by M. Piper
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Wren.” I whisper. “I’m running home to shower and change. I’ll be back in an hour to pick you up.” I hand her my cell phone. “Put your number in here. Please.”
She grins. “What if I had pans today?”
“Do you?” I raise my eyebrows and wait, watching her bite her lip while she stares at my phone screen that luckily is still the generic one from the company. I just got this phone and all my pictures of Carter from a baby are on my old device still.
“No,” she says finally, then types her name and number in and hits send. I hear the door unlock and Lucy’s standing there with Wren’s phone in her hand.
“You’re ringing,” she says, shoving her phone at Wren.
“Thank you” I say, not taking my eyes off her.
“One hour?” she asks, looking down at her clothes. “I may need more time.”
“You have one hour, Wren.” I start to jog of with a smile plastered on my face and I hear Lucy squealing behind me. I take the shortcut across a few neighbor’s yards and make it home in half the time it took for me to run there and by the time I get there I’m dripping with sweat.
“You just ran for over an hour. If you don’t chill your jets you’re going to wither away.” Ford’s planted in front of the PlayStation and doesn’t even look up when I enter the house.
“I was at Wren’s,” I huff, taking a water bottle out of the fridge and guzzling it. I hear the game pause and the chair in the living room squeak.
“You were at her house? How the hell…why? That’s kind of creepy, Linc.” He’s standing in the hallway, arms crossed and eyes scrunched.
“She lives just a couple miles that way,” I puff, trying to catch my breath. “We have a date in an hour. And I’m using Yellow.”
“Wait, what?” he blurts. The mention of the dog’s name makes his ears perk up but I’ve already made my decision so I finish off the water bottle and shrug. “You gonna fuck her?” He asks, grinning.
I roll my eyes and push past him. “Not every girl’s a fuck toy, Ford!” I yell, turning on the water. I hear him mumble some response but don’t bother retorting. I have a date to plan.
“How do you know what to wear on a date when you don’t even know where you’re going?” I ask, shuffling through my closet.
“All you need to worry about are your panties and bra. Make sure they match,” Lucy says, sorting through my underwear drawer for a matching set.
“Well you’re not going to find anything sexy in there and definitely nothing that matches.” I laugh at the face she throws me. “What? I don’t get around often. I go for comfort.” I wiggle my ass in my blue cotton underwear and grin. “Anyway, it’s date one. We aren’t getting freaky on this date.” But God, I would. I so would. He’s hot enough to make me forget everything I ever thought about ‘dating.’
“I wonder if he’s going to take you to the typical date spots,” Lucy says, lying on my bed.
“Like the theatre? Or the botanical gardens?” I laugh and roll my eyes. “Growing up here has really made me pretty jaded to the awesome things this city has to offer. I just hope he doesn’t take me on a presidential tour of the city. There’s only so much I can handle with that.”
I keep shuffling until I find a yellow and orange romper I bought last summer and totally forgot about. This will be perfect!
I have three minutes to spare when there’s a knock on the door.
“Oh and he’s prompt!” Lucy yells from her spot on the couch. I told her a few minutes ago she isn’t allowed to open the door because she may scare him away. She took it better than I expected. She’s awesome, but she’s pretty intense.
“Hey,” I say, smiling. He smirks and holds out his hand and in it is one small flower.
“It’s for you,” he grins stupidly.
“Is that a weed?” I laugh and he cocks his head.
“Could be. But I like to think of it as a striving being that does whatever the hell it wants, despite what everyone else thinks of it.” He pushes the white and yellow flower at me and I hear Lucy sigh in the living room. I laugh and shake my head.
“You’re peculiar, you know that?”
“I’ve been told that once in my lifetime. Yes. In third grade, actually. Those kids can be assholes.”
“You’re telling me,” I laugh. “Come on, I need to find a vase big enough for this thing.”
He follows me in and closes the door. “Hey Lucy!” he yells and I hear her call back to him.
