by Harlow James
I shower, shave, and change my outfit more times than I care to admit before landing on blue jeans, a black shirt, and my Ariat boots. Clean and simple I decide, honoring the theme of the evening and the goal of this entire endeavor. Keep. It. Simple.
The drive to Victoria’s house is about thirty minutes, giving me plenty of time to get my game face on. My cologne filters through the cab of my truck, stronger than I intended it to be, but one extra spray was guaranteed to cover up any sweat stench I may develop throughout the evening from the abundance of nerves I feel.
In all honesty, I think I’m more worried about seeing Victoria’s dad tonight than her. Given that the last time I saw him was her graduation, and before that, the morning he told me to stay away from his daughter, I’m sure he will have an opinion about the two of us dating. Then it hits me. Has Victoria even told her dad that I’m taking her out? Maybe she hasn’t since I haven’t had a run-in with him over the past two weeks. I’m sure if she had told him, he probably would have shown up at my doorstep to beat my face in. Or maybe he’s finally realized that his daughter is a grown woman capable of making her own decisions and needs to live her life. Taking a deep breath, I mentally prepare myself for each scenario as I pull into her driveway.
The dusty brown farmhouse coming into my view hasn’t changed much in the years since I’ve known the Baker family. Tan wood-paneling and dark brown trim cling to the structure of the house that Victoria has called home her entire life, the garden flourishing to the right that I know her mother spends every waking moment in that she can find. There’s a porch swing bolted to the patio that she used to swing on while singing at the top of her lungs. There were days where I would hide in the grass a short distance from her house just to listen to her voice. Yeah, even at ten, I had it bad for her, borderline stalking my schoolgirl crush at her house.
I used to envy her family so much, desperate for the love I knew her parents have shown her throughout her childhood. With a father who favored booze and gambling over his family, my mother took sole responsibility for raising my brother and me. I will never discount my mom and everything she did for us, the woman who has undoubtedly made me the man I am today. She loved Dean and me enough for two parents, making sure we understood the consequences of our actions and the importance of honesty and hard work. But deep down, I always questioned what it would have been like to grow up with two parents, a team of unity and love whose sole purpose was to raise self-sufficient and model human beings together. What would it have been like to see my dad look at my mom the way Vic’s dad looks at her mom, or the way Dean looks at Pauline, or Tyler looks at Hayley? I want that. I want that love. I want my children to know that love. And my heart knows that Victoria is the woman I am meant to have it with.
Killing the engine to my truck, I glance in the rearview mirror one last time to check my appearance before descending from the cab and making my way to the front door. Three strong knocks and twelve seconds of waiting (yes, I counted), I’m greeted by Mrs. Baker.
“Mike, please come in.” Leslie Baker opens the door and waves me inside, her stature similar to Victoria’s in every way. Looking at her provides me a glimpse of what my future could look like with Victoria, and it’s not disappointing.
“Good evening, Mrs. Baker. I’m here to pick up Victoria for our date.” I reach out to shake her hand, but she pulls me in for a hug instead, whispering in my ear once we’ve enveloped together.
“I know, Mike, and I’m so happy. My daughter has been smitten with you for years, and I know you feel the same way. I just hope everything works out for you two.” She releases me before winking, her smile a crook on her face.
“Believe me, ma’am… I’ve been waiting for this just as long as you have then.” I wink back at her when I hear a throat clear behind me. Turning rapidly, I’m met with Mr. Baker himself. The fierceness of his narrow eyes makes me clear my own throat and stand to full height, my shoulders pushing back as I stand my ground. I will not let this man shove me away again.
“Mr. Kelley.” He greets me, his words laced with disdain.
“Mr. Baker,” I reach out to shake his hand, my hand stalling in mid-air waiting for him to reciprocate. “It’s nice to see you again.” I lie through gritted teeth, but my intentions are pure. As much as I say I don’t care about what he thinks about me anymore, I know it would be so much easier if he would at least accept me and we could remain cordial. I drop my hand after realizing my gesture will not be reciprocated.
