Sipping on Fire

Chapter 5

I spent the day internally panicking about going over to Tyler's tonight. What would I wear? How should I wear my hair? Should I bring something with me? Wine? Dessert? What would his house look like? How should I act? Was this a date? I could have sworn I stood there and stared at my closet for what felt like an hour before I poured myself a shot of Jack to take the edge off. 

"Get a grip, Lau!" I yelled at myself. I grabbed my go-to little black dress and slipped it on over my head. My feet ached in disapproval as I slipped them into a pair of heels. My stomach turned with anxiety as the clock neared the time when I was supposed to leave. I grabbed my curling iron and threw a few loose curls into my long brown hair. I frowned and looked over at my makeup. I was never one who liked wearing any - I would much rather let my skin breathe. Nonetheless, I threw on some eye liner, mascara and a nude lip color and called it a day. This was as good as it was going to get. I stuck to what Brittney had said - "just be yourself". If he didn't like it, then it wasn't worth it.

The whole drive over to the address he sent me, I spent contemplating turning around and telling him I was sick. The closer I got to the address, the further apart the buildings and houses got. Pretty soon I was out in farm country. 'This couldn't possibly be right', I thought as I turned right onto a farm and drove towards a house in the distance. I quickly text Tyler a message "I'm here - I think." as my car came to a slow stop outside a beautiful Ranch-style house set back on acres of farm land. The front door swung wide open, revealing Tyler's beautiful smile. I turned off my car as he walked off the porch towards me. 

"You look beautiful." His arms enveloped my body as he approached.

I smiled and looked him over. "You don't look so bad yourself." He intertwined his hand with mine and led me to the front door. "Is all of this yours?!" I exclaimed in awe looking out at the acres of rolling farm fields. 

He nodded and helped me up the front steps. "Maybe later we'll take a ride." I walked through the front door of his little Georgia ranch and smiled. He clearly had an interior designer come in when he bought the place. It was very country-chic. Exposed wooden beams, brick, rustic hardwood, the typical bear rug laying by the fireplace, and deer/moose heads hanging everywhere. "Welcome to my humble abode." He scratched the back of his neck, noticeably nervous.

"It's gorgeous!" I reassured him. "How about a tour?" I asked to break the ice. 

He shoved his hands in his pockets nervously. "Well, this is obviously the living area and kitchen."

I pointed up at the deer head over the front door. "Did you shoot him?"

He shook his head no and frowned. "Unfortunately, all my kills are at my Nashville pad." He pointed around the room. "All of these are just for show."He pulled his hand out of his pocket and gestured towards the kitchen. "How about a drink first and then I'll show you around." I giggled at his nervousness and made my way towards the kitchen island where two wine glasses and a bottle of Red were sitting.

I spotted a bottle of Jack out of the corner of my eye. I pointed, "How about some of that instead?"

He smirked, "What the lady wants, the lady gets." He made his way to the cabinet to grab two glasses and poured us both a glass. He held his glass to mine. "To us." He said softly before tapping his glass with mine.