It had seemed like a good idea at first, although she wasn't sure why she thought it was a good idea. When she pulled in the driveway of Brock's condo at ten o'clock that night, she was beginning to second guess her decision. After Barbra Jean had gone on home, Reba sat up in her bedroom thinking about why she felt odd about Brock having a girlfriend. She hadn't felt this way even when he first got together with Barbra Jean, so why was she feeling this way now?
The lights in his condo were off except for one upstairs. She assumed it was his bedroom and he was still awake. But what had she come here for? To catch him with some slutty girl? Who was she to say what he could and couldn't do?
Slowly, she walked up to the front door and knocked lightly, halfway hoping he wouldn't answer. But a minute later, he did.
"Reba. What are you doing here?"
She shrugged, noticing his hair had more gray in it. That was when she realized she hadn't seen him since Jake's graduation. He had aged noticeably in those four short months.
"Just came over to say hi," She responded. "Are you busy? Are you alone? Should I come back later?"
"Uh...I'm not alone. Is there something wrong?"
Her cheeks flushed red and she avoided his eyes. Shaking her head, she responded, "Nope. Nothing wrong. Just thought I'd drop by. Haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah, it's been a few months. Do you want to have lunch sometime or something?"
She shook her head, embarrassed to no end that she had actually come to his house while he was with his girlfriend.
"No, that's alright. I know you're busy." She began walking backwards, towards her car. "I'll talk to you later." She turned around and proceeded to take long strides to the driveway where she promptly got in her car and drove away.
You're crazy, she told herself as she drove home. You've finally gone off the deep end. What business do you have over there? None. None whatsoever. Why do you care what he does?
Deep down she knew it was because the fences hadn't been fully mended with him and she was about to leave the life she had once known to go to Oklahoma. She didn't want any bad air left between them, but she wondered how she would even let him know she was leaving. It wouldn't be an easy thing to do. He had been her whole world for so long, and even though she knew she was over him as a husband, he was her very best friend and she hated to hurt him.
xXx
Ford Stokely was a lawyer with the ability to get anybody to do what he wanted when he wanted, and every time he came into the office to discuss contracts with Mr. McKenzie, Reba found herself being very willing to let him tell her what to do no matter what it was. She thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. He was the finest fifty-year-old man who had graying chocolate brown hair and bright green eyes. Every time he'd walk by Reba's desk, he left the scent of his cologne tagging along behind him.
Reba watched him from her desk as he stood by the copier, talking to another Realtor. If Barbra Jean ever found out she had a crush on this guy, she would immediately assume the role of matchmaker and that was not at all what Reba wanted. She was content with speaking to Ford here and there and getting to smell his cologne without being noticed. She didn't need him to be with her. He was probably married, anyway, and that was certainly not anything Reba wanted to get involved with.
Ford's conversation with the other Realtor ended and Reba noticed him walking her way. It really lit up her day when she got to talk to him. She was like a giddy high-school girl.
"Hey, Reba," He said as he passed her desk.
"Hi, Ford." She smiled and turned in her swivel chair and watched him walk on down the hall, that cute little butt of his her main focus.
As he walked around the corner, she sank into her chair, her chin in her hand. If she couldn't be with him, she at least wanted him to show some kind of interest in her. With Barbra Jean's comment about her age the night before, she couldn't help but feel a bit self conscious. It had been years since a man told her she was beautiful. Things like that preyed upon a person's mind and usually, they never went away. She was still human with human feelings, but more so than that, a woman with woman feelings.
She found herself thinking that Barbra Jean may be right about her getting a man. What would be the harm in trying to go after Ford? She was leaving for Oklahoma within the year, and she figured that one last ditch effort couldn't hurt her any. The worst he could say was no.
Jumping out of her chair, she rushed after Ford and followed him straight out into the parking lot.
"Hey, Ford!" She called as she hurried up to him.
He spun around, and smiled at her. "Reba. Is there something I can do for you?"
Her knees went weak as she looked at that smile. It made her smile right back, some of her nerves disappearing with the wind that whipped around them both.
"I hope so," She said. "I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow night?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, tapping a few buttons before responding with, "No, I'm free tomorrow. Why?"
"Would you like to meet me somewhere for dinner? I realize how out of the blue this question is, but I was just curious."
"You mean like a date?"
"If you want it to be."
He smiled. "I'd love to."
"Really?"
He laughed and Reba blushed. She hardly realized how enthusiastic she sounded, but Ford was amused. He nodded and said, "Yes, really. Where did you want to meet?"
"How about Gravitas? Seven o'clock?"
"Sounds great. Let me give you my number in case something comes up."
The two exchanged numbers and chatted a minute before Ford said he had to get going. Reba waved goodbye before he drove off, and did a little happy dance in the parking lot as she watched his truck's taillights fade.
