Country Love

“Call him!” My best friend, Theresa, said to me between the wall that our cubicles shared.

“Isn’t that like, clingy, though?” I asked her.

She rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, and walked out of her cubicle and into mine, where she stood in front of where I sat, her arms crossed.

“No. It’s not clingy. You guys went on three dates. Three dates.” she said, holding up three fingers for emphasis. “You said they all went great, but now he hasn’t called you once in almost three weeks? It’s not clingy to call him, it’s pretty much needed.”

I sighed, knowing she was right.

“Fine,” I said, reaching over to grab my cell phone off my desk and dialing the number of this gorgeous accountant that I had met.

“Hello?” he answered a few rings later.

“Hi, Mike.” I said back, my eyes on Theresa who stood in front of me, watching my every move for a clue as to what was being said.

“Kelsey?” he asked.

“Yeah! I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go out this Saturday? I know we haven’t talked in a couple weeks but—” but before I could finish, Mike cut me off, saying:

“Yeah, about that, I stopped contacting you because I don’t think it’s going to work out between us. I want kids in the future, and you obviously don’t.”

Confusion overcame me.

What?!

“What? What are you talking about? Of course I want kids.” Theresa looked at me confused, just as confused as I was.

“Yeah, I don’t know if I believe that with your giving away your baby when you were eighteen, and getting your tubes tied…” He just trailed his sentence off, and just when I was about to tell him that none of that was true, he hung up on me.

I slammed my phone shut and looked up at Theresa, wondering what the fuck just happened.

“What?! What’d he say?!” she asked me.

“He said that I obviously didn’t want to have children, because when I was eighteen I gave away my baby, and I had my tubes tied.”

“Oh,” Theresa said, “well then yeah, you probably don’t want kids…” she said.

“It’s not true, Theresa! It’s a lie! I never had a kid, I never gave one away, and my tubes sure as hell aren’t tied!”

I looked down in frustration, when I realized what was going on.

I stood up fast in anger.

“That son of a bitch!” I yelled, knowing full well my entire office heard me, but not caring.

“What?!” Theresa asked.

“He did it again! That’s like the sixth time he’s done this!” I screamed, talking about my best guy friend, a man I grew up with, Eric. Of course, Theresa had no idea what I was talking about, so she just stood there confused.

I hurriedly grabbed my coat and keys and stormed out, throwing a “cover me” behind my back at Theresa.

I was so pissed beyond belief, that I sped the entire way to his house, swung in his driveway, slammed my door, marched up the stairs to his door, and slammed it open.

“ERIC.” I yelled at the house, I turned and saw him jump up off the couch, surprised by my entrance.

“Oh, hello, Kelsey.” He said sweetly, a stupid little smirk on his face. “As to what do I owe the pleasure?”

I rolled my eyes, slamming his door shut and walking into the living room, facing him with my hands on my hips.

“Wipe that stupid little smirk off your face.” I hissed.

“Well,” he said, still sitting on the couch, but turning the tv off. “someone is in a beautiful mood today.”

“Eric, I know what you did!” I yelled at him.

Then, this fucker had the nerve to act as if he had no idea what I was talking about.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, smirking.

“Yeah. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Your stupid smirk gives it away, asshole.”

He sighed and got up, walking over to me, with his hands raised, trying to calm me down.

“I can’t believe you told Mike those things!” I hissed.

“Oh, lighten up. Where’s your sense of humor? Their just tiny little rumors that I started because I’m looking out for you.” he said, standing in front of me.

“How can I lighten up?! You do this to me all the fucking time!” I yelled, stomping my foot down.

“Ah, settle down, I’m just a little jealous, and I’m sure those other fellas never once believed the lies I told were true.” then he crossed his arms and looked into space and smiled, “Like the time I told that cowboy that you used to be a man. And the doctor you were dating that you hide your wedding band…Even if I am responsible for scaring them away, you really ought to thank me I was doing you a favor, it never woulda worked out anyway.”

I’m not really sure what the expression on my face looked like, half angry and half confused, and half ready to knock Eric the fuck out.

“Those were all great guys!” I defended them.

“What?! No they weren’t! That doctor was a prick, and the cowboy had a wife!”

“…The cowboy had a wife?” I asked, this was news to me.

“Yeah!”

“Fine, you made your point with that one, but there were others! And you have no right to do that! What if one of them are my soul mate?!”

“Ah, can’t you see? The reason that I’m doing all the crazy things I’m doing is because I really care about you, girl.” He said, reaching out and touching his hand to my elbow, his eyes taking on a sincere look. “And I’ll admit,” he said shrugging, “I go a little farther than I know I probably oughta, but it’s all because I need you in my world.”

Then his sincere eyes went away, and were replaced by amused ones, and his hands dropped from my arm.

“Like the I told that lawyer that you spent a year in jail, and the salesman you were seeing, you hang out at cheap motels.” he said smiled. “Those really were the best ones though, don’t you think?”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, looking away from him.

“Kelsey,” Eric said, taking my chin to make me look at him. “I can’t stand the thought of you with anybody else. I know I’ve gone overboard but I can’t help myself…Like the time I told that dentist you had seven little kids, and you doubled as a dancer at the strip joint on the ridge, even if I am responsible for scaring him away, you really ought to thank me I was doing you a favor, because it never woulda worked out anyway.”

“God, Eric, STOP! You’re ruining my life!” I yelled, and that actually caused him to get angry too.

“No I’m not!” he said sternly.

“Yeah you are! There’s no reason for you to keep doing this!”

He laughed sarcastically, and looked up at the ceiling in anger.

“You really can be stupid sometimes, Kelsey.”

“What?”

Then he looked back down at me, meeting my eyes.

“I love you Kelsey! Can’t you see that? That’s why I tell all these men these lies, because I love you, and none of them deserve you. Hell, I’m not even sure I deserve you, but I would love it if you would at least give me a chance to prove to you that I can deserve you!”

Once he finished his rant, he was slightly out of breath, his chest rising and falling to catch his breath, his eyes meeting mine, all angry. His lips parted, looking very kissable at the moment, and in a moment of anger, and realization, I kissed him.

I threw myself into his arms, throwing my arms around his neck, and kissed him, hard. And once I did, once his arms wrapped around me, and his body curled into my touch, I wondered why the hell we hadn’t been doing this all along.

His lips were perfect for mine, moving just the way they should, and being so perfectly soft. He moaned into my kiss, obviously having wanted this for a very long time, if he had ruined all my past relationships throughout the years because he loved me.

I arched my back up into his chest, and he held me tighter as our lips fought with each other for more, our tongues dancing.

Then he pulled apart slightly, brought his hand up to cup my cheek, and said out of breath, “It’s all because I love you, and I can’t stop thinking of you….and it never woulda worked out anyway.”

I laughed, and he did too, and then he kissed me like I was the only woman on Earth, and I regretted wasting my years on relationships with that cowboy, doctor, lawyer, salesman, and dentist.

And I was so very thankful Eric had ruined them all.