I moved back in with Albert and made golf my priority. It's all I've done this past year. I train with my coach, work out at the gym, and play in tournaments around the area. I've done really well in the tournaments but I'm still playing as an amateur. I'm not ready to go pro yet. I need more time to improve my game but hopefully, by the end of this year, I'll be ready.
As for dating, I went back to it last spring. I went out with this girl for almost a month before breaking it off. After that, I went on a few random dates that didn't go anywhere. The girl I'm dating now works at the golf course I worked at in high school. She gives golf lessons to kids. She's cute and nice and we're the same age so she should be a good match for me but I'm just not clicking with her. Something's missing.
I keep thinking I can't commit to a girl because I'm still hung up on Taylor, which is completely illogical because I don't even know her. I only know what I've read online and what her brother has told me, which isn't much. Maybe I should just meet her so I can prove to myself we're not a good match and finally move on. But I'm not ready to meet her. I'm not ready to find out what she's really like. I've built her up in my head to be this perfect girl and I'm not ready to be disappointed.
"So what do you have going on this week?" Cal asks.
"Nothing." I chuckle. "I came here to see you, dumbass. You invited me. Are you trying to get rid of me already?"
He smiles. "You want to golf at some new courses?"
"Haven't we played all the ones in Phoenix?"
"These aren't in Arizona. They're in California. Around San Francisco and Napa."
"What are you talking about?"
"This weekend is parents' weekend at my sister's college. My dad wants us to go with them. After we go see Taylor he wants to drive north and play some courses around the bay area. My mom wants to do the whole wine country thing so while she and my dad are off doing that, you and I can golf. What do you say?"
Sounds like I'll be meeting Taylor sooner than I thought. I'm not ready for that but I can't turn this down. A chance to play golf with Cal's dad? A former professional golfer? And I'll get to play on courses I've never played before? I'm about to tell him yes but then remember my money situation.
"I'd love to, but I can't afford it."
"You're not paying for it. My dad's covering the trip. And he wants you to come with us. My mom does too." He smiles. "Because you're so damn sweet. And polite. And those dimples. She can't get enough of those dimples."
"Shut up," I say with a smile. "Enough about the dimples."
"So what do you say? You in? If not, we could stay around here but I really want to try out some new courses."
"Yeah. Sounds great. I just feel bad that your dad is paying for me. I wish I had the money to pay for it myself."
"Don't worry about it. Look around." He motions to the pool and the gardens and the guest house that make up the back yard. "My parents are loaded. This trip is nothing. Plus, my dad just signed a deal for another commercial. I don't know how much he's getting paid but he made it sound like a lot."
Since retiring, Cal's dad has been doing a lot of commercials. He's on TV so much that people recognize him more now than when he was a pro golfer.
"You should do that," Cal says.
"Do what?"
"Commercials. It'd get you some extra cash and you'd get exposure. You need to get known so sponsors will want you when you get on the pro tour."
"Who's going to want me on a commercial? I'm still a nobody."
"A nobody who's been called 'one to watch under thirty' by one of the most popular golf magazines."
"There were twenty people on that list. I'm not going to get hired for a commercial because of that."
"You never know."
"Well, if something comes my way, then yeah, I'll take it but I doubt that's gonna happen. So, um, how long will we be spending at the college?"
"Not sure. My parents have stuff they have to go to on Saturday but we can skip all that and hang out at the hotel."
"Don't you want to see your sister?"
"I'll see her in the morning. We're all going golfing."
"We are?"
"Yeah. There's a course nearby my dad wants to try out."
We're going golfing with Taylor? That means I'll not only meet her but be spending several hours with her. That should be enough time to convince myself she's not the dream girl I keep imagining her to be.
This trip will be good. I'll finally get over my obsession with Taylor and never have to think about her again.
"Cal, are you out here?" I hear his mom say. She comes out the door to the patio, smiling when she sees me. "Luke! Welcome!"
