This weekend, I ended up having more fun and coming to a realization after a long conversation with someone I care about very much.
I went to the Toby Keith concert up at Montage mountain. My friends were opening up for him - first opening act... and I hadn't seen them since I left Nashville. I texted Vinny, was hoping to see them just to say hi. And while he kept texting back, he ended up being a total dickhead... the only one who was the nicest to me (and apparently had not grown a head the size of Texas) was Butter, who wasn't as close of a friend anyway. I was a little disappointed, a lot offended... but I was forewarned that Vinny's head had gotten bigger than he is... I just had to see it for myself. Oh well.
I ended up hanging out with my marine recruiter friend. He is such a good guy. I really do like him a lot. We just hung out, drank beer and that was about it. I ended up leaving the concert a little early, just to score a ride out to my car. Heels + Gravel parking lots are not a good mix.
I decided to head down towards wherever the work crowd was partying... after all, it was a Friday night! Donna let me know that half of the remaining crowd was at Senunas and she and two other people were at Hardware Bar.
I have never been to Hardware bar, but Senunas was on the way, so I stopped in there before. Coming from a country concert, I didn't think Hardware was going to be the type of place I'd feel comfortable in my jeans and v-neck top- complete with belt buckle necklace.
I ran into some friends from work there, but had a better time once I saw that they had a two man band up there, two acoustic guitars and these guys singing some great tunes. I decided to stick around and even got to sing one with them. We exchanged numbers and I was so happy to have found a music connection- and someone who knows COUNTRY up here in PA! :)
I came home, crashed into bed and woke up to the sound of the kids running around. I had talked to Jon a couple days before about coming to MD to visit, as he had invited me to come down- and when I mentioned it would be hard to get away without the kids, he told me to bring them down too... there was a pool at the new hotel he was at, and they would have a blast. I told him I would kind of leave it up in the air... and decide what I felt like doing later.
So, I decided to head down there on Saturday morning. We didn't actually get into town until like 5pm, because we didn't leave till after lunch. Jon had been out riding his bike, stopped at a bar, he found out we were in- but was about an hour away with some guys from work.
I told him to not sweat it, I was going to get the kids in the pool and just hang out, I would talk to him later, please be careful, etc. We had the key to the room and there were a lot of families out there, so I would be fine and would see him when he got back. I got a call around 8:30pm that he was staying down there for the night and would see me in the early morning- because he didn't really know where he was about an hour away and the guys had a couch he could crash on. I told him to be safe and I'd see him in the morning.
The kids were all tired from swimming, and curled up watching TV in the room... so I ended up venturing out front with a beer in my hand. The same families from the pool were barbecuing and playing country music. Ah, home.
They invited me to come on down (they were like 3 rooms down) and hanging in the parking lot, so I sat out with them for a while, laughing and singing along to some tunes.
A while later, one of the guys comes back with this OLD karaoke machine. I mean, OLD. Tape deck old. It was basically just a large tape deck with a microphone. He announces we're gonna all sing karaoke. Sweet!
Only thing is, we were singing redneck karaoke. There was no music. Just the microphone! Hahaa! It was so much fun though, and they got a kick out of my voice. One of the girls recorded "when you say nothing at all" on her cell phone, she sent it to her friends. I was asked why I wasn't in Nashville with "a voice like that". And then I shared my story with them, that I used to live there and just had to take care of the kids... I'll sing for fun until I can do something else with it. We had been singing country, rock, bluegrass and good ole southern gospel.
One of the guys, the "crab guy", mentioned he wanted to bring his amp and his guitar around the next night and wanted me to sing. I let him know I didn't think I would be there as I had to drive home for work. Around midnight, I was feeling tired, and went back inside to crash out with the kids.
Somewhere around 7am, Jon came in, said good morning, and I pretty much pointed and laughed at him. After a hug and some chit-chatting, he laid down and dozed off next to me. The kids started watching TV and then I got the "I'm Hungry" vocal chorus, so we all got up and decided where to head for breakfast.
