Chapter Twenty Eight
The ink was barely dry on Liz’s divorce papers. She wanted to celebrate at the Buckeye, but Oscar was still out of town. At least he hadn’t called to say he’d returned.
A little more time apart won’t hurt anything. We did have fun last night.
“Will you be alright?” her attorney Aaron asked as they stepped out to the street.
“This is over. I’m ready for a celebratory drink.” There were a dozen bars within walking distance of the courthouse. A strong drink was in order after spending the last few hours with Chris and his team. But her marriage to him was finally over. She bypassed a handshake to her attorney and gave him a hug instead. “Want to walk me somewhere?”
Out of no where, “Congratulations!” Bill exclaimed, throwing torn up pieces of paper in the air.
Liz whipped around to face him. He toppled into her and Aaron ripped them apart, ready to strike the offender.
“It’s alright I know him. What are you doing here?” She picked a paper scrap off her shoulder and looked around for any onlookers.
“That’s the thanks I get? By the way mom drove me, you can take me home right?”
“Sure, no problem.”
“It’s alright mom, you can go.” He waved out to the street to his mom waiting in her car against the curb across the street.
“Bye, Mrs. Collins.”
“Are you in safe hands?” Aaron asked.
“Perfect now. Thanks so much for all you’ve done.” He deserved more for what Chris put
both of them through over the last few months.
“Anytime. Refer me to your friends.” Aaron left, walking down the street to the nearest parking garage.
Liz wrapped her arm around Bill’s “Where are we going to celebrate?”
“I know just the place. Love and Luster’s. No Dove and Lobster. No.”
“Are you trying to say Dan’s Buster Games?”
“Yeah the kid pizza place with beer.”
It was exactly where she needed to be. Playing ticket redemption games with her best friend brought back memories of high school and all the fun she used to have, before she got married. After drinking most of the two pitchers of beer they purchased with a two for one special, Bill was pretty much useless at all the games.
“My car is parked in an all day lot near the baseball stadium.” And it had been all day. She spent hours waiting around the courtroom. Because of Chris, the divorce hearing was moved to the last one on the docket. As a result the three hours in the game center with Bill felt like a relief. Still it was late and time to call it a night. “Can you walk?”
“Absolutely,” Bill snapped his fingers and stumbled out the door.
“Stay.” She pushed him back against the building. Examining his bloodshot eyes, she determined he was wasted and she’d do the bulk of the walking back to her car. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me,” he said, leaning on her for support.
Even though it was a long three blocks to her car with Bill she was glad she was with him. It was a beautiful night and she was finally divorced. She settled Bill in the passenger seat and buckled his belt. “Sit and stay.” She wagged her finger at him then walked around to her door, but was stopped from getting in by the man at the car parked next to hers. He had half his body in the back seat passenger door and was busy rearranging packages.
“Oops, sorry,” he fumbled, backing up. As he climbed all the way out, the back of his head looked familiar.
Short hair, baseball cap, where would I have seen him? What’s the score?
Came to mind, so she voiced her question.
“No game tonight. Just an auction,” the man answered, turning to her.
His short choppy answer confirmed where she’d seen him before. “Andy?” He was the man sitting at the end of the bar, watching the game on her first visit to the Buckeye.
He looked at her as if replaying where he’d seen her. “Elizabeth Ann Martin. Not boring. Top score with Oscar Wayne Wallace. Show me your abs. Not fond of Eye Openers.”
“How do you remember all that? Your eyes were glued to the game all night,” Liz asked.
“Details.” He shook her hand with a strong grip. “I hear them all. I remember them all. Baseball relaxes me.”
“Good to know.” Liz stretched to look in his backseat. It was full of miscellaneous baseball memorabilia. “Did you buy all that stuff?”
“It was for charity. Everything needed to go. Did you miss out?” He first glanced past her into her car, then slipped around to his trunk. He opened it to reveal more items. They included, a catcher’s mask, a case of bubblegum, a blender, a sombrero, and many other smaller items including three autographed bats.
“Do you want something?” Andy asked, offering her some memorabilia.
“My dad has been looking for a good blender.”