I stand up as she walks over to me. "Hi, Mrs. Tuckerman."
She gives me a hug. "It's Barb. You know better than to be so formal with me. And Cal's dad is Lou, not Mr. Tuckerman." She stands back and looks me up and down. "You get more handsome every time I see you."
"Mom, seriously?" Cal says. "Inappropriate."
"He's a nice looking young man. There's nothing wrong with pointing that out." She smiles. "And those dimples. I bet you get a lot of girls with those dimples."
"Mom." Cal sighs. "Enough."
I laugh. "Thanks for the compliment, Mrs.—I mean, Barb."
Cal's parents are awesome. Loving, caring, supportive. All things my parents aren't and never will be. But Albert is. Thank God I have him in my life. If I didn't, I don't know what would've happened to me. I'd probably be working in the shipyards with my dad right now, hating my life.
"Did Cal tell you about the trip?" Barb asks.
"Yeah. Sounds great! Thanks for inviting me."
"I think it'll be fun. And this way, Lou and I can go off and do our own thing while you two spend time at the golf course."
"You and Dad could've done that anyway," Cal says. "I don't need a babysitter."
"I know, honey, but it's still nice that Luke can come along. You two haven't seen each other for months."
It's because we've both been too busy, and because I didn't want to come here and run into Taylor. But since Taylor's off at college I agreed to Cal's invite, and now, oddly enough, I'm going to end up seeing Taylor even though she's not here.
"You should go change for dinner," Barb says to Cal. "Luke, let me show you to your room."
I follow her inside and upstairs to the guest room, which is twice as big as my room at Albert's house. And the bathroom is huge, with a large walk-in shower.
The house is more like a mansion, like one of those dream homes you see on TV. I wonder if I'll have a house like this someday. If I hit it big in golf, it's possible.
When Lou gets home we all go to dinner. I'm still in awe of Lou and his golf career so whenever I see him I get a little nervous. But then we get to talking and I start to relax and get comfortable around him again.
After dinner I ask when we're leaving for California. I assumed we'd be driving but Lou said it would take too long so we're flying instead. I offered to pay for my ticket, even though I don't have the money and would have to charge it, but Lou told me my ticket is already taken care of. He and his wife are really generous. They always have been. They're great people.
We fly out on Thursday morning. It's a short flight and when we arrive, we head to the nearest golf course. We golf most of Thursday and Friday, then drive to the town where Taylor's going to college.
I'm nervous about meeting Taylor but I shouldn't be. Even if she turned out to be really great I could never date her. She's Cal's sister. She probably wouldn't even be interested in me. In fact, she's probably already dating someone else. She's beautiful, athletic, smart. I'm sure she has guys lining up to go out with her.
I need to relax. I'm making this into a bigger deal than it should be. I'll just go there and meet her, we'll play some golf, then I'll move on with my life. I'll find some other girl, one who isn't related to Cal, and she'll be the one consuming my thoughts instead of Taylor.
On Saturday morning we arr
ive at the college. Taylor texts her mom that she'll be out in a minute so we all wait outside her dorm. Some girls walk by and smile at me so I smile back. One of them keeps her eyes on me as she walks. I break eye contact with her and look back at Cal.
"How long do you think she'll be?" I ask.
"A few minutes, maybe? Who knows? Girls are never on time." He grins. "So you thinking of asking her out?"
Shit! Cal knows I like his sister? Why hasn't he said anything before now? And why is he saying it in front of his parents?
"No! Of course not."
He gives me a confused look. "Um, yeah, okay. Why are you getting all mad about it?"
"Because I'd never go out with her. I don't know why you think I would."
He steps closer and lowers his voice so his parents won't hear. "Well, for one, that chick was basically eye-fucking you as she walked by. And two, she's hotter than hell."
I relax. He's talking about that girl who was looking at me, not Taylor.
"I'm only here for the day. It's not worth asking her out."
"If you talked to her you might find out she lives near you. Maybe she's from San Diego or LA. If so, you could see her when she's home from college."
