"So before this goes too far, Let me tell you what you are, You're amazing, I'm attracted, But I'm terribly distracted..." -- Gavin DeGraw 'Nice to Meet You Anyway'
5
"That has to be the best performance you've ever had," Hailey gushed as they all rode in Lauren's BMW. Her parents were rich, went meant fancy cars and a big house. But they were probably some of the sweetest people in town.
Tess rolled her eyes as she picked a piece of lint off the knee of her jeans. "Yeah right."
"Seriously," Lauren started as the turning signal clicked away, "And when that guy got up and started playing with you it was even better!"
She didn't even realize he had been playing with her. She just thought he had been standing behind the curtain.
"Don't say anything, but it was almost better than Marshall," Hailey laughed. "Do you know that guy, Tess?"
She didn't know if she should tell them the truth or lie. Of course, honesty was the best policy, but she liked that her friends didn't know about him yet.. "I ran into him the other day." She tried to sound vague.
"What's he like?" Lauren asked curiously.
Tessa shrugged. "He's cool I guess. I didn't talk to him much. He was just buying dog food." Again she was trying to sound indifferent.
She hoped she didn't end up having to answer a million questions about him for the rest of the night.
- - - - -
Luckily, the guys were already into a heated game of pool when they arrived, so the girls all relaxed on the couches and recliners that furnished the room. Hailey and Lauren were deep into a conversation about something they had read in a fashion magazine with Jenna, which left Tessa to think about Teddy.
She remembered the piece of paper he had handed her, "Since they were friends and all". She smiled to herself as she pulled the paper, which turned out to be a napkin and looked at it. Seven numbers were written across it and she laughed. Out loud.
"What are you laughing at?" Hailey asked her.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about that joke I told earlier." She lied as her cheeks began to turn red.
"Oh that awful thing?" Lauren rolled her eyes. Soon they were back into their previous conversation, and Tess found herself drifting off to sleep.
- - - - -
She awoke with a jump and a gasp. She felt like she had been running a marathon, and her feet... Something about her feet in her dream made them hurt in real life.
She noticed that the other three girls were also asleep, and the guys weren't around. She glanced at the wall clock and realized she would be late for work. She groaned as she rubbed the back of her neck as she sat up. Her teeth felt furry & her throat was sore.
Hailey began to move, and she cracked her eyes long enough to see her friend leaving. "Have fun at work," she slurred tiredly and Tess giggled as she took the stairs two at a time.
"Crap." She said aloud when she realized she didn't have her car. She thought about waking Lauren, but decided against it when she remembered that Lauren was not a good morning person.
So she decided to walk.
As she reached the stop sign at the end of the street, she pulled out her phone and called Lisa, and told her she would be late, then continued on her way.
She hadn't realized she lived so far away from Lauren. Of course, it was fairly close - when she drove her car. Now it felt like it was on the other side of the universe. She heard a car horn behind her and began feeling a little tense. She hadn't realized how dangerous walking alone could be, even in this small of a town.
Just as she was about to break into a run, she heard him.
"Hey Tess!"
Teddy.She turned to see him smiling at her and she gave him a smile back.
"Isn't a little dangerous to be out walking the streets alone?" He asked and she smirked.
"This isn't New York City, Ted." She smiled as she leaned against the passenger door with her arms resting on the edge of the window.
"So I've noticed," he laughed. "So what are you doing?"
"What are you doing out at ten in the morning?" She laughed.
"I asked you first."
"I asked you second," she smiled at him and he laughed.
"I am looking for a place to buy new guitar strings." he told her. "And you?"
"I'm on my way home from Lauren's. I'm going to be late to work too," she laughed and he motioned for her to get in.
"I'll give you a ride."
She hesitated for a moment, but decided that it would be much quicker to let him give her a ride.
"So did you have fun?" She asked him. "At The Shop last night?"
He gave her a look, and then a smile. "Yeah. Its a pretty cool place. So where do you live?"
"Oh, take a right at the next light." She told him. "I didn't even realize you were playing along last night until Hailey told me."
"Hailey?"
"One of my best friends." She told him.
"So there's Jake, Lauren, Hailey..."
"Marshall, Ty, Cooper, and Brady, and now Jenna, but I don't know her that well. She's Marshall's new girlfriend." She explained.
"Yeah, thats a big group," he laughed and she found herself laughing along.
"I know, but its more like a big family."
"Thats cool." He told her as he stopped at a stop sign. "Where?"
"Oh, sorry, left, the I'm the yellow house with the pink rose bushes," she told him and he nodded.
"You could've just said the yellow house with my mustang out front," he laughed as he pulled into the driveway.
"Well, yeah, but I forgot it was there," she laughed at herself. "Thanks for the ride, Ted."
He gave her a smile. "No problem."
"See ya later."
"Later," he nodded and gave her a big grin, that caused her cheeks to turn the same shade as the rose bushes.
Why did he have to be so darn cute?