“You can come in, Luce,” I say, grinning. She wastes no time running in here and sliding across the floor, hitting the island countertop and leaning on it, grinning at Lincoln.
“So,” she says. “Where ya taking her?”
“It’s a surprise,” he says, winking at her.
“Just don’t kill her, ok?”
“I can promise you she will come home alive.”
“Well guys. This will have to do. I think this is the best flower I’ve ever gotten.” I slide a tiny teacup across the counter and plunk my flower in it.
“See, it’s perfect! Now come on, we need to get going!” He takes my hand and yells his goodbye to Lucy before running out to the car.
In the backseat of his truck is a massive brown dog that looks as happy as can be to be on this adventure.
“Hey there,” I say, climbing up and sliding into the truck. His tail’s wagging and thumping the seat behind him but he doesn’t budge from his spot.
“That’s Yellow. He’s spending the day with us.” Lincoln closes his door and clicks his tongue, then holds a treat out for the dog.
“Yellow?” I laugh. “He’s brown.”
“So?” He grins at me. “Doesn’t seem to bother him. You shouldn’t be so judgmental.” He winks and starts the truck.
I can’t help but smile at this strange man. When I first met him at the house I thought he was much older due to the air he had about him, but today he seems so much younger and carefree. He’s so happy and excited, it’s easy for that to wear off on someone.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope.” He chirps. “But on the way there I thought we could speed date.”
“Speed date?” I reach back and pet Yellow while at a red light.
“Yes. We have twenty minutes until we get to where we’re going. In that twenty minutes, we take turns asking questions.”
“Okay. I’m in. I go first.” I shift back to my seat and rub my hands together to try to think of an awesome question. “Any crazy ex-girlfriends I need to be worried about?” I blurt. It may not be a ‘good’ question, but it’s one that’s important nonetheless. His hand is resting on the console of the car and I just want to reach out and take it but I hold back. First dates aren’t for holding hands.
“None. No crazy ex’s at all. Don’t need to worry about that,” he laughs. “Ok my turn. What’s your deal, Wren?”
I scrunch my nose and sigh. It may seem like a harmless question but it’s so loaded. I sigh and lift a shoulder. “Don’t have one, Lincoln. I’m just a girl trying to make it by in this insane world when all the world wants to do is see her fail.”
“Well that seems like a pretty big deal,” he says, glancing over at me.
“No deal at all.” I grin. “My turn. Favorite type of music.”
“Country. Of course.” He cranks up the radio and Sam Hunt blares and I laugh.
“That’s not full on country!” I laugh. “He’s like, a mix.”
“He’s hot.” Lincoln stares at me for a moment then busts out laughing and I can’t help but join in.
“Who are you?” I ask, laughing.
“It’s my turn to ask!” he says, turning down the radio. “What brought you to Springfield?”
“I’ve lived here my whole life. Nothing ‘brought’ me here but my parents.” Something brought me back, but that’s not for first dates either.
“What about you?” I ask.
“Born and ra
ised.” He pulls into a gravel driveway outside of town and the truck bumps along the way, throwing up dust behind us as we head deeper into the country.
“You know, the deeper we go into the country the more I feel like you’re actually going to kill me.”
“I brought my dog to eat your remains too. Gah, you caught me!” He slaps the steering wheel and I raise an eyebrow at him. He grins over at me and laughs. “I’m kidding. Chill. My family owns property out here. It’s my favorite spot.” He grins over at me and I relax a little when we pull up to a small white house buried in the woods.
“This is cute,” I say, glancing around. The house is surrounded with greenery. Whoever did the landscaping here is mega talented. There’s a play set in the backyard that looks like it’s seen better days and a garden next to it full of plants. “Someone live here?”
“My nanna,” he shrugs like meeting family today is no big deal.
“You brought me to meet your grandma on the first date!?” I shriek, pulling down the visor mirror immediately. “It’s a hundred degrees outside and I’m not wearing makeup, Lincoln.” I huff.