“Take it.” He dug it out by first handing her the signed bats, then placing the sombrero on her head. Finally he had the massive blender box in his grip. “Where do you want it?”
“Oh the trunk. Are you sure?” Liz popped the trunk with her keys and moved her gym bag to the side.
“Why not. Take the hat too.” He snatched the sombrero off her head and placed it in the trunk along with the blender.
“Wait no, I don’t—want.”
“It’s a collectible with signatures and everything.” He moved back to his trunk and rearranged the left over items.
“So you’re also into charities? How did you pay for all this?” Liz asked. “Did the charity make any money?”
“Loads. But a friend bought most of it. Here he is. You know him.”
The sound of heavy wheels rolled up behind her. It was the wheels of a flatbed cart and on it was a popcorn machine. Pushing the cart was Oscar.
Shit, he looks adorable. And he’s back in town.
Oscar was decked out in a baseball jersey and had his unruly curls trapped under a baseball cap. “How are you just randomly rolling up behind me?”
“Can’t get away from you.” Oscar took Liz into his arms and kissed her. “I landed right before the auction started. Sorry, I didn’t call.”
“It’s alright. You’re here now.” They smacked lips again and long enough for Andy to clear his throat.
“Um, guys. I’m still here.”
“Sorry,” Liz blushed, turning out of the kiss. “So. Stuff. You bought all this?”
“Pfft, it’s nothing.You had a big day today,” Oscar said, turning the conversation away from any more questions that might uncover his billionaire status. “The divorce. Is it final?”
“Yes!”
“Hell yes!” Oscar scooped up Liz and twirled her around. The world spun for joy a few moments, then he set her feet back down on the ground. “I don’t have to hold back, but I want to do this right. Liz will you go out to dinner with me?”
“Let me check my schedule.” Liz pretended to thumb through an invisible book in her hand. “I might be free for you.”
“Damn, you know you are sexy.” Again Oscar kissed Liz until her knees buckled. “I’m taking you home. Please don’t say no to me.”
“Well, I sort of.” She took Oscar’s hand and walked him around to her passenger door. “I sort of have a problem in the front seat.”
“Oh, Andy. You want to pay me back now?” Oscar yelled over the top of her car.
“No, please. I should take him home.”
Tempting her to change her mind, he backed her up against the vehicle and nibbled on her ear. He kissed along her jawline, avoiding her lips, but came tantalizing close with a suck on her chin. “Please come home with me,” he begged, continuing to move his pecks around to her other ear and teasing it with little kisses.
“You’re so tempting.” She slipped down and out away from him. “I really need to go. Tomorrow’s Saturday. Call me and we can continue.” So she wouldn’t change her mind, she hustled around to the driver’s side. “Hey Andy, thanks for the blender. I’ll buy you a drink the next time I see you at the Buckeye.”
Sharing her excitement with Bill on the drive home was not happening. He’d seemingly passed out the moment she buckled his belt.
“Damn I wish you were awake. AHHHHH! Oscar’s in town and I’m divorced and oh I want him so bad.” She was talking out loud and spilling all her feelings to her sleeping friend.
“Is this wrong? I mean it has been months. And those pictures. Bill want to move forward. I want to love him.”
“Just bang him and shut up, Liz,” Bull said, adjusting and turning his head to the window.
Chapter Twenty Nine
It was early the next morning when Oscar parked his red truck on the street in front of Liz’s house. Their plans to spend the day together started earlier than she anticipated. While she was still in bed, her phone buzzed with a text.
Oscar: You up? Want to take a ride?
Liz: With you? How long will it take you to get here?
Oscar: Look outside.
She jumped out of bed, rushed to the front room window, and pulled back the curtains. Oscar was leaning against his truck with his phone out.
Liz: How long?
She sent the text, but rather than wait for an answer she stepped outside to greet him. It was a long walk down the driveway and halfway down she realized what she was wearing.
To keep him in her thoughts, Liz had slept in Oscar’s plaid shirt and that was the only stitch of clothing she had on this morning. She raced back to the house and quickly tugged on some yoga pants, then skipped down the driveway. Her intention was to get him to follow her back in the house so she could dress.