"That's too much work. I'm not dating someone long-distance."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. That would suck."
"Okay, I'm ready." I hear her voice and look up and see Taylor walking toward us. Holy shit. She's even more beautiful in person. More beautiful than when I saw her on TV all those years ago. More beautiful than the photos I've seen of her online. She's not even wearing makeup, or if she is, it's subtle. She has natural beauty. Gorgeous skin. Bright blue eyes. And that amazing smile.
"Hey, sis." Cal gives her a hug as I stand there, staring at her. I need to get myself together. I can't act stupid in front of her. I need to get over my nerves and act confident. Girls like confidence.
Cal lets her go and Taylor notices me next to him. She doesn't say anything and neither do I.
Cal breaks the awkward silence. "I forgot you guys have never met." He turns to me. "How have I been friends with you all this time and you've never met my sister?"
"I don't know." I smile at Taylor and offer her my hand. "Hi, I'm Luke."
"Taylor." She smiles back and shakes my hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too." I should look away but I can't. She's so damn beautiful. Her shiny long blond hair is in a loose braid that hangs over her shoulder. She's wearing a sleeveless shirt, causing my eyes to wander over her exposed skin which is tan from the sun. Her arms are lean and toned. You can tell she's an athlete, although I read she had a knee injury a while back that slowed down her training. She's healed enough now that she can be on the college team.
I know way too much about this girl. All these years I've told myself to stop searching for her online but then I kept finding myself doing it. I wanted to know more about her. I couldn't get her out of my head.
And now here I am, standing in front of the girl I've had a secret crush on for years. And I have no idea what to do next.
Chapter Six
Taylor
I'm standing here trying to catch my breath because my heart's going a million miles a minute. It's because of Luke. He's making me nervous. He won't stop staring at me. And I can't stop staring at him!
This is Luke? Cal's friend? The one he met at camp years ago? The one he talks about all the time?
He's not supposed to look like this. It's not how I imagined him. Not that I've given it much thought but I guess in my head I thought he'd look similar to my brother. I never imagined him looking like THIS.
Holy crap, he's hot. His eyes...wow...they're really dark, which I love. Dark eyes are mysterious. Sexy. His hair is dark too. My eyes lower to his body which is just as amazing as his face. He has muscles. Lots of them. Most golfers aren't that muscular. He must spend hours in the gym. And he's really tan from being on the course so much.
"Should we head out?" my dad asks.
"Um..." I turn to my dad. "Before we go I want you to meet my friend, Lilly. She's in her room. I'll go get her."
"Hurry up. We don't want to miss our tee time."
I race back inside and knock on Lilly's door. We met our first day here and have been friends ever since. Her dad is a well-known billionaire but she isn't snobby at all. She's super nice.
She opens her door. "Hi, Taylor."
"Hi." I hurry inside and shut the door. "I want to introduce you to my parents."
"Um, okay. Where are they?"
"They're waiting outside. I told them I had to come get you."
"Then let's go."
"Not yet." I take a deep breath. "I have to get myself together first."
"Why? Is something wrong?"
"They brought a guy with them. A really, really hot guy."
"Who is he?"
"A friend of my brother's. My brother's here too. They're going golfing after parents' weekend. They wanted to go on some of the courses around here. That's why Cal and Luke came with."
"Which one's your brother?"
"Cal. Also named after golf clubs."
"Callaway?"
"Yeah." I laugh. "You know your golf brands."
"My family owns sporting goods stores. I know all the brands."
"That's right. I forgot."
Lilly's brother, Garret, owns WaveField, a store that sells all kinds of sports equipment. Her dad helps run the company but he stays in the background. Garret does all the day-to-day stuff.
"So you're hiding in here because of Luke?" Lilly asks.
"I was, but I'm fine now." I fan myself and take a deep breath. "This is completely stupid. I don't usually get this way over a guy. It's just that when I saw him, I just...I don't know...felt something. Or maybe I'm just imagining it. Maybe I just felt that way because he's hot."
