Twitter Girl

by Nic Tatano

  “After what you did to me last night I’m the one who needs a recovery day. God, Tyler, you were amazing.”

  “You were pretty incredible yourself. You hungry?”

  I roll my eyes. “Seriously?”

  “Sorry, stupid question. I’ll go make something.”

  “We can go out if you want, my treat.”

  He throws back the covers. “Nah, I like waiting on you.”

  I grab his arm before he gets out of bed. “Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”

  “Again with the questions? Now what?”

  “Okay… my bother told me you guys talked about me that time you spent the weekend at our house. Specifically that you had a crush on me.”

  He blushes a bit. “Yeah, but it was a lot more than a crush. What about it?”

  “What exactly did my brother say?”

  “Well, first off, he couldn’t stand Becker. Thought he was a huge phony. I told him he was wrong but he really didn’t want you to end up with him. He said you’d figure it out and eventually break up with the guy. That I should be patient, that in time I’d have my chance with you. And I told him I was worried that even with Becker out of the picture I’d get shot down. But he said he was one hundred percent sure you’d go out with me if I asked.”

  “And after that you were still scared to ask me out?”

  “Like I said, you’re a dream girl. Haven’t you ever had guys scared to ask you out before?”

  “Well, yeah. Sure. Every girl has. But I mean, you and I were already close friends.”

  “Well, thankfully you made the first move.”

  “If I hadn’t, would you?”

  He smiles and nods. “I was in the process of working up my confidence, but I was still scared. Ripley has been calling me constantly, encouraging me ever since you dumped Becker. She told me you were in love with me but just didn’t know it.”

  “She was right. So, when were you gonna pop the date question?”

  “I was going to make you a batch of scones and bring them by on Sunday, then ask you to go for a ride. I was gonna take you down to the Jersey shore and then hit a really nice restaurant I know overlooking the ocean when we were coming back. Then ask you when we got home. I’ve been rehearsing what I was going to say.”

  “How about we do that anyway?”

  “I already asked you out last night.”

  “I know. But it sounds so romantic I want to hear your original words. And if you rehearsed it I wouldn’t want it to go to waste. Besides, you already know the answer.” I run one finger down his chest. “Please? If you do it there will be a reward.”

  ***

  After a hot shower I’m greeted by the sound of sizzling as something has hit a frying pan. I walk toward the kitchen running a towel through my hair as I go and see Tyler pouring batter onto a griddle. “Yay, pancakes! Make a lot of ’em, cause I’m starving. And, as you know, I’m a growing girl.”

  “I know, you missed your morning feeding,” he says, as he holds up a jug of syrup. “And by sheer coincidence, someone thoughtfully brought this back from New Hampshire.”

  I pat my belly as I arrive in the kitchen. “Great, I need something to fill me up. I mean, you know, besides you.”

  He blushes and then his eyes widen as he takes in my outfit, which consists of one of his white oxford button down shirts and nothing else. “Damn.”

  “You like?”

  “You have redefined the term smoking hot.”

  “Sam really likes Ripley in this outfit, so I thought I’d try it on you. Of course, she leaves the top unbuttoned, and, as you discovered last night, I’m not half as well equipped up there as she is.”

  “Doesn’t matter, I’m a leg man. I take back what I said before, yours even look great without heels.”

  “You’re sweet. But y’know, I don’t see why you shouldn’t leave a few buttons open for me.” I rest one hand on his back, pop a few buttons with the other and slide it inside his shirt, running it across his stomach. “Right now I can’t keep my hands off you. By the way, I was pleasantly surprised to discover you’re ripped. Quite the six-pack, young man. And here I was expecting skin and bones.”

  “Well, I work out during my normal days. I may look thin but I’m wiry and stronger than I look.”

  “I’ll say. You carried me to the bedroom like I weighed nothing.” I slide one finger inside the waistband of his shorts and steal his breath.

