Tied to You

The phone rang just as Danielle had walked into the house from work. She hurried over to where it was, picking it up just before the last ring.

“Hello?” she answered as she sat down in the armchair in her living room.

“You never called me yesterday,” she heard Katrina say. Danielle sighed slightly. She had spent most of the previous day with Tanner. They had spent some time together, and gotten to know more about each other. They had also set a date for the next weekend. She had completely forgotten she had promised to call Katrina.

“Sorry, Kat,” Danielle said.

“Never mind that,” Katrina said. The excitement and urgency in her voice made Danielle chuckle softly. “ How did things go with Tanner? I saw that you didn’t come get your car until after three in the afternoon.”

Danielle couldn’t help but laugh again. “Things went very well,” she said, smiling to herself as she recalled what had happened on her and Tanner’s first date.

“You fucked him, didn’t you?” Katrina asked bluntly.

The only answer Danielle could give at that moment was a giggle.

“Danielle Jean Goodwin!” Katrina exclaimed, giggling a bit herself.

“It just sort of happened,” Danielle explained. “One minute we were drinking coffee and talking about his job, the next he had me bent over the table.” Danielle almost shuddered at the memory as it played back in her mind.

“Oh my,” Katrina responded. “So I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that you two got off on the right foot?”

Danielle laughed again. “Very much so. We’re having lunch on Friday, and we’re going to discuss a potential date for Saturday night then.” Danielle almost didn’t recognize her own voice. She sounded excited. It wasn’t a fake excitement, it was genuine. She was looking forward to spending time with Tanner.

“Sounds promising,” said Katrina.

“Yeah,” said Danielle. “Tanner is turning out to be a pretty good guy.” Danielle smiled as she spoke, and ran her fingers through her hair absent-mindedly. Talking about Tanner to Katrina made her smile, and made her feel almost giddy. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about anyone before.

The two girls stayed on the phone for a few moments after that, chatting about their days and at half-past five, Danielle remembered she had to do some things around the apartment and make something for dinner. She smiled when she hung up the phone and went in the kitchen, taking things out to make a sandwich. She did her short list of chores once she finished eating.

Tanner was relieved when he stepped onto his porch and turned the key in the lock. He had had a long day, and felt tired, almost exhausted. He stepped into the living room. He looked around the room, and sensing that something was not completely right, he sighed. What could it be, this time? he wondered.

Tanner walked down the small hallway to his bedroom to change out of his work clothes. When he entered the room, he was surprised to notice the slender blonde girl sitting on his bed.

“Amanda,” Tanner said, trying not to sound confused.

The girl looked up at Tanner and smiled slightly. “I thought I’d surprise you when you got home from work,” she said carefully.

Tanner could do nothing at that moment but stare at Amanda, the first girl he ever actually fell in love with, the one who broke his heart a year before. He could think of a million things to say, but none of the words formed in his mouth. He took a deep breath before finally speaking.

“I think you need to leave,” he said calmly.

Amanda remained seated on the bed and looked up at Tanner. Tanner began to get irritated. “Did you hear what I just said?” he asked.

Amanda stood up. “I want to talk to you,” she said. “I miss you.”

Eleven months ago, Tanner would have given anything to hear those words come out of Amanda’s mouth, but he no longer cared. Too much time had passed, and he had gotten over Amanda.

“Well you can’t always get what you want, Amanda,” said Tanner. “I have no reason to talk to you right now.”

Amanda moved closer to Tanner. “You have every right to be mad at me. But I’m sorry for everything,” she said as she reached up and put her hands on Tanner’s shoulders. “And I think we should start over.”

Tanner moved away from Amanda. “No,” he said firmly. “I don’t want you anymore.”

Amanda sighed. It seemed the message had begun to sink in. She moved toward the door. “I’ll just call you tomorrow,” she said. Tanner heard her walk down the hall and through the front door.

Tanner sighed heavily and sat down on the bed. Every time he had seen Amanda since they broke up had been exhausting. Granted, what had just occurred was only the third time he saw her, but the exhausted feeling he now felt was the same as the last two times that he and Amanda had seen each other.

Taking another deep breath, Tanner collapsed onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He had completely abandoned the idea of taking off his work uniform and putting lounge clothes on. After lying there for a few moments, Tanner began to relax and his mind drifted to other things.

Danielle came to his mind, and he smiled to himself as he remembered everything about her: the way she looked, the way she talked, the way she felt. Even the way her perfume smelled came back to him. He was looking forward to seeing her again. He hoped that she would be just as happy to see him.

Tanner sighed and got off his bed. He walked down the hall and into the kitchen. He opened the freezer and took out a hamburger patty to prepare for dinner. As he ate, Tanner continued to think about Danielle. More specifically, he replayed their first date in his mind. The memory was still fresh in his mind, and it made him want Danielle even more. He was growing more eager for their lunch date on Friday. He was completely aware of the feelings he was beginning to develop for Danielle. Though it was way too early for love, Tanner had a genuine interest in Danielle that went farther than sex, though he admitted that the sex was definitely a bonus.

Once Tanner finished eating, he washed his dishes and went to bed early.