I Will Follow You

-Three years ago-

“We should just go!” I yelled over the bar crowd, “It’s been crowded ever since that golfer came in”

“Which is exactly why we need to stay!” my friend Anna yelled back.

I sighed and pushed through the crowd to the bar, and ordered another beer.

“Pretty crowded eh?” I heard an Irish accent behind me, I slightly turned to answer him, “It’s that golfer’s fault, he dragged in his crowd of girlfriends”

“I know, why here of all bars?” he replied.

I got my beer and turned around to reply, when I was facing none other than the guy I was about to trash talk some more, “Oh my God” I’m sure my face was burning red at that moment, but he was just smiling, “My crowd of girlfriends?”

I cleared my throat, “I’m sorry” I turned to look at Anna, and she did all she could to not start laughing.

He shrugged, “I’m Rory”

“I know who you are. I’m Ellie” I put out my hand and he firmly gripped mine and shook it.

“Nice to meet you Ellie. But if you’ll excuse me” he said grabbing a beer, “I have a crowd of girlfriends to promptly attend to”

I smirked, “You better get on that. They look like they’re high maintenance”

“Oh, you can only imagine”

I leaned in, “Your sarcasm is showing”

He didn’t reply, he just gave me a nod and another smile, and kept his eyes locked with mine for another second and turned away. I turned to Anna and she tilted her head to the side in confusion.

“What?” I asked.

“No number? That’s it? Are you nuts? Do you know who this guy is?”

I nodded, “Yes. But I’m not going to throw myself at him like every other girl is doing right now”

We spotted a booth, in the far corner, that a few girls were leaving and grabbed it before another crowd came around, “You could be that chick right now” she said pointing towards his crowd as he leaned in to say something to a short blonde girl as she laughed about something that probably wasn’t that funny.

“I think you know me enough by now to know that’s not the kind of girl I am” I said taking a drink.

“He just practically hit on you” she replied, tucking a stray piece of red hair behind her ear.

“And I flirted back. But he obviously has other interests” I said looking toward him now talking to another girl.

“You meet a nice Irish boy and you toss him away, you should be ashamed”

I just laughed and then she laughed and shook her head.

“Can we just go?” I asked, “It seems to get more crowded by the minute”

“Let me finish my beer” she said.

I nodded and we both finished our drinks and got up to leave, but I did take one more look, hoping to see him again before I completely lost all hope, but he was nowhere to be found. I looked down and my phone to check the time but it slipped as I pulled it out of my pocket. I reached down to grab it, but someone beat me to it, “Thank you” I said, “I must have—“ and of course, it was Rory and I felt my heart beat in my throat, “Hi again” he said, “You didn’t think I was going to just let you leave without asking to see you again”

Anna stood behind him and threw both her fists in the air, celebrating the victory and I just laughed and nodded, “I guess not, but you seemed preoccupied”

He shrugged, “I like to keep my options open”

“Do you?”

“I do”

“Well I’m more of a one guy kind of girl, so I don’t know if I’m quite your type”

“Well I’ll be the judge of that” he handed me his phone and I put my number in.

“So I’ll hear from you soon?”

“Don’t you get my number?”

I raised my eyebrows, “Oh no. You’ll call me”

“Will I?”

I nodded, “You like to keep your options open, right?”

“Right”

“I’ll talk to you soon”

And that was it, I left the bar. I don’t know where the confidence came from, but as soon as I stepped outside, I felt like I was going to pass out.

“Who are you, and what have you done with Ellie?”

I put my hand over my heart, “I don’t know, if you find her, let me know”

Anna just laughed and I laughed in response, catching my breath as I leaned against the wall outside the bar, “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time a girl regretted something after 2am”

“What am I doing?” I sighed, “This is nuts. This guy would never go for someone like me”
“Well he just did darling”

I sighed, “I can’t handle a professional athlete. I’m a nobody trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, I don’t have money, I’m no athlete, I’m just some American chick in a bar in Belfast”

Anna stopped and stepped in front of me, “Sometimes guys like this are looking for someone who is a little more normal, who isn’t full of themselves and who’s trying to figure out who they are. It gives them a bit of balance when they don’t feel they have to compete with someone. And you’re beautiful, don’t even try to deny it”

She started walking again and I kept pace with her, “You really think so?”

She nodded, “I know so. I know my pop culture, celebrity, famous rich people crap, I read too many blogs and too many magazines, I’d like to think I know something on the matter. Not every rich, professional guy wants a girl in the same department”

“So what if I go out with him? What if he doesn’t like me?”

“Ellie, you need to stop thinking so much, and start going with the flow, it’s a lot less stressful for you and a lot less annoying for me”

I gave her a shove and she just laughed, “It’s his loss if he doesn’t” she said, “It is what it is Ells”

She was right, I had to just let the chips fall where they may, as hard as that was. If he called me, fine, and if he didn’t, well then I continue on with my life. I’ve lived without him my entire life, meeting him one night is not going to change that if he doesn’t call.

I felt a text come through on my phone and I pulled it out

Unkown number, 2:23am: I know it’s not a call, and I know it’s very fast, but grab a drink with me tomorrow. Same place.

I showed Anna and she gave me an “I told you so” look, “What are you going to say?”

I thought for a moment and then typed my response,

Me, 2:25am: I’ll see you at 8.

And that was it.

“I may now live vicariously through you” Anna said.

“Go for it. I don’t know how well it will work out for you though”