Tackled by Love

by Rachael Duncan

  Shoot. Me. Now.

  I want to crawl in a deep hole and die right now. Because I’m a dumbass, I didn’t check to see who I was texting. I’m so used to Layla being the last person I’ve texted that her messages are already up, but nope, not today. Looking down at my phone in disbelief, I’m praying that the last five minutes did not just happen. Unfortunately, those prayers go unanswered because my phone vibrates in my hand.

  Landon: Have u decided? Are u gonna go 2 dinner with me?

  I guess it’s best to get this over with now rather than wait until he shows back up here.

  Me: I’m sure it’s obvious that text wasn’t meant for you. Now excuse me while I go jump off a bridge.

  Landon: LOL don’t do that, then I wouldn’t be able 2 take u out. just 1 dinner Autumn I promise we’ll have fun

  Letting out a sigh, I know I’m going to cave. What woman in her right mind would say no to him?

  Me: Fine. Let me know when and where.

  Landon: Awesome! ;-)

  Even his emoticon winky faces make me happy. There’s something wrong with me.

  Friday is the earliest meeting my lawyer could get scheduled with the witch and her attorney. It also happens to be the day I’m taking Autumn out for dinner. I’m just glad this meeting is in the morning, so I have time to get back home and get ready before I have to pick her up.

  I needed to stop by my old place to pick up the dress shoes I left here to go with my suit. I pull up the driveway and notice a bright yellow Lamborghini sitting there. Tilting my head in confusion, I’m trying to think who could be at my house right now. I know Valerie didn’t buy this thing. She has no money.

  Using my key, I let myself in through the front door. It’s really quiet, and I’m thankful for that. If I can avoid a confrontation with Val, I’ll gladly take it. As I’m passing through the foyer, something stops me dead in my tracks. Sitting in the entryway are a pair of shoes. Men’s tennis shoes. And they sure as shit don’t belong to me. Still listening for any noises, I keep walking until I get to the stairs that lead to the master bedroom. Clothes and undergarments leave a trail up the stairs. As I climb them, still making sure to be really quiet, they continue around the corner to my old bedroom.

  I put my ear up to the door to see if I can hear anyone in there. When I’m sure that I don’t hear any movement or voices, I slowly open the door. What I see before me has me frozen in place and seeing red.

  Brandon fucking Smith is lying in my bed, butt ass naked. In a groggy voice, he says, “You’re back already, gorgeous?” When he rolls over and sees it’s me standing in the doorway, his eyes become as big as saucers. He sits up and pulls the sheet over himself.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask through gritted teeth. I’m trying to breathe through my anger, but I’m about to knock the fuck out of this little bitch.

  He looks around the room and cocks an eyebrow, “Isn’t it obvious?”

  My nostrils flare with each rush of air I take in. Clenching and unclenching my fists, “Where the hell is Val?”

  “Oh, she just went to get us some coffee. Said something about an early meeting she had to be at and since I kept her up all night she was going to need the pick me up. It’s a little ironic; first I take your job, now your wife…” he trails off. The shit-eating grin on his face is enough to make me snap. I rush over there and grab him by his throat and push him against the headboard. We’re nose-to-nose as I glare at him, ready to put my fist through that cocky fucking face of his.

  “Please hit me, Stone. I’d love to press assault charges on you.”

  After giving his throat one more squeeze, I let him go. She’s not fucking worth it anyway. He can have my sloppy seconds for all I care. I go into the closet, get my shoes, and am about to leave when I say, “I hope she sucks you dry of everything you own too,” I’m just about through the bedroom door when his reply hits my ears.

  “Oh, she sucks something dry alright.” And because I can’t contain my rage anymore, I run my fist straight through the wall before walking out of there. Fuck her and that house.

  ***

  My lawyer, Mr. Henderson, and I are seated at a long, wooden table in a conference room at his office. As is typical Valerie, she’s already ten minutes late. The longer I wait, the more my nerves amp up. My knee is bouncing under the table and I’m drumming my fingers on top of it.

  “Do you think she’s going to put up a fight?” I ask Mr. Henderson. We’ve gone over the specifics of what I’m willing to give her, but I never asked him if he thought Val would play nicely. Honestly, I didn’t really want to know.

