Chapter One
Troy Noble was on
his way home from his job as a landscaper, and he let his mind wander to what
was tonight – his ten year high school reunion. Tonight his life was going to
change forever; he was going to make sure it did. He had a plan. As he was
thinking over this plan, Troy
arrived home. He had just gotten off
from work and was grimy from the day’s labors so he hopped into the shower to
clean up, revealing a very tanned and muscular body from many days working
outdoors. When he was finished and had dried off, he put his mind to picking
out the outfit he would wear tonight. He stood with a towel wrapped around his
waist in front of his closet. After careful consideration of his wardrobe, Troy chose a black suit
with an emerald green button down dress shirt. He knew from past experience the
shirt would bring out the green of his eyes and that the suit was cut just
right to show off the muscular build of his body to perfection. As he was
getting dressed, he let his thoughts wander to the reunion again as he sat on
the edge of his bed, pulling on his pants. He couldn't believe that it was
tonight. He had waited eight years for this night. It was eight years ago when
the women he loved and wanted to marry walked out of his life for what could
possibly be forever – Tess. Just the thought of her name, let alone the fact he
was going to see her tonight, sent his mind off to never-never land. The phone
rang, snapping his mind back to the present.
"Hello"
he said a little rougher then he intended.
The voice on the
other end belonged to his friend Joe. Knowing what tonight was, Joe wanted to
check on his friend. "Troy" Joe said, "How are you doing?"
"Fine" Troy said.
"Just
fine?" Joe asked, knowing his friend was lying. "Nervous about
tonight?" Joe asked.
"No" Troy said, then paused
"Yes," he admitted reluctantly.
"Don't worry – things will work out
great. Tess and you were meant to be together. I've been listening to you talk
about her since we've been in school together,” Joe said, being supportive of
his friend’s plans for the night.
"Thanks."
Troy said.
"I needed that boost of confidence".
"You’re
welcome."
"I have to
finish getting ready,” Troy
said. “I’m running late."
"Ok, then
I’ll talk to you later. Let me know what happens."
"I will,” Troy said. “Goodbye,
Joe."
"Goodbye,"
Joe replied.
When Troy hung up the phone, he
finished getting dressed and assessed his appearance in the mirror.. The suit
was a far cry from the jeans and tee-shirts he used to wear in high school. Not
bad, he thought. He just hoped Tess would think so too. Tonight he had to look
just right.
As he left his
house to drive to the reunion his mind wandered back to Tess. Tess was the girl
he had been in love with since sixth grade. However, as is typical with boys
his age, he didn’t know how to express those feelings, so he teased her. He
actually thought he had lost her when he teased her so much in ninth grade that
she would run anytime she saw him. Things looked up for him in eleventh grade
when she offered him a pen when no one else would. He was determined to get
back into her good graces because he still liked her, so he made sure that he
returned it promptly. That did it for her. After that when they saw each other
she would at least say “hi” to him. Things really changed for them in their
senior year of high school. They had first period class together. During this
time he would flirt with her by making the chair in front of him push against
the one that was behind her making her chair move so she would have to notice
him. During some of this time she had a boyfriend and watching her walk into
class a little breathless and her lips kiss-swollen killed him. He wanted to be
the one who left her like that. There wasn't anything he could do about the
boyfriend, but he could always flirt. Things really heated up when she and her
boyfriend broke up. He saw her upset one day as she came into class, and it
nearly broke his heart. He laid low with the flirting and listened to her
talking to her friend to find out what happened. They broke up!!! He couldn’t
believe his luck. After that he stepped up the flirting. One day he was pushing
on her chair like always, and she didn't turn around to flash him a smile like
she always did, so he kept pushing on the chair till it was nearly out the door.
That day the teacher caught him because of her chair being so far up from where
it normally was. It was embarrassing when the teacher brought it up in front of
the whole class. She was so unbelievably sexy when she blushed, he thought,
remembering that day fondly.
As his drive to
the reunion came to a dead stop in rush hour traffic, his mind continued to
focus on Tess. Now he remembered ever better times that he spent with her at
college when he spent time with her before and between classes. He still remembered
the first time he saw her sitting outside the library with the sun glistening
off the natural blond highlights in her hair. She looked like an angel. Then
when she flashed him that smile of hers he felt as if he had the air knocked
out of him. He had to struggle to not trip as he walked passed her. When he
came back out of the building, and she was still there, looking so good, he had
to get closer. As he got closer he could see what his coming over was doing to
her. He could tell that she was nervous, but she acted cool. From then on they
spent days like that no matter what the weather. They even spent time sitting
in his truck talking. It seemed so easy and natural with Tess. However, the
only catch to this comfy situation between them was now he had a girlfriend and
she didn't have a boyfriend.
Then, not long
before he was due to graduate, she met somebody. She had switched majors, but
she was still going to the same school. From then on he didn't see her anymore.
Every once in awhile he would happen to drive passed her house. She would
sometimes be outside when he passed by. When she was, he would either beep or,
when he was bold enough, stop by and talk with her in his car. Other than those
times he didn't see her. The last he knew, she was leaving town to get her
bachelor’s degree.
The last time he
saw her was at a local restaurant. He was meeting quickly with his father to be
introduced to a prospective client. As he was walking to meet them, he saw her
sitting with a woman he knew was her mother and two other women he didn't know.
He flashed her a big smile and she did the same. When his meeting was over, he
went over to her table to greet her. She invited him to stop by her house
sometime because she was back in town for good, but he never saw her again
because he knew if he did, he would have to tell her how he felt and he
couldn’t do that. His family wouldn’t be happy with him for breaking an
unspoken promise to marry Cristina. So instead he had to forget Tess’s
invitation to stop by and information that she was back in town for good.
Thinking back on
those days warmed his heart. It was those carefree days that led to when he
really fell in love with the bewitching woman that captured his heart so early
on. Then he thought back to the day when his mother showed him the Sunday paper
engagement section and asked him, "Don't you know this woman?" He
started to argue with her stating that he wouldn't know anyone who was getting
married, but then his heart skipped a beat when he saw that familiar smile
looking back at him with another man with his arms around her. That was the
worst day in his life. Since then he had been keeping tabs on her. He knew
where she was living and where she was working, but he never tried to see her
again. He knew his plan for tonight was a little bold and that he was risking a
lot, but he also knew that it would work like a charm and win him the woman he
loved.
With that final
thought, Troy
pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant where the reunion was being held.
He locked his car and got out into the hot summer night. He strolled to the
door, went inside and found the room where the reunion was. He walked over to
the sign-in booth where he ran into Mary, a friend from school who recognized
him right away.
"Troy," she said.
"How nice to see you!”
"Nice to see
you too," Troy
replied and took his name tag from Mary. Then he walked further into the room.
He scanned the
room and saw the familiar faces of his former classmates, searching for one in
particular. He was nervous that she wasn't going to show tonight. That would be
just his luck, he thought as he walked over to the bar. He ordered a drink and
as he took it from the bartender, he turned and saw her. The sight of her took
his breath away. He took a swig of his drink to steady his nerves. Tess looked
just as he remembered. He gathered his nerve and walked over to where Tess
stood talking to her friends. Tess had her back to him and didn't see him
approaching.
When he was
standing right behind her he said, "Hello, Tess."
At the sound of
his voice, Tess turned around and saw Troy
standing before her.
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