For both of our sakes, we can only hope that for now the crisis is averted and Bryant keeps his mouth shut.
From here on out, until I fly back to San Francisco and her to Long Beach tomorrow, we need to avoid one another as much as possible and not draw attention to ourselves.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with this today,” I say as I sit down on the small sofa in the living room and drop my head into my hands. I rake my fingers through my hair as I stare at my feet. I feel like the world’s biggest asshole. I love this girl, but I’m too chicken shit to fight for her.
I feel her sit down beside me, and I watch out of the corner of my eye as she brings her hand to rest on my thigh. It’s a simple touch, completely innocent, but the heat of her hand scorches my skin through my khakis and makes my heart rate pick up. No matter how much I try to ignore it, the pull to her is unbreakable.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m as much to blame as you are. We both let our guard’s down last night. It was reckless, but I guess that was our motto for last night, so it’s pretty fitting.”
Dropping my hands to my thighs, I fall back against the couch and turn to look at her. I mean really look at her, burning the image of her into my memory to look back on whenever I miss her. She looks as beautiful as always, but I think because I know I can’t have her even though I have her heart, as she does mine, her beauty seems to radiate out of her even more so than it ever has before.
She notices the goofy grin on my face and slaps my thigh. “You better wipe away any ideas popping up into that dirty mind of yours, because we need to learn from this, Linc. No more burning hot looks from the across the room, no flirting, or inappropriate touching.”
I pout at her playfully. “Inappropriate touching is my favorite thing though.”
Her eyes turn hot and sinful. “Behave. I mean it, Linc. It’s going to be hard, but at least we’re separated by hundreds of miles, for the most part. We won’t have to see each other again until the holidays. That’s more than enough time to try and get over whatever it is we have between us.”
Patting her knee, I climb to my feet and head towards the door. Gripping the doorknob, it takes everything in me to make myself open it and willingly let her leave. “I’m only picking, Spitfire. I’ll behave myself. I promise.”
As soon as she leaves my villa, I wait for her to disappear into hers and then head over to the bar to drown my sorrows. I told Tyler about everything with Bryant as we were leaving the golf course. He told me he’d be waiting in the bar to talk once we were done. Being the friend he is, he offered to whoop Bryant’s ass alongside me if it came to that, in order to keep him from stirring up trouble. I know he’ll be happy to hear the beat-down isn’t needed.
We spend the next two hours drinking beer and eating greasy fries and onion rings with some burgers. I’m avoiding the restaurant, because I know that’s where everyone will be dining tonight. If Raven and I are going to be successful in getting Bryant off of our backs, then the only way that’ll happen is for me to avoid all contact with her until we leave tomorrow.
Tyler and I are sitting in silence, watching baseball on the big screen hanging above the bar, sipping on our beers, when my dad comes bursting through the door.
“Linc! There you are. I figured you’d be here, since you weren’t at the pool. I just got the most amazing news from your agent.”
Setting my beer down, I turn my dad and try to calm my racing heart. The way he came barreling into here I thought for sure that Bryant ended up saying something to him anyways.
“Really? Why’d he call you and not me?” I ask with a confused tone. I’m over the age of eighteen, so everything handled professionally with my sports agent is always done so between us. So I have no idea why he’d be talking with my father instead of me.
“He called me, because he’s in Scotland right now for the PGA Tournament going on there today. The one I dropped out of because of the wedding. Get this! He was able to negotiate a deal, if you decide to take it, for you to transfer from Harding Park back home, to the St. Andrews Golf Course in Scotland. Some of the greatest of all time trained there.”
My jaw, I think, has officially dislocated from my face.
This is my dream. What I’ve spent the last three years working for since leaving college after my sophomore year. Now, my dreams are actually dangling right in front of me.
“Are you serious? I can’t believe this is happening.”
Taylor jumps off of his barstool and gives me a good whack on the back before grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. He is bursting with excitement, while I’m sitting here in a state of shock. Today has been a whirlwind day of fucking emotions, that’s for sure.