  “That all depends. Are you willing to give her alimony?” Again with the questions he already knows the fucking answers to. I’m in no mood for his shit today.

  “Does it say that I’m going to in the fucking papers you have in your briefcase?” I snap at him.

  “No, it doesn’t, but she’ll probably have a problem with that. Do you plan on compromising and paying her alimony to make this go away quickly?”

  “Hell no.” Right at that moment the door opens and Mr. Henderson’s secretary is ushering in Valerie and her lawyer.

  “Hello, Mr. Henderson,” her representative says while shaking his hand.

  “Good morning, Mr. Brown.” My lawyer motions for him to sit down before saying, “Shall we get started then?” After Mr. Brown nods his head, he pulls out the papers he had drafted for this meeting stipulating everything I’m willing to concede on.

  “If you and your client would look at page three, there is an outline of all the assets Mr. Stone will relinquish to Mrs. Stone. Once you review that and agree on it, we can all sign it and be done with this. I’ll file the papers with the judge, he’ll sign it, and you will be officially divorced.”

  Officially divorced. Never in my life did I think I’d contribute to the statistics of failed marriages. It makes me feel like a failure, but I’ve come to realize that it’s not my fault. I wasn’t the one that wanted the divorce to begin with, and I married her for the right reasons. She can’t say the same thing. So all fault lies at her feet and I hope she trips over it for being such a dishonest hag.

  I hear Valerie scoff at a few things while Mr. Brown whispers in her ear. There’s a lot of head shaking going on and I can tell from her body language—arms crossed over her chest, chin lifted high in the air—that this is not going to be easy.

  “Where’s the alimony, Landon?” she says directly to me. Mr. Brown whispers in her ear again but she ignores him. “I told you I was going to get alimony from you.”

  Rolling my eyes, “And why the hell do you deserve alimony?”

  “Because, I gave up my life for you. I put my career and goals on hold so you could follow yours. I deserve to be fairly compensated for that.” Her eyes are narrowed into little slits, like she’s glaring at me as she spits out this bullshit.

  “Ha! What career, Val? You were an art history major. What were you planning to do with that? Because the way I see it, you really only went to college to get your MRS degree so you could ride the coat tails of someone who’d make a lot of money. Lucky me, I was the poor shmuck you sunk your talons into.”

  This earns a gasp from her and I have to admit, I’m quite pleased with myself for upsetting her. “You’ve already earned your alimony, Valerie. About two million dollars worth. You spent almost every last cent I made, I’ll be damned if I let you siphon more off of me.” I spit these words out at her in complete disgust. Where the hell is the girl I once fell in love with? She was so carefree, down to earth, and fun. Sitting in front of me, all I see is a greedy, fake, high maintenance snob.

  “Plus,” I continue, “now that you’ve got Brandon to take care of you, why do you need my money?” I’m leaning over the table slightly, talking in a low voice. Her face pales slightly, eyes widen, and mouth falls open.

  She swallows hard, “W-what are you t-talking about?”

  This makes me laugh; I can’t help it. “I went by
our house to get my dress shoes, honey. And guess who I found naked in my bed? Don’t worry, we had a nice little chat. He informed me that you know how to suck him dry and I told him to watch his back because you’re a greedy whore.”

  Her once pale face turns ten shades of red as she glances between our attorneys, no doubt embarrassed that I called her out in front of people.

  “Do we have a deal or no?” Mr. Henderson finally speaks up and puts an end to our little fight.

  “No deal,” Mr. Brown says.

  Mr. Henderson leans over toward me, “Do you want to hash out these demands one by one and see if we can find some sort of common ground to agree on now?”

  Looking at my watch, I know I need to get going. It’s a four hour drive back home and I’m already cutting it close. “No, she’s not going to budge now anyway. Let’s reschedule. I have plans with someone and need to get back.”

  He nods in acknowledgment and I’m thinking that’s it for today, until Valerie says, “Ha! Who do you have plans with? One of the locals that never amounted to anything that would get them out of that Podunk town?” How could I have ever loved this woman? This is her hometown too and now she has the nerve to look down on everyone there? I must have been a blind fool for so many years.