“I’m confused as to why I’m seeing you at all.” He questions his wife as he looks over to her, his eyebrows shooting up while he awaits her reply. I focused the heat back on me where it should belong. Mrs. Baker doesn’t deserve his misplaced anger, especially when I know she’s on my side.
“I’m here to pick Victoria up for our date,” I answer confidently, while his eyes shoot fire in my direction.
“Like hell you are,” he growls just as Victoria walks up behind him.
The woman that steps around from behind her father takes my breath away. Blue jeans hug her curves, her cowboy boots adorn her feet just as I requested, and her long black hair curled at the ends falls over her shoulders, ending just above the hint of cleavage her black tank top shows off in a tasteful but downright tortuous way. Those hazel eyes look me up and down, taking in my appearance just as a mile-wide grin stretches across her face.
“Hi, Mike,” she greets me, clearly more excited about our date than she was the night I corned her in the bar. Even though she fought me on it, I knew this was what she wanted just as much as I did.
I hand her a folded piece of paper, the same one I had in my pocket the night at her graduation party. I figured, even though I didn’t get to give it to her that night, I still needed to pay homage to our history.
“Is this what I think it is?” Her hands maneuver the paper until she’s reading my words.
Will you please go out with me, Victoria? Check Yes or No.
“I figured you couldn’t say no if I asked you this way,” I shrug with a sly grin.
“Well, I don’t have a pen to offer my answer.”
“No worries,” I say while pulling a pen from my pocket and handing it to her. “I came prepared.”
She shakes her head at me before grabbing the pen, clicking the top, scribbling a heart in the Yes box, and handing me the pen and paper back. She winks over at me, just as our moment is interrupted by her father.
“What the hell is he doing here, Victoria?” Her dad interrupts our perusal of each other, his fury easy to read in a room that instantly feels like it could burst into flames.
“What do you mean, Dad? Mike’s taking me on a date tonight.” Tilting her head to the side, she genuinely questions her dad and his reaction to me. The realization that he never uttered a word to her about his sabotage of our first date five years ago hits me as I watch Victoria confused with her father. She must not know how he truly feels about me or the downright devastating things he said to me all those years ago.
“I thought you were dating Ben, Victoria. Now I see a Kelley boy picking you up for a date a week later? What’s going on?” His voice booms through the room, Lilly appearing behind Victoria just a second later.
“Mike!” Lilly rushes over to me, her tiny arms hugging me around my waist so quickly, I don’t have time to react to her greeting. Lilly is a huge part of Victoria’s life, a fact I learned quickly after she was born, and I watched her take on much more than just a sisterly role to her. The day I played with Lilly at the park three years ago still plays through my mind sometimes, the look on Victoria’s face so clear in her affection for me. I thought it was a turning point for us, but sadly, Victoria held her distance and kept avoiding me after that day. I told myself I understood her priorities, the message loud and clear to anyone who knew her. But subconsciously, I hoped that day would make her see how much I not only cared about her but also anyone she cared about.
“Hey, kiddo. How’s it going?�
�� I release her arms from around me and kneel to be on her level so we’re eye-to-eye.
“Good! Are you here to take out Victoria? She’s been talking about your date all week!”
“Ok, then! Thanks, Lilly.” Victoria interrupts her sister, rolling her eyes at me, but then glaring over at Lilly as she turns. “Dad, Ben, and Mike both asked me out, so I accepted. I know this is hard for you, okay? But I’m not a little girl anymore and I’m done with school. It’s time to live my life. I can date whoever I want, and tonight, that’s Mike.”
She walks over to him, rising on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll always be your little girl, but it’s time I grow up.” Frank’s eyes never leave me as his daughter shows him affection, trying to reassure him that she knows what she’s doing. He finally glances down at her with a tight-lipped smile, kisses her temple as she turns to me, but his eyes meet mine once again, wordlessly communicating that this is far from over.