“You’re fine. She’s blind and old and probably gonna die soon anyway. She’ll never know how homeless you look.”
My mouth gapes at him and that damn smirk and dimple on his face.
“I thought you were supposed to be woo-ing me!” I yell, laughing as he skips out of the truck and rounds the front, gripping my door when I swing it open.
“This isn’t how to woo you?” He asks. He reaches his hand out to help me down and my eyebrows raise at him. I almost refuse, but I’ve been dying to touch him since the moment I got in that cab. I let out an annoyed puff of air and shake my head.
“You’re something else, Lincoln West.” I place my hand in his and he wraps his fingers around me. God, he feels nice. Secure. Easy.
Way too dangerous.
I slide down to the ground and his eyes never leave mine. He went from playful to serious in a matter of three seconds flat. His eyes flick to my lips and back to my eyes, his hand still holding mine. One side of his mouth lifts to a slight grin and he scrunches his nose.
“I really want to kiss you, but my nanna would kick my ass if she saw me kissing a girl on the first date.”
“I thought you said she was old and blind.” I grin and he nods.
“Right. That was a lie.” He laughs, dropping my hands and jogging away when I bat at him.
“She’s going to hate me!” I yell at him, unable to stop the smile from spreading across my face. I don’t know why I really care. This is the first date, I should be more weirded out that he brought me here but I’m not.
“I can’t hate someone that keeps my Lincoln in line,” I hear her yell from the house and I spin to see the grey haired woman beaming at us. “You must be Wren.” She says, coming down the steps.
She’s not old at all. I mean, not for a grandparent. She also isn’t blind. He’s grinning from across the yard as she approaches me.
“Watch out, Nan. She’s got a mean right hook!” he yells, laughing when she flips him off.
“I think I like you,” I say, smiling. She wraps her arms around me and pats my back.
“Put up with him. He’s a good soul.”
I back up and she’s searching my eyes, her grey eyes crease in the corners as she studies my face. “You look mighty familiar, Wren,” she whispers then brings her finger to my nose and slides it down before giving Lincoln a strange look.
“Okay, Nan. Head your crazy ass back inside. We’re heading out to the creek.” She hugs him and she mumbles something to him then backs away and smiles.
“Take care of her out there. There was a bobcat last week eating my plants. Rat bastard’s out there somewhere.” She waves her fist at the woods and I laugh.
“Later, Nan.” Lincoln heads back to his truck and grabs Yellow from the backseat as well as a picnic basket and another bag. He clicks his tongue for Yellow to follow him and walks over to me, taking my hand in his. “Hey.” He smiles. “How ya doin?”
“Well, she’s amazing,” I say as we start to walk. Apparently hand holding is first date material. How would I really know anymore? It’s been a long time since I’ve even been on a date.
“She is,” he says. “I didn’t bring you here to meet her. Just so you know. Honestly I thought she was out of town this weekend. When I took Yellow from my brother he mentioned that she’d be here so I’m sorry about that.”
“Yellow’s not yours?” I ask. “He minds you so well.”
“He’s kind of a family dog but my brother lays claim. He’s trained him well.”
“I think I met your brother the other day,” I say, letting him help me as we cross a fallen tree on the path.
“Yeah?” He asks, his hand taking mine again.
“At some barbeque joint across town. The best place I’ve ever eaten.” My stomach growls loud and I groan. “God, sorry. Someone didn’t give me time to eat today.” I nudge him and he laughs.
“Well, to make you feel better I brought snacks. We’re almost there,” he says, dropping my hand to glance around. “Or we’re lost.” He nods, spinning in place to check out the woods around us.
“You got us lost?” I ask, my eyes widening. He smirks at me, his dimple perfectly placed above his grin and I know he’s just fucking with me.
“We’re right over here.” He winks and steps past a large bush, disappearing into the woods. Yellow trots in the same direction so I can only do the same.