  “I’m really enjoying what you’re doing, but you keep this up and I’ll burn the pancakes.”

  I take my hand away. “Well, my body does need fuel after last night.” I wrap my other arm around his shoulders and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. It’s the first time I’ve been barefoot around Tyler and notice he’s a little taller than I originally thought. I pull him close, shoulder to shoulder and he turns to face me. “See, you were worried about nothing. I’m just a little bit taller than you, maybe two inches. Not a big deal.”

  “Yeah, until you put on the gold stilettos, the red ones with the straps or the stacked heel boots you wear with the jeans. Then it’s half a foot.”

  I fold my arms. “Well, well, well, a man who notices a girl’s footwear. And I thought only women had the shoe chromosome. I’m impressed.”

  “Again, leg man. Goes with the territory. Killer legs should always be accessorized with proper footwear.”

  “When did you see me in boots and jeans?”

  “Giants game. And I might add that no one fills out a pair of skinny jeans like you. We were walking to our seats and I saw every guy checking you out as we passed. When I turned around you had left a wake of hanging jaws behind you.” He turns back to the pancakes.

  I wrap my arms around his waist from behind. “Keep up the compliments and I won’t care if the pancakes are burned. So, does my leg man have a favorite pair of shoes?”

  “They all have their good points, but I guess the red ones are the best.”

  “Those are the highest heels I’ve got. So, you like me as tall as possible.”

  “I’ve always had a thing for six-foot-four snarky redheads, but they’re so damn hard to find.”

  “Guess what, Tyler? No matter how high the heels I will always look up to you.”

  He looks over his shoulder. “Now you’re the sweet one. By the way, are you staying here today?”

  “Where else would I go?”

  “Didn’t know if you had stuff to do. I’d offer you some clothes from an old girlfriend but I don’t have any.”

  I rest my head on his shoulder. “That’s okay, I don’t think I’ll need any.”

  ***

  “Well, look who finally came home.”

  Sam smiles at me from the kitchen as Tyler and I walk in shortly after ten on Sunday morning.

  “Sam, she obviously was too tired to drive home and Tyler was nice enough to offer her his guest room,” says Ripley with a wicked grin as she sets the table for brunch.

  I see Tyler blush a bit. “I had to bring her home. I ran out of food.”

  I say nothing but cannot hold back a smile as I move toward Ripley while Tyler brings a grocery bag of goodies into the kitchen. She whispers in my ear as I give her a strong hug. “Party girl.”

  I whisper back. “Best. Sex. Ever.”

  She leans back and looks at me wide-eyed.

  I lick my lips. “Four times.”

  “You cheap party girl.”

  “I’m a very happy cheap party girl.” I slide my hands down her arms and take her hands while giving her a soulful look. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Hey, it took me years to realize I loved Sam. At least you only took a few months.”

  ***

  I lean back, fat and happy.

  And in love.

  I take in the scene around me. My brother and best friend in a solid relationship. A terrific guy for me.

  Even thought I’m now unemployed again, it hits me.

  I have a perfect life.

&nbs
p; Tyler walks around the table topping off everyone’s coffee cup as Sam turns to Ripley. “I guess now’s a good a time as any.”

  Ripley nods. “Yeah, it’s safe to tell them.”

  “Tell us what?” asks Tyler as he sits down.

  My brother gets a sheepish look and I can tell he’s been up to something. “We have a confession to make.”

  “We’ve been playing matchmaker with you two,” says Ripley.

  I’m puzzled. “How did you play matchmaker?”

  Sam picks up the ball. “Remember the Broadway show we all went to? And how I brought you back to the island for cheesecake?”

  “Yeah, and it was lousy cheesecake,” I say. “Can’t believe you picked that place.”

  “It wasn’t about the cheesecake. We needed a place we’ve never been on the island and that was the only one,” says Ripley.

  “Is there a point anywhere in our near future?” I ask.

  Sam smiles. “Remember how much fun you had when Tyler spent the weekend here the first time?”