By the time she reached him, he had the driver’s door pulled open. Whether it was the morning rays, their text session full of promises or his enticing smile she melted into him. His strong arms held her close, reminding her he was a man she wanted to get to know better.
“It’s your first day of being divorced. Will you spend it with me?”
How could she say no? At this moment she wanted to spend every day with him. L
eaving all the essentials; keys, purse and phone back in the house, s
he hopped in the truck and scooted over to the center of the seat. “Oh, my purse.” She lunged for the passenger door handle. He stopped her with a hand on her thigh.
Damn he has a firm grip.
“Do you need it? Couldn’t you use a day without interruptions?”
She never really left the house without her purse or cellphone, but something in his eyes told her she could trust this day to him. Like she trusted her mom when she said get in the car. All the kids got in. Even though sometimes those car rides led them to the dentist office, they obeyed blindly. But the times they ended up at the toy store or the park, all made hopping in for the unknown worth it. Toy store or dentist office, she wanted to take this ride with Oscar.
“I’ll survive. Let’s go.” She buckled her seat belt. She had him all to herself and there was several questions she was perusing over for the last few days. So she took advantage of his vulnerable position in the truck. “Let’s play twenty questions.”
“Fire away,” Oscar said, pulling away from the curb.”Wait is that my shirt?”
It was. She embarrassingly tugged on the hem. “I’m asking the questions.” Liz was ready to bombard him with what she was curious about, like; Which restaurants do you own? Where did you go out of town? And how successful are you?
But he started humming and she chickened out.
I’m going to trust him. He’ll reveal his secrets when he’s ready.
“What’s your middle name?”
“I told you, Elizabeth Ann Martin. On the first night.”
Liz blushed, covering half her face with her palm. “You remembered my full name? I’m impressed.”
“Did you forget mine?”
“No—I—well maybe.” She kicked off her shoes and tucked one foot under the other. She watched him drive, trying hard to remember when they’d exchanged this information.
Did he really tell me his name?
“It’s coming to me. Oscar . . . W . . . W . . . Wallace. Your sister’s a cow,” she blurted out, remembering the game top score screen.
“She’s a fish,” he corrected.
“Dixon, yes, cod. So you’re, William? Wesley? Tell me again.”
“Nope.”
“Okay, I don’t need to know.” She flipped her hair to the side and peered out the window. Rolling it down to stall for time, a cool autumn breeze blew in. She closed her eyes.
Stop teasing me. I know you’re not just a simple bartender. Why won’t you tell me? After the photos we shared, I could get all wrapped up in you. Just let me into all of your world.
“It’s Wayne.” She slapped him on the thigh. “Now where’re we going, Wayne?”
“Impressed.” Oscar flashed a half cocked smile her direction. “We’re heading to my home town, Westin for their Saturday market. It’s not too far.”
“Did you grow up or fall in love there?”
“Yes and yes for the first time.” He took one hand off the steering wheel and squeezed her knee. “Where’d you fall in love?”
“What’d you say the name of the town was?” she answered with a chuckle.
“The first time,” he insisted. “Was Chris your first love?”
“Oh. . . alright, lets do this. I suppose it happened about the same as you, except we were college sweethearts. I fell in love with his ambition for a career. I thought it meant he’d be a good provider. I thought that’s what I wanted. I was wrong.”
“He was too ambitious?”
“He had plenty of that. He just kept moving his goals. We planned to take time for ourselves, start a family after law school. Then it was, after my internship, and finally, it was moved to after he made partner. That’s when I realized it would never stop, there would never be an after. So I left.”
“What about the perks? Do you hate spending money?”
The scenery outside moved faster than her thoughts on this subject. On one hand she hated Chris for spending his money on an exclusive condo, designer clothes, maid service, and gym memberships. It was all too much. On the other hand she didn’t want Oscar to think she wanted to live like a pauper. She wanted nice things, just not at the expense of a happy marriage.
“We lacked for nothing in the way we lived. We just lived separate lives.”
“I understand. I grew apart from Julie when we couldn’t pay our bills. Guess no amount of money in the bank can repair a relationship that’s ended.”