"How old is this guy?"
"I think he's 20."
"Where does he go to school?"
"He doesn't. He left college to try to play golf professionally." I glance out the window and see my family talking to Luke. How am I going to survive this golf game? It'll take at least four hours to play eighteen holes. Four whole hours with this guy? I can't even breathe around him! I need to get control of myself. I can't let him get to me. I just need to focus on my game and ignore him. "We better get out there."
We go outside and I introduce Lilly to my family.
"Taylor said you're a swimmer," my mom says to Lilly.
"Yes, but I haven't spent much time in the pool since I got here. School's been keeping me busy."
"Do you golf?" my dad asks. He asks everyone that. You get bonus points if you golf.
"I do," Lilly says, "but I'm not very good. But my dad and brother are. They go all the time. They own a sporting goods store so they have all the latest equipment."
"What store?" Luke asks. I like his voice. It's deep and manly.
"WaveField," Lilly says. "They have stores all over the country."
"I love WaveField," he says. "It's my favorite store. They have one in Phoenix."
Phoenix? Luke lives in San Diego. Why did he mention Phoenix? Is he planning to move there? He can't move there. If he lived there he'd be at my house all the time hanging out with Cal. He'd be there when I'm home on school breaks. I wouldn't be able to relax.
"If it's your favorite store you should be on the commercials," Lilly says in a kidding tone.
"I'd actually be interested in that," Luke says. "I'm trying to get my name out there."
"I can't promise you anything, but I could talk to my dad about it. He'll be here in like an hour."
"That'd be great. Thanks." Luke smiles and two dimples appear, one in each cheek. I love a guy with dimples. They're my weakness.
My heart's beating fast again. Too fast. I'm getting breathless.
"We should get going," my mom says.
Or I think she said that. I'm not sure. I can't focus on anything other than Luke, who is NOT supposed to
look like that. He's supposed to be dorky, like my brother, not hot with a deep voice and dimples.
I feel Lilly nudge my side and quickly take my eyes off Luke, realizing I'd been staring.
"Are you guys going golfing?" Lilly asks me.
"Yeah. After breakfast."
Breakfast? We're not going to breakfast. Why did I say that? I can't even think right now. Words are spilling out of my mouth but I don't know what I'm saying.
"I want to see Taylor's putting skills." Luke smiles at me. "I hear she's better than her brother."
"Maybe," Cal says, "but I'm better on the fairway."
"You need to improve your short game," Luke says. "That's what'll win you the tournament." Luke looks at me. "Maybe you could give me some pointers?"
Is it just me or did that sound flirty? What am I thinking? He's Cal's friend. He wouldn't flirt with his friend's little sister. And yet I swear that sounded flirty.
Lilly nudges me and I realize I didn't answer Luke's question. What was the question? I forgot. Oh! Golf tips! Short game.
"Yeah," I say. "Of course."
Cal looks offended. "The guy's playing against me. You're not supposed to help him."
They don't actually play against each other, at least not in tournaments. But they do try to beat each other when they golf.
I shrug. "I'd give you pointers, too, if you asked."
My mom shakes her head. "When will you two stop being so competitive?"
"Never," Cal and I say at the same time.
My dad laughs. "They're just like their father."
"I'll see you guys later," Lilly says as she walks away. "Have fun golfing."
"Let's go," my dad says.
"Wait! I forgot my clubs," I say, feeling stupid I didn't bring them with me. Luke must think I'm a total idiot. "I'll be right back."
"I can carry them for you," Luke offers.
I freeze. He wants to go back with me to my room? Is he just being nice or is he flirting?
He's not flirting. Why do I keep thinking he is? He's just being nice, probably trying to impress my parents.
"I'll go with her," Cal says. "We'll meet you guys at the car."
Luke follows my parents to the car while Cal and I walk back to my dorm.
Anyone But Her Page 5