  “Yeah…”

  “We wanted you to experience that again. So I pretended to forget Tyler lived in Manhattan and made sure it was so late he’d have to stay with us. If I’d picked one of our regular places you’d have known it was too far for Tyler to get home, so I just said I found a new place and wanted to surprise you guys. You got distracted talking to him in the back seat and before you know it we were on the island.”

  I turn to Tyler. “Did you know about this?”

  He shakes his head. “No, but I’m glad they did it. And I like the way they think.”

  I look at Ripley. “Now I know my brother isn’t this devious, this had to be your plan.”

  She holds out her wrists like a criminal waiting to be handcuffed. “Guilty as charged. But since it worked I’m hoping for a suspended sentence.”

  ***

  I’m like a kid on Christmas morning, waiting to open that special package under the tree. We stroll up the walk to my house after a wonderful day. A ride along the Jersey shore, a long walk on a secluded beach, dinner alfresco at a great seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean. My fingers are entwined with his as we reach the front door.

  This is it.

  The man I love is going to ask me on a first date.

  I turn to face him. “Thank you for a great day, Tyler. This has been a fabulous weekend.”

  “I figured you needed it after the rough week you had.”

  “Hey, that was nothing after what you’ve been through.”

  “Speaking of which, I wanted to tell you something about what it was like those first days in the hospital. You know, before I woke up.”

  “You remember stuff? I figured you were dreaming.”

  He shakes his head. “I thought so too. Anyway, when I was in the coma I kept having this recurring dream. You were back at the television network, anchoring the news. But every story you read was about me saving the little girl. One of the nurses said you read a lot of newspaper stories to me while I was out. So I wasn’t really dreaming, I could actually hear you.”

  “That’s what I was hoping for, Tyler.”

  “Anyway, every time you ended a story, you said the same thing. Follow my voice. And then you would reach out with your hand. Each time I would try to grab it but it would slip away. Finally I kept hold of it and you pulled me out of the coma. The nurse told me you were sleeping with me, holding my hand. So what I thought was a dream was real.”

  I get a lump in my throat as I bite my lower lip.

  He moves closer to me, places his hands lightly on my waist and looks up at me. “I was hoping you might follow that little voice in your own head, the one that is hopefully telling you to give me a chance. The one that says Tyler’s not what any girl dreams of, but he’s a good guy who thinks you’re the best girl in the world and will always protect you. I realize that I might be jeopardizing our friendship but I have to know if there’s even the slightest chance you might have feelings for me. And I realize you’re the kind of girl who can have any guy she wants, but I’m hoping you’ll follow the little voice in your head that tells you to give me a shot. I followed your voice, so I hope you’ll do the same.”

  My eyes well up and the little voice confirms I’ve found my true soul mate. “Well, since you think I can have any guy I want, I’ll have to agree with you, because the guy I want is you. And, you know, I already had you.”

  We kiss under the porch light and the stars, one with the universe.

  When our lips part I open the front door, take his hand and pull him inside. “Too late for you to drive home. You’re staying here.”

  “So, the guest room is available?”

  “My little voice tells me it’s too messy, so you’ll have to sleep with me. I did promise you a reward, after all.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  @TwitterGirl

  As President Turner would say, “Vote early, vote often.”

  Please vote for Dan Kirkland!

  SIX MONTHS LATER, AMERICA’S CAMELOT COUPLE ON SEPARATE PATHS

  “It was a unique experience, and I ended up with the man of my dreams. What more could a girl ask for?”

  Had we taken a time machine from the spring to present day and seen that quote, we could have assumed the woman known as Twitter Girl and America’s most eligible bachelor were headed for a life of wedded bliss in the White House.

  Instead, on the day of the Presidential election, former Senator Will Becker has turned into a recluse and the man of Cassidy Shea’s dreams is none other than New York’s subway superhero, Tyler Garrity.