When I round the corner I stop in my tracks and my mouth falls open. I was expecting a clearing in the woods. Maybe some grass. But nothing like this.
“What is this place?” I whisper, joining him at the blanket he’s laid out.
“My grandpa carved out this little piece of paradise for my Nan years ago. We upkeep it for her now, but secretly only because the rest of the family loves it so much.” He sits on the blanket and tosses a ball for Yellow to retrieve and pats the ground next to him. “Sit. I won’t bite.”
“Lincoln, this is beautiful.” God, I want to draw this place. A field full of wildflowers and a pond with lily pads already blooming are just a few of the natural beauties here that make this space way more than a clearing in the woods.
“I added a few large boulders over there a few years back.” He points across the field. “it was a pain getting those things back here, but we did it so Nan could have another place to sit when she walks out here.”
“You’re a good person,” I whisper, taking a seat next to him.
He smiles at me and I can tell he wants to say something but he doesn’t. Instead, he lets out a huff and scoots an inch away, bringing the basket between us.
“I packed food,” he says, smiling. He cracks open the picnic basket and the immediate whiff I get sends my stomach rumbling.
“Is that?” My eyes go wide when he pulls out a couple different white Styrofoam boxes.
“The best barbeque place on earth? Yes. Yes indeed.” He cracks a lid on one of them and I groan.
“Oh my God are those pulled pork nachos?”
“And,” he smiles, opening the next. “A horseshoe.” He opens the top of the second container and smiles wide.
“What’s a horseshoe?” I furrow my brows but smile because God, that smells amazing.
“Texas toast.” He points. “Topped with French fries, cheese sauce, barbeque sauce, and in this case, pulled chicken. And more cheese. And more BBQ.” He grabs a fry and holds it in front of my face. “Eat.”
I open my mouth and take a bite, moaning from the delicious taste.
“Oh my hell that’s amazing.” I grab another one and pop it into my mouth.
“How the hell have you lived here your entire life and never had a horseshoe? They’re from Springfield!”
“I don’t know,” I say, shoving another fry in my mouth and grinning. “But I have a new favorite meal.”
He smiles and laughs, opening the rest of the food. We
spend the rest of the afternoon out there in the clearing. He and I take turns playing catch with Yellow, he brings me a few more wild flowers to add to my weed at home and I make fun of him for the sheer amount of times he ran by my house before getting up the nerve to ask me out.
When the sun starts to set I start packing up, thinking the day’s probably over, but his hand on my arm stops me.
“One more thing,” he says, his smile so wide it reaches his eyes.
“Is this where you murder me?” I ask, grinning.
“With awesomeness, yes.” He grabs the extra bag he brought along and starts pulling out his ‘one more thing.’
Pastels. Chalks. Newsprint. Smudge sticks…
“What’s all this?” I ask, way too turned on that he thought to buy and bring all this.
“For you.” He smiles, handing over the pad of paper. “It’s the perfect spot. I’ve noticed you eyeing it all day. Do your thing, art girl.”
Her eyes are sparkling in the setting sun and she’s officially the most beautiful person I’ve ever met and she doesn’t even know it. The look on her face when I pulled out all those supplies…hell I wish I could have had a camera for it. I shocked her…well let’s just say it doesn’t look like a lot of people surprise her much.
She’s quiet as she sets up her work space and I’m ok with that. Just being able to watch her and be with her today has made this one of my favorite days. I don’t often get time to myself to do what I want so today was kind of perfect.
I didn’t bring the big guns out until the sun set. I know it’s pretty here, but it’s prettiest when the light stretches the colors just right and the shadows across the woods are deep.
She smiles over at me and giggles this light giggle and rolls her eyes.
“I don’t usually have an audience,” she whispers, her hand almost to the paper. “This is a little intimidating.”
“I’m not watching. I promise.” I move my eyes to the field where Yellow’s chewing on a bone I tossed him. She sighs and turns back, then gets to work.