  “I’d rather work hard and live in that Podunk town than be a lazy mooch who supports herself by living off of others.” I don’t wait for her response and get up and leave. Now that I’ve been touched by the honesty and genuine concern of the people from my town, especially Autumn, I see so many things in a different light.

  Isn’t it funny how the heart and mind work? Often times the heart clouds the mind’s judgment. When the heart sees something as a good thing, it suffocates the mind from telling you that it’s just not so. It blocks out all the warning signs and red flags and tells you that you’re happy. God, I wish I could go back to my 16-year-old self and tell my heart to shut the fuck up. She captivated me and teamed up with my heart to fool my brain into believing it was something real and worthwhile.

  Fuck them both.

  What does one wear on a date with Landon Stone? It’s the question I’ve been panicking over since he asked me out. A big part of me is still skeptical, waiting for the nasty joke that awaits, where I’ll be made a fool of in front of the whole town. Old habits die hard I guess. Or maybe I’ve been screwed with so many times that my defenses will always be up. Either way, I’m trying to be positive. Landon doesn’t seem like the type to do something like that. Plus, it’s not like we’re still in high school anymore anyway.

  “Haven’t found anything yet?” Layla pokes her head through my door, seeing my uncertainty.

  I walk out of the closet and fall back onto the bed. “No,” I let out on a sigh. “I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard, but I don’t want people to wonder what charity he’s volunteered for to take out someone looking so homely either.”

  “Oh, shut your mouth. You always look great. Just wear something you’ll be comfortable in, because then you’ll be confident. Confidence is the single most sexiest thing on a woman.”

  I roll my eyes. My best friend is always giving me these little pep talks and I really do love her for it. She’s been the woman I’ve confided in for the last few years. While no one could ever replace my mom, it’s nice to have a girl I can talk to about these things. I certainly can’t tell my dad most of this shit.

  Layla shakes her head at me and walks into my closet. A few moments later, she’s throwing some clothes on my bed. “Here, wear this.” I hold up the garment and inspect it. It’s a strapless, eggplant colored dress that flows down to the knee. It’s tight on the bodice and has a ruffle detail along the bust. The tags are still on it since I’ve never worn it, but Layla insisted the color brought out my green eyes and auburn hair.

  “And make sure you shave—you know—your girly bits,” she gestures to my crotch area.

  I gasp a little as my eyes go wide. I can’t believe she just said that to me! After composing myself, I say, “Why the hell would I need to do that?”

  She shrugs, “Just in case. You never know where the night might take you.” Her eyebrows are moving up and down in a suggestive manner and I have the slightest urge to laugh.

  “I am not having sex with him, Layla. Jesus,” I reply, exasperated.

  “At the very least, shave your legs then. You don’t want him to question if you have a vagina or not.”

  I’m not gonna lie, I’m mildly offended by that statement. I pick up a pillow and throw it at her. She deflects it with her hands while laughing at me.

  I do shave, including my girly bits. But not because Layla told me to. And definitely not because I plan on sleeping with Landon.

  ***

  All my insecurities are coming to the front of my mind as I pace my living room waiting on him to get here. Oh my God. Landon Stone is standing me up. If he never shows, will the whole town know? Will they tease me when I see them at the grocery store or the gym? Is he not showing because I’m not thin enough? He’s used to these skinny bitches with fake ass boobs throwing themselves at him. What if I just don’t compare to that?

  I’ve spent the last couple years making myself stronger, telling myself that I won’t let people make me feel bad about my appearance ever again. I’m toned, tough, and healthy. There is nothing wrong with me and I look great now. So why after years of telling myself that daily, am I brought back to my fat girl psyche over one date? Because I care what Landon thinks, that’s why.

  I want him to find me irresistible.

  I want him to be proud to have me on his arm as we walk into a restaurant.

  And I want to walk by his side with my head held high, knowing that no other woman is going to turn his head.

  I’m so lost in my thoughts and worry that I almost don’t register that someone is ringing my doorbell. I snap out of it and rush to the door. Eager much?

