mention the private plane, but he didn't. Olivia was content to never talk about money. She seemed to purposely avoid the subject, and Eric didn't mind it that way.
Me & Mister Everything: A Romance (Tanner Family Book 4) Page 6