As she walked back into the building, she found herself wondering if he could be the one. The person who was supposed to keep her from moving to Oklahoma and spend the rest of his life with her. She knew it was a long shot, but she figured why not? If she didn't at least see, she knew she'd regret it and always have that 'what if' feeling. She wasn't one for jumping in head first, but times were changing and she figured she'd better learn to go with it.
xXx
The fitted red dress Reba chose to wear was really starting to bug her. As soon as she sat down at the table Ford had reserved for them, the place where the tag was sewn in began tickling the back of her neck.
When Ford saw her walk up, he stood and pulled her chair out for her.
"Thank you," She said, trying to subtly rip the tag off the dress as she sat down.
"You look great," He told her, sitting down himself. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. Ready to get home and get this dress off, though."
"Well, gosh, we don't know each other that well yet. I'm not opposing, however." He winked and she had to laugh.
"I didn't mean it like that! This tag is bothering the heck out of me."
"Want me to see if I can get it off?"
She stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Turn around."
She turned in her seat and pulled her hair over her shoulder as Ford stood and flipped the tag over. As he did so, his fingers brushed the back of her neck, sending chills down her arms. After he tugged on it a moment, he handed her the removed tag.
"There ya go."
She took it, turning around in her seat and smiled. "Thank you."
"No problem. Now, shall we order?"
The mood he was setting put Reba at ease. She felt so much more confident about the fact that she had asked him to go on this little outing. She just hoped he'd ask the next time.
As the evening went on, she learned more and more about him. He had been married before but his wife had passed away after a lost battle with cancer. He had one son who was Jake's age and in college. Reba told him of her divorce and the odd relationship between her and Barbra Jean. He didn't run away screaming, so she took that as a good sign.
"So what do you like to do in your spare time?" He asked after all the talk of divorce and his wife's passing was over.
"I read a lot," She told him. "Classics mostly. What about you?"
"Well, I don't get a lot of free time except for on the weekends, but that's when I like to shoot skeet."
"Shoot what?"
"Skeet. It's where you shoot these little clay disks that are flung into the air at a high speed. It's really fun. We should go sometime."
The possibility of another date with Ford made her smile with a nod. "I'd love to!"
"Great. I bet you'll like it. I've played it all my life. Even when I was a kid growing up in Oklahoma."
"You're from Oklahoma? So am I!"
"I can tell by your accent."
"Most people can." She laughed. "But you don't have an accent."
"I've worked very hard on that."
She rolled her eyes with a smile. "I never would have guessed."
"I figured I'd tell you since you were from the same place. It's not something I like to let people know."
"Why?"
"I've been called a back-roads hick my whole life. That's part of the reason I became a lawyer. I wanted to shed that image. I guess if the simple ways of farm life hadn't been forced on me when I was a kid, I wouldn't have rebelled so much. I prefer the city. That's why I'm here in Houston."
"Oh. Makes sense. But I've never minded being an Okie. I've never known anything different. In fact, I'm thinking about moving back there."
"I'm sorry to hear that. To tell you the truth, I've enjoyed being around the Real Estate firm because I get to talk to you from time to time."
"Well, thanks. I enjoy talking to you as well."
"When are you moving?"
"Within the year. I'm going to try and find a place close to my parents' ranch."
"You're a ranching family?"
"Yes, sir. And rodeo cowboys. You said you guys were farmers?"
"Something like that." He laughed. "We had a dairy farm."
"Oh, boy, I bet that was a lot of work."
"I wish I could say I didn't mind it, but that'd be a lie and as a lawyer, I try to keep my lying to a minimum."
The flirty banter continued for the next half hour or so. Reba couldn't believe that this man she'd had a crush on for so long was from Oklahoma. He was attractive but that was just the icing on the cake. She really enjoyed his personality and the way he listened to what she had to say. Most other men she had gone on dates with preferred to talk about only themselves, cutting her off whenever she tried to get a word in. Ford was the exact opposite. More than once, he asked her to tell him more about herself. It was only when she refused to keep going that she learned more about him.
The man before her was one she had observed for quite some time. The fact that she was getting to know him was the best thing that had happened to her in a while. She'd surely thank God for the opportunity before bed that night.
She had been laughing about some story of his when she became aware that she had been at the restaurant for quite some time. She glanced at her phone, which was lying in her lap, and found that it was nearing nine o'clock.
"It's getting awful late," She said when he finished his story and she finished laughing uncontrollably.
With a big grin still on his face, he nodded, checking his Rolex. "It sure is."
Looking behind her, Reba found that the place wasn't as full as when they had arrived. However, a couple was walking in, apparently grabbing a late dinner. As she looked closer, she saw that she knew them. The man, rather. It was Brock. The woman, who had long dark hair, wore a tiny black dress and stilettos. She looked considerably younger than her fifty-eight year old ex-husband. Reba doubted that she was even in her thirties.