  How we got to this point is somewhat of a mystery, and one that may never be solved, as the parties involved offer little in the way of clues. But there is a focal point in the story, and everything indicates it is the day Garrity saved a little girl’s life. That event seems to have set the dominoes falling.

  On the morning of that spring day, Senator Becker was seen a slam dunk to be the next President of the United States. Cassidy Shea was his girlfriend and frequent companion on campaign tours while maintaining her duties as Twitter Girl, firing snarky barbs at the competition. Tyler Garrity, known as the Stephen Hawking of politics, was serving as Becker’s chief strategist.

  And then a little girl fell on the tracks.

  While she survived, a campaign and love story derailed.

  Becker and Shea seemed like the perfect couple and looked hopelessly in love. The public followed the romance like the Brits rooted for Prince William and Kate Middleton. Garrity was often Shea’s escort on a few occasions when Becker’s campaign duties took priority and the two had become good friends.

  “Tyler and I spent a lot of time working together in the campaign office and had become close,” said Ms. Shea. “When I was on the road we’d talk on the phone for hours. But I didn’t cheat on Becker and Tyler never hit on me while the Senator and I were dating. He was a perfect gentleman when he escorted me.”

  Becker, reached by phone, had nothing but kind words about his former girlfriend. “I have tremendous respect for Cassidy Shea and wish her the best. She’s an incredible woman who taught me a lot. But our relationship was like a Roman candle. It burned hot and fizzled out. That’s the best way to explain things.”

  Again, the subway incident is the focal point of said fizzling.

  Ms. Shea was about to leave for a long campaign trip with Becker and asked Garrity to join her for a meal uptown before she left. While they were waiting for the subway, five year old Samantha Frazier fell onto the tracks dangerously close to the third rail. Garrity jumped in and saved her, then was pulled out by a transit cop seconds before a train roared by. But while being yanked to safety he hit his head on a pole and fell into a coma.

  And for the next four days, Cassidy Shea never left his side in the hospital.

  “Usually you only see that kind of devotion from a family member,” said a nurse working at that time. “But that woman was with him every minute, holdin
g his hand, talking to him, playing music, reading the newspaper out loud, trying anything to get him out of the coma. When he finally came to, she stayed another two days just in case he slipped back into a comatose state. By the time they left, you could see there was something special between them. That photo in the newspaper says it all.”

  That now famous photo of Shea resting her head on the mattress looking desperate in a torn bloody dress while holding Garrity’s hand went viral. Everyone who saw the look on her face knew she had romantic feelings for him.

  Except Ms. Shea.

  Meanwhile, Senator Becker never showed up to check on the man who had been working for him for nearly a decade. It did not go unnoticed by a media that was fawning over the candidate, but was never reported.

  A campaign staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Shea was furious with Becker for attending a ten thousand dollar a plate fundraiser instead of coming by the hospital before he left on the west coast campaign swing. “You could tell the woman was livid. I mean, every single person on the staff except Becker went to see Tyler. Anyway, she had fire in her eyes and was waiting in the Senator’s office when he got back. The door closed and about five minutes later she stormed out looking like she wanted to strangle someone and never came back. Becker looked devastated and had tears in his eyes. It was obvious she broke it off instead of the other way around. But I figured there had to be something more, something really bad that set her off… I mean, what woman dumps Will Becker?”

  Of course a few days after that there was another bombshell, as Becker suddenly dropped out of the race and resigned his Senate seat for “personal reasons” which have never been explained.

  “Sometimes a relationship just ends,” said Ms. Shea in an emotionless tone without a tinge of regret. Her eyes went cold when asked to elaborate. She also declined to say anything else about the Senator, even after being read his comments about her. While she hasn’t seen Will Becker or spoken to him since that day, she maintains a relationship with his oldest daughter Kristin. “She wants to be a television reporter and is graduating next summer. I’m trying to mentor her and put her on the right path. Kristin is a terrific young lady and she’s got her head on straight.”