  Looking out the peep hole, I see Landon standing outside, looking delicious, but flustered. He’s running his hands through his light brown hair anxiously waiting for me to open the door. I take a deep breath to calm myself and open it. Landon looks at me and his mouth falls open. His eyes cruise all over my body, taking in every piece of skin and detail of my outfit. It feels like a trail of fire is moving up my body with his eyes. My cheeks become flushed from the obvious perusal.

  Landon swallows hard and clears his throat. “Wow, you look absolutely stunning. That dress is fucking gorgeous on you, sweetheart.” He grabs my hand and plants a slow kiss on it. All my earlier thoughts and worries as to why he’s late completely leave my brain.

  “Thanks, you clean up nice too,” my words come out a little breathlessly. He’s wearing black slacks with dress shoes and a light blue button up shirt that brings out his eyes. The top button is undone, showing off just a hint of his firm chest, and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbow. With his one compliment, I’m instantly put at ease and ready to have a good time with him.

  ***

  As he drives, I notice that we’re heading out of town. It makes me wonder if he doesn’t want the locals to know that he’s taking me on a date. This thought instantly sours my mood. I know, I know. I’m seriously bipolar and need to get my shit together, but I can’t help it. I’m second guessing everything.

  “Where are we going?” I feign curiosity, but what I really want to say is, What? I’m not good enough to be seen around our town?

  “It’s a surprise. I’ve actually never been there, but it sounds like a lot of fun. So I thought we could try it.” His focus remains on the road, making it hard to read him.

  “Oh, and this surprise couldn’t be in our town? We have to drive somewhere else?”

  He looks over at me briefly before turning back to the road, “They don’t have this in our town. Plus, it’s not like there’s a lot of places to take you there. There’s that little mom and pop diner that serves everything with an extra side of grease, and the gas station. You look way too beautif
ul to slum it in places like that. I wanted to show you a good time, take you to do something new, and then maybe grab a bite to eat after. Does that sound okay?” Looking in my direction again, he gives me a smile.

  And I feel like an asshole.

  When will I get over this need to analyze people’s motives? Here Landon is just trying to do something nice and thoughtful, and I’m trying to spin it around into something negative.

  I smile back at him. “It sounds perfect.” I look out my window and we ride the rest of the way in a comfortable silence.

  ***

  “A drive-in theatre?” I question as we pull into a big open field with a huge screen set up. This might be one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

  “Yeah, I just heard about it and thought it’d be cool to come see a movie. Have you ever been to a drive-in before?” He puts the car in park and pushes a button in the center console making the roof slide open and collapse into the trunk of the car.

  “Nope, can’t say that I have.”

  “Then I’m glad we get to experience this for the first time together.” He reaches over to my lap and grabs my hand and then winks at me. Him and that damn wink. It instantly turns my mind to putty.

  It’s a perfect night. There’s not a cloud in the sky and the stars are twinkling brightly above us. Since it’s almost the middle of October, the air has a little bit of a chill to it this time of day, but I can’t complain. This is perfect.

  “Here, I brought this in case you got cold.” He reaches behind my seat and pulls out a blanket.

  “Look at you being all prepared. Thanks.” I drape the blanket over my shoulders to warm up my arms.

  “If you want, we can hop in the backseat so that both of us can use the blanket. With the roof being down we’ll still be able to see.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I ask playfully, “Are you trying to get me back there so you can make out with me, Mr. Stone?”

  His eyes zero in on my lips and my tongue instinctively darts out to wet them. “I can’t say the thought has never crossed my mind.” With his husky voice, I have to clench my thighs together to help ease the ache I’m feeling just from the mere thought of his lips on mine. It both excites and scares the hell out of me. “Come on, let’s hop in the back. I’ll be a gentleman.” He breaks the moment by getting out of the car and coming around to open my door. Once we’re both in the back, he puts his arm across the seat behind me, creating a little nook under his arm that I’m powerless to stop myself from falling into. His body heat blankets me, as does his spicy scent. Right before the movie starts, he drops his arm onto my shoulder and we sit there snuggled up together. It’s probably the most content I’ve ever been in my life.