Just a number

4.0

Libby stopped and turned off the sink. More than you know, she thought to herself. Her heart started racing again. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Tyler. “Absolutely.”

“Good. Go get some shoes on and we will head out of here. I will bring you back later.” Tyler secretly hoped she would spend the night with him.

“Will do. Anything else I need?” Night shirt? Personal items? Libby could not understand why these thoughts were creeping into her head. She did tell Diana earlier that for once she was going to do things that were not like her so maybe this was the reason. For once in her life she wanted to be a little reckless. For once in her life, she was not going to process every outcome in her head before making a decision. Tonight she was going to fly by the seat of her pants and see where it took her.

Ten minutes later, Libby’s apartment was all locked up and she was sitting in the front seat of Tyler’s Chevy Silverado. She wasn’t sure where they were off to but she was happy in the seat, anticipating what the rest of the night was going to bring.

They drove out of town and out into the more rural area. Traffic lights were becoming fewer and the city lights disappeared in the rearview mirror. A few minutes later they turned off the main road onto a long driveway.

“We are here.”

“Where is here?”

“This is my house. We are only stopping here for a minute, if that’s ok.”

“That is perfectly fine. Do you want me to wait here?”

“Oh, no, you are coming with me. Come on.” Tyler got out of the truck after hitting the garage door opener and Libby followed.

“This is a nice house. I love how it is so quiet out here. Your neighbors are not on top of you.”

“I will give you a tour when we get back. I am taking you for that ride.” The garage door fully opened and Libby saw what Tyler was talking about.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the Harley Davidson sitting there, begging to be ridden. “Really?”

“Are you up for it?”

“Absolutely! My dad used to own one. My mom made him sell it but I loved it when he would take me out.”

“Then let’s go, Baby.” Tyler hung up the truck keys and grabbed the bike key. He backed it out of the garage and Libby hopped on behind him with ease. “This definitely isn’t your first rodeo.”

“Nope.” A minute later they were back on the road, Libby’s hair blowing in the wind, a smile plastered to her face. She wished she would have known they were going for a ride. She would have pulled her hair back. She was praying that she would not look like a ragged mess once the ride was over.

Tyler sped down the road and turned onto another that ran along side the river. This was turning out to be a perfect day. Never had he imagined that Libby agreeing to have a drink with him would turn into dinner at her apartment and then a bike ride along the river. He didn’t know where the night was going and he was okay with that. He was spending time with Libby and getting to know her and that was his mission in the beginning.

Libby sat on the back of the bike, her hands resting on Tyler’s hips. What she really wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and lean into him but was using restraint. She couldn’t be too pushy and aggressive. She didn’t want to scare him off or give him the wrong impression. She just sat there enjoying the ride and letting all of the stress just leave her mind.

They rode for about a half an hour before Tyler pulled off onto a makeshift gravel parking spot on the side of the road. He turned off the bike and Libby climbed off.

“Everything ok?”

“Just thought we would take a little break. I used to come down here fishing with my dad. There are some benches on the edge of the river I figured we could just sit at for a few. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“No, not at all. Lead the way.” Tyler started walking and Libby walked beside him and grabbed his hand. “It’s getting darker. I don’t want you to try and lose me,” she laughed.

“Never, Baby.” Tyler intertwined their fingers, glad she had made the move. He held her hand as they walked over to the benches. They sat down on the bench and stared out across the river. It was so peaceful and relaxing. The only sounds were the occasional passing car and the water lapping the rocks along the bank.

“I wish I had my camera. This is so beautiful. I don’t know how many times I have driven pass here on my way somewhere else and never stopped.”

“Sometimes you just have to stop, sit, and breathe it all in. It’s busier during the day but tends to quiet down at night, except during fishing season. I would come here with my dad a lot. It is a good place to just clear your head after a long day.”

“I can see that happening.” Libby leaned into Tyler and rested her head on his shoulder. This was not how she saw her day going when she woke up that morning. She figured she would go to work, go home, make dinner, go to bed and repeat the process.

She felt completely at ease sitting with Tyler. The way she was feeling in her heart and soul was not the way one should feel on a first date with someone. She sensed a deeper connection and knew this was not going to be the last time she went out with him; as long as he was willing to see her again.

It was now or never. This appeared to be the perfect opportunity and perfect setting for him. “I know this may sound really strange and you have every right to say no and there will be no hard feelings or anything like that but ever since I showed up at your apartment I have been dying to kiss you.”

“Really?” Libby lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him slyly. “Why haven’t you then?”

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to and the last thing that I want to do is offend you or make you feel uncomfortable.”

“To be completely honest, this is going to sound nuts, but I haven’t been this comfortable with someone in a very long time.”

“So is that a yes?”

Libby nodded and blushed slightly. She hadn’t had anyone ask her permission for a kiss before and she thought it was incredibly sweet of him to do so.

Tyler leaned in and softly kissed her lips. The spark was instant and the kiss deepened and intensified. He did not want to leave her lips but knew if he didn’t, he wasn’t sure how heated things would be before they had no choice but to stop.

“Wow,” Libby whispered when Tyler released her. She hadn’t been kissed like that before ever in her life. She felt it in every inch of her body and she was wanting more. She was literally aching for him.