The Bar Stool

So you dressed up and took me to Buffalo Wild Wings?

I still haven't spoke to Tanner since Tuesday. Its now Friday and we are completely packed out the door at work. Thank god Jules called in reinforcements from two different salons. It's weird having other people that you don't normally interact with; here working, but by five we die down and my feet feel as if they are going to fall off.

I volunteered to close tonight since Jules and Seth were having a date night tonight. Which is rare for them, but hey I'm sure they both need a night out with each other.

Since the rush hour has died down I've decided maybe I should clean the product shelves and help Jules out since to be honest I Hate Doing Them. But I should at least do something just in case corporate were to just randomly show up.

As I begin with the first shelf I can't help but think back to Sunday night. I'm still in f*****g shock. And of course I'm still pissed that he so forgot to mention he was married and still was; is, who knows I'm too pissed to even reply to his constant pleas on f*******:. Seeming that's the only way he can get a hold of me.

I'm so angry now that its settled in. Wouldn't you be? If the guy you start to like fails to mention to you that he's f*****g married.

I may be making a huge deal out of this to myself and to my friends. But its f*****g wrong.

So what are saying then Tayzley? That if he would have come out and said it straight forward at the bar you would have understood him more?

I would have respected his damn boundaries. I wouldn't have kissed him.

He kissed you first...

He did kiss me first. My fingers run over my lips remembering the hint of beer and mint he left behind.

"I did kiss you first."

"Jesus f**k!" Jumping and dropping the shampoo bottle in my hand I turn around and find Tanner leaning against the side of a product shelf. Was I talking out loud?

"By the look on your face, you're probably wondering if you were talking to yourself right? You were." He confirms.

I groan, bending down picking up the bottle placing it back on the shelf where it belongs. "Next time warn me before you creep up behind me. After what happened last year I'm still a little jumpy." I stand up straight looking at him better now. His hands are tucked into his dark dress slacks and he's wearing a tie.

"I'm sorry I just loved hearing you talk to yourself, it's quite amusing. Wait what happened last year?"

"Not a big deal..." I move past him walking to the front. I feel his hand grab my wrist, before I can pull away he pulls me behind the wall where no one can see us.

The tips of his fingers brush back my fringe, run over the ball of my eyebrow ring and down my cheek. "I'm sorry I lied to you Tayzley, please let me make that up to you tonight?"

"You think coming in here dressed in a tie and nice pants and your stupid pin stripe shirt is going to convince me to say yes?" I move my face from his touch.

He laughs. "That was my plan."

"Whatever Tanner."

"Whatever Tayzley." He huffs in a mocking tone.

"Stop doing that." I glare at him, his grip now around my waist. I look around all the mirrors in the salon showing every angle of how he has me trapped.

"Doing what?" He plays dumb.

I glare at him again resisting the urge to either knee him in his d**k or stomp on his pretty little dress shoes. "You just love pushing buttons don't you?"

"Only yours. Now will you let me make it up to you or am I wasting my time here?"

I give up. "Fine Tanner. You better explain everything and it better be damn convincing, because I know when you're about to lie to me."

He holds out his pinky at nose level and wiggles it for me to take it. "I'll pinky promise on it." And when he smiles I can't help but laugh at his playful mood. But the feeling I get taking his pinky in mine seems like signing over my soul to the devil.

***

The dress I choose to wear today is way too form fitting. Not that I'm complaining because it does show the wonderful lumps people call curves just right. And Tanner hasn't been able to stop looking at me so maybe it was best I wore this today.

As we stand in line at B Dubs I feel people's eyes on us. We must look ridiculous. He's wearing a tie and nice pants and I'm in a dress nice enough for a formal dance. While this is a place with jean wearing, jersey's, beer drinking , football watching people come to eat wings and get drunk.

"How many- Tayzley is that you?" I turn to the person who knows my name. Tanner's attention now drawn to us.

"Holy s**t Kelly!" Her skinny frame not changed one bit since high school. Her hair still brown and her teeth as white as day.

"No I should be saying holy s**t, look at you!" Her excitement overwhelms me, the way she parades around my body. "You look hot as hell in that dress."

I blush. "Thanks, I got it offline." It had been two years since I've seen Kelly. I tried hanging out with her every chance I could back then but when I tried to get a hold of her she would never return my calls. At one point I heard around the grapevine that she was in jail for failing to pay countless parking tickets.

"How's the whole hair thing going for you?" She grabs our menus and continues to talk as she leads both Tanner and I to a booth. I'm surprised she hasn't said anything about him, but it would be great if she kept it that way.

"Good, I work at Smart Clips inside Walmart for now." I tell her.

"The one in Groves right?" I nod. "Good I'll be in soon for a much needed cut."

"Sounds good." We finally take our seats and order our drinks.

Tapping my nails against the table I study the menu. Tanner hasn't really dove into justifying himself yet and my patience is running very thin.

"I cheated on Faith...." He says bluntly. My heart drops and suddenly everything on the menu seems repulsive. "Please just listen...three years after Emerson was born, Faith and I were constantly fighting. For months while I was gone she wouldn't even let me speak to my own damn daughter. So I found comfort at base... With this woman." He pauses momentarily.

We both take in deep long breaths before he continues. "It went on for two years, until I came back, until I couldn't take it anymore. I had to come home and be with them. We tried to fix it, for Emerson but it just wasn't happening."

"So what Faith was trying to say was once a cheater always a cheater right? That's why she was warning me?" I feel so sick. This dress is starting to become way to tight fit my liking. "What was your reasoning for not telling me at the bat Tanner?"

He looks down at his folded hand on the table, his thumbs tapping each other out of nerves. "It's the past Tayzley, that's where it should stay. I didn't want to bring it up and have to ruin possibly, I mean maybe the next best thing to happen to me besides the birth of Emmy..." I look up into his eye, the sincerity seeping out his tear ducts proves to me that he's being one hundred percent honest with me. "I was going to tell you, but being the coward that I am let my hormones get in the way first."

"Yeah, no shit."

"I know it doesn't give me any reason to lie to you or keep something like that from you I shouldn't have done it and I'm sorry."

"So you dressed up and took me to Buffalo Wild Wings?" I give him a questionable look.

He looks down at his tie then back up at me. "The divorce was finalized today we had to meet with the judge for joint custody on Em. So I dressed to impress."

Sighing with relief I stand up and scoot into his side of the booth. In done being stubborn, I'm done forcing this feeling for him to the back of my closet. He apologized, and he truly means it.

"You don't even understand how happy I am to hear you say that." I smile up at him.

If I had long hair he'd be pushing it behind my ear right now, but instead he pushes my bangs to the side and kisses my forehead.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see that smile." He says and my heart flutters.

Good God, it's taking everything in me not to drag him to the bathroom and finally relive this much needed tension between us. But part of me has this feeling it's probably best we wait.