Troublemaker

“Do you really know much about this boy?” Zoe’s friend, Meaghan, asked.

“ We've talked about small things, favorite sports teams, and things of that nature. He’s a damn Patriots fan!” Zoe said, stocking the shelf of wine and spirits.

“So…you don’t really know that much about him?” Meaghan gave her a skeptical look but Zoe just shrugged.

“I feel like I don’t need to ask questions because I feel like I’ve known him all my life. I can’t explain it.”

Meaghan had never been married; her sister was happily married, and much older than her. Joanna had three kids and Meaghan had only really been in two or three serious relationships. She’d never really found that ‘spark’ that you get when you meet someone completely right in all the good places.

“You should really take some time not being a horny, teenage acting girl and get to know him better.” She had a point that Zoe didn’t really care about, but she took it into consideration, they didn’t really know each other like that.

“Well, we’re going out again tomorrow, I’ll make your dreams come true and ask him about himself. Okay, mom?” Zoe loved yanking Meaghan’s leg because she was always a little high strung.

“Just be careful.” She warned. Zoe kind of rolled her eyes and went back to stocking the alcohol.

“So what are we doing today?” Nick asked Zoe as she came out the door of her apartment. She locked the door behind her and checked the knob for reassurance.

“Can we just go somewhere and talk?” Zoe had thought about what Meaghan said and she realized she was right, she doesn’t know this man. To be 24, she sure was acting stupid with this one.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Any ice cream places around here? I’d kill for a sugar free cone of anything.” He asked.

“Yeah, there’s a good little place over near the theatre. We can go there; they’ve got a nice little sitting area.” She smiled as she climbed into the passenger side of his car. Sugar-free anything, she wondered if he was diabetic.

They arrived and ordered their respective ice cream cones and found a shady spot away from the people waiting in line.

“Sugar free?” She questioned.

“Diabetic.” He stated.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be, it’s pretty well under control.” He smiled.

“I wanted to do this because I had a friend inform me that we don’t really know each other. So tell me about yourself and the real reason you’re down here in Augusta.”

He sighed, looked into the ice cream melting slowly, as if it would have an answer for her, but he guessed if he was going to become anything to this girl, she’d have to know the truth. “Well,” he began, “I’ve got three brothers, two older, one younger. I’m 21 years of age and the reason I’m down here is because,” he took a small break to eat some ice cream, “I’m trying to get out of the scene I was in up north. My brothers are happily married or dating, or too young to care and I’m just not ready for any of that. I want to have a little fun, that’s why I like being around you. You are like…the best. I’ve never had more fun.”

Zoe could accept that and nodded. “Alright, anything else?”

“I’ll put it this way, if stuffy was a caste system, I’m a jester and my parents are king and queen.”

“Yikes.” How can someone be so shut in about fun, Zoe wondered as she took a good lick of the birthday cake ice cream.

“So what about you?” Nick asked her. “What’s the story behind Zoe Greene?”

“Umm…let’s see…I have no siblings, both my parents died while I was away at college and I work at a gas station. I like reading anything, learning new things, and school supplies.”

“Oh! Oh ho ho ho! We have a TRUE nerd here you guys!” He almost yelled.

She whispered, “Will you hush? I gotta keep my hard exterior. It’s hard to be a country girl and be this smart. All the hot country boys are dumber than rocks.”

“I do have to ask after that spill of information, school supplies?”

“I like the way they smell.” Nick gave her a look like she was completely bonkers. “Don’t judge me, monkey!” They both cracked up at her comment and enjoyed a little more ice cream.

“What did you go to college for?” Nick looked into her lightening blue eyes, he’d never realized how gorgeous they were, but she was wearing minimum make up today unlike what she wears to work.

“Accounting, I’m a CPA.”

“And you’re not doing that as a profession, because…?” His mind was blown that someone so smart was wasting it on working in a gas station and living in a small apartment.

“I like to keep things simple. After I got it and worked as an accounting assistant for a while I realized I couldn’t take the office mess, so I got a job working where I work, and I love every day of my life. I keep the small apartment because I don’t need anything bigger. I’d love to have some serious acreage to put a farm on, but why keep something I can’t keep up with all the time?”

It was honestly the most she’d said in one sitting to him and the more she spoke, the more in love Nick fell for this girl. “So what’s the back story to you, besides CPA degrees and the loss of your parents?”

“Well…” She thought back to the ex she had just recently. “My parents left me a hefty insurance collection, but I keep it hid back for the right thing to buy one day.” She giggled nervously, hoping he would understand it was a joke. His face contorted slightly but she thinks he got it overall. She didn’t know if right now was the proper time to tell him she owned a really nice cabin up in the Appalachian Mountains or just how much that insurance money was. “And, I just recently, like within the past two or three weeks, broke up with my fiancé.”

“Oh, that’s rough.” He had a moment of confusion though, “But you seem so cool with it, why?”

“He had some money to buy me a ring and he went and bought a bong. I fist fought him…well…I punched him a few times, he kind of took it like a lowly dog, and then it was over. He still tries to get a hold of me, calling and what not, but I don’t let it get to me.” She smiled, uncomfortably because she still wasn’t completely over it all; she just didn’t want Nick to look at her any differently. What he didn’t know was that she spent most of her time sulking over the fact that this all happened.

She constantly missed her parents, she almost wished she had a sibling to relate these feelings too, someone close enough to regale all the stories to.

She realized things were getting awkward so she decided to change the subject because his face was reading the true emotion behind her cover. “Where do you live?”

“A small town…it’s right outside of Grovetown.”

“Oh yeah, on the other side of Fort Gordon, right?” She couldn’t think of the name of the town, but she knew it was where most of the ‘well off’ golf players lived when the tournaments were going on. He nodded at her confirming her suspicion of which town he spoke of. “So, who’s your neighbor? Phil Mickelson?” She giggled at her small joke, but he quickly responded with a witty comment.

“Tiger.” They both started cracking up. “Maybe I shouldn’t take you to my house; he might try to steal you from me.” They both made ‘oh’ faces and snorted out some laughter.

“Can we go there?” She spat out after the laughter had died down. She got up; waiting on an answer and when she stood up the rest of her ice cream cone grew a mind of its own. It decided Nick’s head was its new home, and it wasn’t a neat tenant. No no, the ice cream was as messy as they come.

“Son of a bitch!” She yelled, drawing hateful glares from the parents enjoying their frozen treats with their kids in the same sitting area.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to go home now, want to come?” He chuckled.

“I am so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me here lately, it’s like every time you come around, my arms say ‘Fuck you brain’ and do what they want.”

“Might want to get that checked out with a doctor; I think it’s called ‘Don’tgiveafuckitis.’” She laughed heartily at his lame joke and agreed to ride along with him to his house.