“Holy shit, dude! Scotland?! This is fucking awesome!” Tyler shouts, looking from me to my dad. “We need to celebrate!” Turning to the bar, he yells over me, “Bartender, I need three shots of your finest whiskey!”
“Well, son, is it safe to say your answer is a yes? If so, I’ll call your agent back right now. It’s late in Scotland, but he’s on California time, so he’s still awake.”
Nodding my head, I grab the shot and toss it back, welcoming the hot burn as the liquor slides down my throat and warms my belly. “Tell him yes,” I say, slamming the shot glass back down on the bar. I wave my hand, signaling for another.
“Let’s toast!” Tyler says, holding his glass in front of my dad and me. “To Scotland and the motherfucking PGA!”
Laughing, I feel my nerves shaking off of me. Holding my glass up, we all tap them together and cheer, “To Scotland and the motherfucking PGA!”
After the excitement simmers down, my dad gets off of the phone with my agent and he sits on a barstool beside me. “You’re all set. One-way ticket to St. Andrews, Scotland is booked and will be waiting for you as soon as we get back to San Francisco. You’ll leave first thing Tuesday.”
“Wow. This is all so fast.” I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea of this, and now I know in two days I’ll be boarding a flight to halfway around the world. The first thing that pops into my head is Raven. We’ll now be a world apart. It’s what we need and what’s best for the two of us, but I can’t help but feel sadness consume my thoughts.
My dad talking suddenly brings me out of my thoughts of Raven and back to the reality that this is happening. If I work my ass off while there, I very well could be in the PGA in 2016. If not then, definitely by 2017.
“You’ll be able to get your PGA Tour Card within the next few months, and try out for one of the open spots before the new season begins. If you don’t get a spot, then you’ll continue working at St. Andrews, and then try out again the following year. But I don’t doubt for a minute that you’ll get a spot. You play like your old man, maybe even better. I see big things in your future, Linc. All your hard work and determination is paying off.”
My dad only hangs around for a few more minutes before leaving to spend time with his bride, as he put it. I love my dad, but a part of me hates him, even though I know I shouldn’t, because he gets to be happy while I have to throw away my chance at being happy with Raven. Because like they always say: ‘Right girl, wrong time’.
Even though I said I wouldn’t see her anymore after this afternoon, and I know it’s risky, I text her anyways, asking her to meet me.
My stomach is twisting into a nervous bundle of knots as I write Raven.
I need to see u. Something has happened.
Nothing bad, so don’t freak out. I just
want to be the one to tell you.
“I’m going to head back to my place and get some R&R, since it looks like my ass is going to Scotland in two days.” My voice is calm and smooth, but on the inside it feels as if someone is squeezing my voice box, making it almost impossible to speak.
Tyler gives me a nod as he takes a long pull from his beer. “Rest up, bro. I’ll find you in the morning before we leave for the airport.”
“Sounds good. Night, Ty.”
My phone goes off as I’m walking up to my door. My hands are shaking as I push my door open and pull my phone out. I see Raven’s name and my stomach flip-flops, feeling as if I just took a hundred foot plunge straight down on a goddamn roller coaster.
Raven:
You have me nervous & curious, all at the same time.
I’ll be right over.
It’s not two minutes later and Raven is knocking at my door. When I open it, I see her hair is wet and pulled up into a messy bun, and she’s wearing a pair of running shorts and a boyfriend tank.
She looks down at her clothes, following the movement of my eyes before stepping into the small house. “I was just getting out of the bathtub when you texted me. It’s why it took me a little bit to respond. I was soaking my sore muscles, since I had a little too much fun last night.”
A playful smirk curls up the corner of my lips at the sound of her referencing last night. Even when I feel like shit, she manages to make me smile.
“Sorry about that. I guess I was a little rough with you. I find it hard to control myself when it comes to you.”
Rolling her eyes, she lets out a light sarcastic giggle. “Oh, believe me, I know that fact to be all too true. But I’m not complaining. The soreness today was worth the memories of yesterday.”