“Don’t worry, Mr. and Mrs. Baker. I’ll take good care of her and have her home at a reasonable hour,” I joke, winking over at Mrs. Baker, who’s now blushing behind her grin. Mr. Baker shows not one ounce of humor whatsoever.
“Bye Mom, Dad, Lilly.” Victoria blows a kiss over her shoulder as I guide her out the door and down the steps to my truck. After opening the door for her and helping her up into the cab, I push the door shut and walk around the front of the truck, granted with a seething Frank Baker staring at me through the front window of the house.
Shaking my head, I find my door, hop inside, and crank the engine before turning to Victoria sitting next to me. She’s quieter now, less self-assured than she was just moments ago.
“Hey. You alright, Vic?” I reach over for her hand, the simple touch sending streaks of electricity up my arm, straight to my chest.
“Yeah, I just don’t understand my dad’s reaction in there. Do you have any idea what that was about?” Her eyes find mine, filled with concern. I know that eventually, I must tell her why I stood her up all those years ago, that her dad is the biggest reason we’ve been kept apart all this time. But not tonight. I don’t want to tarnish the evening I’ve been waiting five years for.
“You know, dads can be overprotective of their daughters, so I’ve heard.” I nudge her, granted with a small smile on her face.
“Yeah, that must be it. I mean, this is my second date in two weeks with two different guys, and my dad has never seen me picked up by a guy before, let alone two different ones,” she chuckles, her joke meant to be funny, but all it does it make my stomach drop, a stark reminder that I’m not the only man vying for her heart.
“Well, let’s not waste any more time on that then. I don’t know about you,” I lean over and get closer to her face, my proximity granting me with a deep inhale from her as I close the distance, “But I’ve been waiting years for tonight, and I want it to be just about us. How’s that sound?” My hand reaches out to cup her neck, her eyes darkening with my touch, her pulse firing rapidly beneath my fingers.
“Me too,” she whispers just as I lean back, halting our moment before it goes further.
“Then let’s get going… there is much fun to be had, Victoria Baker.” I wink at her as I shift into reverse, back out of her driveway, and turn onto the highway that will lead us to our first stop of the night.
Chapter 9
Victoria
My dad’s reaction to Mike still doesn’t sit well with me as we drive west of town, country music filling the cab as Mike drums away on his steering wheel. I don’t understand why he was so angry, rude, and menacing when Mike arrived to pick me up for our date. I know there has to be a reason, but right now, my focus needs to be on my date, an evening I’ve spent more time fantasizing about than I want to admit. And not just over the last week. More like the last five years, ever since the first date was supposed to happen.
“So how has your business been doing?” I break the silence, which hasn’t filled the truck for too long, but this is what a date is supposed to be about: conversation.
“There hasn’t been a dull moment since I opened shop,” Mike states proudly, the muscles in his forearms flexing as he adjusts his grip on the steering wheel. Reaching over to the dash, I notice his black t-shirt tighten on his broad shoulders, the hunk of muscles I’m just now appreciating, as he turns the volume on the music down before continuing. “I never thought it would take off this fast, but I’m definitely not complaining. I’m busy, and I’m loving it.”
“Well, I’m happy for you, Mike. I know this is something you’ve wanted and that table you made for Hayley and Tyler was beautiful, so I know you have the talent. I’m glad that you get to do what you love now.” Last Thanksgiving, Tyler and Hayley had all of their friends and family over. I discovered that the long farmhouse table in their house was made by Mike, my first indication that his furniture hobby could be more than just a hobby for him.
He glances over at me momentarily, a small grin tilting up on one side of his mouth. “And soon, you’ll be doing what you love too, Vic. All your hard work is about to pay off. How does that feel?”
