Page 21 of Anyone But Her

"What friend?"

"The girl with the weird name."

"Birdie?"

"Yeah. Weren't they best friends in high school?"

"Longer than that. They've been friends since they were kids. Birdie's going to school in Tucson but she and Taylor still talk all the time." He takes a drink. "What made you think of Birdie?"

"I was just remembering back when we first met. You told me that story about her and Fake Steve, who turned out to be Real Steve. Did you ever tell her about that?"

"No, and if you ever see her, don't tell her that story. Or Taylor. They'd both be pissed at me for not telling them the truth."

"Why didn't you?"

"Steve seemed like an ass. He wasn't right for Birdie."

Steve wasn't an ass. In fact, we all got along great so I don't know why Cal would say that about him. Maybe they had a fight I never knew about.

It's hard to believe that camp was five years ago. It was the best two weeks of my life but then I got home and my dad made my life even more miserable. He got a call from one of the camp coaches who told my dad I was really talented and had a lot of potential. Instead of making my dad happy, it pissed him off. He didn't want me playing golf so he tried to make sure I couldn't. He made me work double shifts at the shipyard for the rest of the summer but I still found time to golf. I'd get to the course at the crack of dawn and play until I had to be at work. But I didn't have time for the coach Albert was going to hire so that never happened.

When school started in the fall I was still putting in long hours at the shipyard but then one day I was suddenly let go. Apparently someone reported my dad's boss for having me do work that wasn't safe for kids under the age of eighteen. His boss got off with a warning but was told he'd get fined if he ever hired a minor again.

To this day I don't know who reported him but I'm assuming it was Albert. He's denied it a million times but I don't know who else would've done it.

Losing that job meant I had time for a coach and could spend more time golfing and hanging out with Albert. Things were going well until the day I turned eighteen. Instead of throwing me a party, my parents threw me out. I was no longer their responsibility so they told me I had to leave. I ended up staying with Albert until I left for college.

I didn't do well at college. I couldn't focus on my classes. All I wanted to do was golf. Instead of paying attention during a lecture I'd imagine myself on the fairway, wishing I was there. And when I wasn't thinking about golf I was thinking about girls. There were a lot of hot girls at college, and since I didn't date much in high school I decided to make up for it in college. I lost my virginity the first week there, and sowed my wild oats around campus that entire semester. In the spring I slowed things down and tried dating a girl for longer than a couple weeks. That didn't work out and by the end of the year I needed a break from both college and dating.

I moved back in with Albert and made golf my priority. It's all I've done this past year. I train with my coach, work out at the gym, and play in tournaments around the area. I've done really well in the tournaments but I'm still playing as an amateur. I'm not ready to go pro yet. I need more time to improve my game but hopefully, by the end of this year, I'll be ready.

As for dating, I went back to it last spring. I went out with this girl for almost a month before breaking it off. After that, I went on a few random dates that didn't go anywhere. The girl I'm dating now works at the golf course I worked at in high school. She gives golf lessons to kids. She's cute and nice and we're the same age so she should be a good match for me but I'm just not clicking with her. Something's missing.

I keep thinking I can't commit to a girl because I'm still hung up on Taylor, which is completely illogical because I don't even know her. I only know what I've read online and what her brother has told me, which isn't much. Maybe I should just meet her so I can prove to myself we're not a good match and finally move on. But I'm not ready to meet her. I'm not ready to find out what she's really like. I've built her up in my head to be this perfect girl and I'm not ready to be disappointed.

"So what do you have going on this week?" Cal asks.

"Nothing." I chuckle. "I came here to see you, dumbass. You invited me. Are you trying to get rid of me already?"

He smiles. "You want to golf at some new courses?"

"Haven't we played all the ones in Phoenix?"

"These aren't in Arizona. They're in California. Around San Francisco and Napa."

"What are you talking about?"

"This weekend is parents' weekend at my sister's college. My dad wants us to go with them. After we go see Taylor he wants to drive north and play some courses around the bay area. My mom wants to do the whole wine country thing so while she and my dad are off doing that, you and I can golf. What do you say?"

Sounds like I'll be meeting Taylor sooner than I thought. I'm not ready for that but I can't turn this down. A chance to play golf with Cal's dad? A former professional golfer? And I'll get to play on courses I've never played before? I'm about to tell him yes but then remember my money situation.

"I'd love to, but I can't afford it."

"You're not paying for it. My dad's covering the trip. And he wants you to come with us. My mom does too." He smiles. "Because you're so damn sweet. And polite. And those dimples. She can't get enough of those dimples."

"Shut up," I say with a smile. "Enough about the dimples."

"So what do you say? You in? If not, we could stay around here but I really want to try out some new courses."

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