Chapter 14
1035 Words
Walking into the cool pro shop at 7am, I actually felt more rested. This shop was much bigger than the other course, but this was a bigger course and the members here were NOT blue collar. I had a uniform I had to wear, some form of golf shirt and a skort or shorts that were golf appropriate.
I walked over to my large rounded counter that was nestled in the back corner. It’s where everyone checks out, and where I sit and answer phones all day long.
Eric, the assistant golf pro, is sitting behind the desk, and he does not look happy. His brown eyes are red and puffy and his hair is disheveled. He was a heavier, shorter man, and typically very happy.
“Heyyyy,” I say, “you’re in my seat!” I jokingly alert him.
He looked up at me with the saddest eyes. “Hey, you ok?”
“She broke up with me.” He uttered the words. Eric had this one girlfriend forever. I couldn’t understand it. He had asked her to marry him an unknown amount of times and she always said no, but she still wanted to be with him.
“Ok,” and I don’t know how to respond. “How are we feeling?” Happy? Sad?
“You know in the 8 years we’ve been together she’s never accompanied me to a wedding?” He begins and I can tell I’m in for the long haul. I nod my head no, and he continues, “she finally said yes to going to a wedding. It’s in two weeks...” his voice cracked.
I’m so f*****g confused and I was on cloud 9 until this s**t storm I walked in on but I’m trying so hard not to be insensitive.
He carried on, “f*****g b***h knew I was excited to finally bring her as a date.”
Ok so we hate her. “f*****g b***h,” I reply.
“Like how do I find a date in two weeks?” Eric asked me with the saddest eyes.
Here comes the impulsive side of me I cannot control, “when is it?” I ask Eric.
“Two weeks from this past Saturday”
I check my schedules, “I’m pretty sure I can get that off,” I take a deep breath, “I’ll be your date”
Eric stares at me. He blinks hard. I carry on my morning duties as if I didn’t just flip his f*****g morning like a goddamn pancake.
“You’ll what?”
“I’ll. Be. Your. Date.” I smile, “but you’re buying my f*****g dress.”
“You’re joking,” but the twinkle in his eyes tells me he’s excited.
“No. f**k her. You know I’m hotter,” I smile slyly at him. It was the truth. “Let’s make all your friends jealous.”
“I can pick the dress out?” He smiles wide.
“Sure,” I shrug. I had no idea what I was in store for.
“You know Victoria,” Eric has his eyes on me suspiciously, “Tuesday mornings are your worst.”
“And?” I ask innocently. I don’t look up at him.
“Aaaand you look,” Eric pauses as he eyes me up and down, “rested.”
“Are you saying I usually look like s**t?” I chuckle, and my phone buzzes. Eric stares at my phone then back to me.
I look and it’s a text from X:
When will I see you again?
Butterflies attack and my cheeks burn, I get a warm sensation I quickly respond:
I’m not sure
I smile placing my phone down and look to Eric
“Tell me now,” he demands with excitement in his eyes.
“You know I don’t kiss and tell,” I chuckle.
“Please, you’re the hot pro shop girl with the sexventures.”
“I’m sorry,” I can’t help the laughing, “what?!”
“Come onnnnn Victoria,” Eric goes on, “you get more action than we could dream. You’re like a walking audio porn.”
“Well that’s a first,” and I’m near tears laughing so hard.
“So, you and all the cart guys..?” I ask. The cart guys consisted of young guys 17-22 and then some old timers, retired golfers with literally nothing better to do.
“We live for your stories,” he smiles deviously.
My phone buzzes again and we both look at it.
“I can’t wait to hear all about this one,” and Eric walks towards the back of the shop and shuts the door to his office.
I look at my messages and it’s Xavier
When are you working near me next?
Me: sounds like someone is catching feelings
X: when?
Me: tonight I work 4:30-close
X: come over after
The butterflies were unreal. I knew deep down I wanted to be there. I looked at my reflection in a nearby mirror. Eric was right. I did look rested. I always struggle on Tuesday’s and yet here I was, I could do anything right now.
I know what I didn’t want to do, and that was work. I looked out at the hot summer day, and all I could think about was sunbathing, somewhere, with a drink in my hand, near Xavier.
Eric calls me into his office about an hour later. It’s smaller, with one computer and a cabinet, painted in the same hunter green with trim wood as the pro shop.
“How’s this?” Eric smiles wide facing the screen. He was ogling over a hot, tight Red, halter style push-up dress from Victoria’s Secret.
My eyebrows raised, which I guessed would be the reaction from every single person I would see.
“Let’s do it.” I smiled “Size small,”
I couldn’t help but feel so good that Eric was happy. Even if those reasons were super shallow, he didn’t ever have the confidence.
Hours passed, then it was the drive to the second golf course. On my way there I called Anna.
“What up uggs,” she answered and I smiled.
“He wants me to go over again tonight.” I blurted out.
“Oh” she paused “that’s a bit much no?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed, “I want to.”
“Here’s the thing,” she began, “you’ve been in a rough relationship for 8 years. You had someone who didn’t value you and didn’t treat you like the f*****g goddess you are. Your ex said what?”
“He said, ‘you think you could find greener grass, go,’” I sighed
“Damn straight he did,” she sighed, “and what did you find?”
I smiled widely, “f*****g pastures.”
“f*****g pastures,” I could hear her smile, “now, if you want Xavier to f**k your brains out, go to Xavier,” she enunciated the last three words with an extra sharpness, “you’re free.”
Fucking right I was Free. Free to be me and to love and to be loved.
I was going to Xavier’s tonight.
- Writer