She watched as the hostess sat the two at a table across the room and handed them their menus. The woman, leaned across the table to get closer to Brock who wore that sideways grin of his. Reba watched them even though she knew what would happen next. Her and Brock had done the same when they were married. Brock would lean closer to her and smile that smile before gently kissing her lips. He'd reach up to touch her cheek and pull away, twirling her hair around his finger before leaning back in his chair and picking up the liquor menu. And that's exactly what he did.
She felt sick to her stomach as she turned back to Ford, who had been watching the same thing she had been.
"Do you know them?" He asked as Reba gathered her purse up.
"That's my ex."
"Oh."
"With his new girlfriend." She glanced at them once more and immediately wished she hadn't. As soon as she looked that way, Brock did the same. Their eyes locked for a moment before Reba looked away. She hurriedly got up and walked outside, Ford going after her, wondering why she left so abruptly.
xXx
"What are you looking at?"
Brock tore his eyes away from Reba and turned back to the woman sitting across from him.
"Nothing."
"Whatever. Who was she?"
"My ex."
"Which one?"
"The first one."
"Oh. The redhead. She's cute."
He was smart enough to not agree even though he wanted to. She was more than cute. She was downright gorgeous. He found himself wondering who her Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome was, and he might have even been a little jealous. Whoever that guy was, was obviously younger than he.
"Where are we going after this?"
Brock sighed. "Home, I guess."
"Are we going to go get Henry?"
"Yeah."
She raised an eyebrow, peeking over her menu. "You're being really weird tonight."
"I'm sorry. Long day."
She put down her menu, a playful smile gracing her red lips. "You should really let me relieve some of your tension for you when we get home."
Brock smiled a half smile. "You're the boss."
"Of course I am." She winked and Brock found himself wondering if seeing Reba in the restaurant was about to interfere with his plans.
xXx
"And there he was - making out with one of the Kardashian sisters in the middle of Gravitas. They might as well have climbed on the tabletop."
Barbra Jean listened to Reba tell her about seeing Brock the night before with wide eyes.
"What did she look like?" The blonde asked, putting her chin in her hands.
Reba rolled her eyes, remembering the woman as she loaded the dishwasher.
"She was wearing this skanky-looking dress. It looked like they had gone clubbing. And her shoes had a five inch heel, I bet you." She shook her head. "Honestly, I credit him with better taste."
Barbra Jean bit her lip, shaking her head as well. "Was she young?"
"Fresh out of high-school."
"That man, I swear...what is his problem? Doesn't he realize he's got one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel? He's old and he keeps dating these girls who are young enough to be his daughter? What's up with that?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't make him look very good, if you ask me."
Barbra Jean nodded, thinking. "You know," She finally said. "You never explained what you were doing in Gravitas last night."
Reba stopped loading the dishwasher and sighed.
Crrrraaaaaaappppp...
"I was just having dinner," She responded, trying to stay cool.
Barbra Jean perked up, pointing at her. "You were not! You were there with somebody! Who was it?"
"Barbra Jean, I was there alone."
"You are the world's worst liar, Reba. Give it up. Who were you there with?"
Reba sighed, closing the dishwasher and starting it, backing up to lean against the stove with folded arms.
"Just a guy that works with my boss, alright?"
"What's his name? Is he cute?"
"His name is Ford Stokely and yes, he's cute."
Barbra Jean squealed and clasped her hands together. "EEEEE! I knew you had a date! What's he look like?"
"He...well...hang on." She pulled her phone from her pocket and selected the camera option. She located the picture the two had taken last night. "Here."
Barbra Jean looked at the photo and wiggled her eyebrows. "Ooh la la. He's adorable."
"I know, right? He's a lawyer from Oklahoma."
"You've met your soul-mate."
Reba took her phone back. "Oh, I don't know about that. He's just a guy I'm dating right now, alright? No long-term anything yet. He even knows about me moving back home."
"You told him?"
"Yes. I wanted to be upfront about it."
"I guess..."
"Yeah."
"So, is he a good kisser?"
"We haven't kissed yet! We've had one date!"
"Would you get with it, already? You can kiss on the first date, Reba, along with other things."
"Oh, no way. There's none of that going on."
"Well, by the looks of him, he'll be good at both. You let me know."
"Absolutely not. Now, if you'll excuse me," She went and opened the back door. "I have chores to do. I'll call you later."
"You better." Barbra Jean headed towards the door. "Or I'll come back over here."
Reba rolled her eyes and shut the door, leaning against it. She had left out the part where she ran from the restaurant in near tears out of her story. She didn't understand why her emotions had gone from laughter to tears so quickly. It frustrated her, as it had been happening more and more lately. There was no reason for her to cry over Brock anymore. Who cares if he had a girlfriend now?
I do...
xXx
Sorry for not posting for a few days. I got caught up with work and such. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for all the reviews for the first one! Oh, and Ford is an original character. Don't steal him. (;