Mike has always known that I wanted to be a teacher, ever since he passed me one of his many notes during class back in school. This one wasn’t a yes or no box to be checked, but rather an introspective question that had to do with an assignment we were completing in English class. He asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and my answer was the same one I had given to that question since I was five years old. A teacher. I knew in my heart it was my calling, more than just a job to me.
“It’s exhilarating and yet, terrifying,” I answer honestly, more honest than I’ve been with anyone else about my fears of starting my job in two months.
“Terrifying? How?”
I clear my throat and adjust myself in my seat before answering. “Well, I’ve always felt like teaching was the only job I could ever see myself doing, and I still feel that way. But then, I worry that this idea of teaching, this title that I have fought for so long to have, might not be what I thought it was. What if I start off this school year and realize a few months in that I hate it? What if I question every decision I’ve ever made up to this point? Is this really what I am supposed to be doing with my life? The expectation has been so high on a pedestal in my mind for so long. I’m afraid the reality won’t live up to it.”
Voicing that fear relieved a pressure in my chest I knew was there but wasn’t sure would ever go away. Turns out, sharing that realization with someone was probably what I needed. And then I realize the person I shared that with was Mike, not my best friends or even my family, and the tightness returns. It’s not an uncomfortable tightness though, more like a shock. The fact that I felt more comfortable admitting my fear to Mike is a good indication that maybe my gut has been right all along.
“Wanna know a secret, Vic?” Mike eyes me over his shoulder. I nod, my pulse firing rapidly as the seriousness of our evening comes barreling forward quickly.
“I felt that exact same way about starting a furniture business for years and that fear kept me from jumping all-in to what I ultimately knew I wanted.”
My mouth falls open. “Seriously? I never would have known.” I shake my head.
“I know, because I never told anyone. I just woke up one day and knew that I would regret it and question it for the rest of my life if I never took the leap. I didn’t want to live my days wondering what if?”
I fathom what Mike is telling me, his brutal honesty so calming, but also mesmerizing as I realize we share even more than I thought. And then I wonder, was that fear of starting his business the same fear that kept him from pursuing me?
“Thank you for sharing that with me, Mike. I mean, knowing someone else can feel that way about their dreams doesn’t make me feel like as much of a freak anymore.” I joke, but my declaration is serious.
“Believe me, I get it. I thought, how could I be so scared to start something that I knew I wanted so much? But fear is fic
kle. One moment it can save you from disaster. The next, it’s paralyzing you from your dreams. You just have to ask whether the fear is worth the reward.”
I reach over for his hand, his words doing more to my heart than any look or touch he’s ever given me. This. This friendship, the blinding comfort I have when I’m with him is leading me to believe our repressed feelings haven’t just been a figment of my imagination all these years.
His thumb brushes my knuckle as he squeezes our fingers together and he continues the drive. I feel like Mike is worth the fear, but again, I’m scared. Is he one of those things in my life that I know I want so badly but I’m too afraid to take the leap, for the fear that it won’t live up to the expectation? Yes. Yes, he is. Just like my job. But my job can’t stand to hurt me, wreck me, or ruin me like Mike can. In this case, I feel it warrants the fear for the time being.
After a few more miles, Mike slows the truck and pulls over to the side of the road next to Becker’s Food Truck, a familiar scene to me, but one I haven’t seen in years. Becker gained a piece of land in Little Rock, a small town west of Hopetown, and decided to park his food truck there instead of driving around. He has created quite the destination for some fabulous food since he made his purchase years ago, people driving in droves to experience a one-of-a-kind evening.
Once we find a space to park, Mike opens my door for me before ushering me up to the planked fence that encircles the food truck as he opens the latch on the gate. The heat that hums up my spine as his palm finds the spot between my hips ignites even more anticipation in me. Even though Mike and I have always known our feelings, we’ve barely touched. The caress of his fingers on my back, his hands in mine on the car ride over… it’s electric, a feeling I know I’ll never be able to live without again.