We all went to this family owned diner across the way, at their buffet, came back and the kids wanted to swim. Jon wanted to rest. Rough night for him. As the kids got changed for the pool, and got their towels from the front porch/stoop we had a few moments of peace - he was stretched out on the bed, just lounging and he leaned in and said he was glad I came... and that he was sorry for being out all night. I told him not to sweat it, and explained how I had really enjoyed hanging out with his neighbors. He pulled me close next to him and gave me a kiss.
I should explain what it's like kissing this man. I mean, I love kissing. I'm like a serial kisser. But it is ALL different kissing this man. I could seriously never kiss anyone else again, if I could be promised his kisses for the rest of my life.
My stomach flip flops, there's an electrical charge that just resonates through me and the combination of our bodies pushed together, and the gentle vs frantic kiss just all kind of flows in unison. It's amazing kissing this man.
What's more amazing is that I wasn't really expecting it.
I think that these lyrics from Lady Antebellum have just played through my head for the past 48 hours...
I know that the bridges that I've burned along the way
Have left me with these walls and these scars that won't go away
And opening up has always been the hardest thing
Until you came
So lay here beside me, just hold me and don't let go
This feeling I'm feeling is something I've never known
And I just can't take my eyes off you
I just can't take my eyes off you
I love when you tell me that I'm pretty when I just woke up
And I love how you tease me when I'm moody but it's never too much
I'm falling fast, and the truth is I'm not scared at all
You climbed my walls.
So lay here beside me, just hold me and don't let go
This feeling I'm feeling is something I've never known
And I just can't take my eyes off you
I just can't take my eyes off you, off you, off you
So lay here beside me, just hold me and don't let go
Oh, this feeling I'm feeling is something I've never known
And I just can't take my eyes off you
I just can't take my eyes off you
So I got back up, and composed myself. I had to remain in control of this situation, after all, I came down to see him as a friend... nothing more (at least that's the official stance).
I told him to get some rest, kissed him back just a peck, smiled... and got up. I told him that I'd just take the kids to the pool and he could catch a nap because we were going to head to Chuck E Cheese when they got hungry. Plus, he would need his energy for when I kicked his ass at Skeeball.
The kids swam again, and I hung out again with the families that were out the night before. They had a BLAST.
It wasn't much longer before they started to get tired of swimming and started talking about Chuck E Cheese, so I let them get out and we decided to go wake Jon up.
After stirring our friend who was sleeping like a hibernating bear, he reluctantly got out of bed and decided he was ready to get his butt kicked at Skeeball.
We got to the Chuck E Cheese and we got our lunch ordered and I pulled out the big bag of tokens I had been keeping for the kids to use. In addition to my bag, I also got some with our pizza and Jon bought some as well. We had TONS of tokens.
We decided to just go crazy with the games after we ate. I kicked his butt at Skeeball. He tried to cheat too! He really did, he climbed up when he realized I had beat him so bad, and slam dunked a 10,000 points... laughing the entire time. I laughed harder when the machine scoreboard read, "TILT".
The kids had a great time, and we collected all our tickets that we won, and left with 5 bags of cotton candy.
When we got back to the hotel, they all wanted to go swimming again. I was exhausted... told them to watch a tv show first and then we would go swimming yet again. As the kids watched Cartoon Network, Jon and I laid around watching with them. It was really nice just hanging out with him again.
When the kids were out in front of the room again, talking to the other kids they had been playing with and playing with the little toys they scored at Chuck E Cheese, he would sneak a kiss here and there. Then we just started talking about some of the things we really wanted in life, and I didn't let the conversation get too deep, simply because I'm letting him make all the decisions about where we go from here.
He's been the one to ask me to come, he's been the one to kiss me, he's been the one to pull me close. He's the one who is initiating everything. He's the one to call...
It was getting later, but the crab guy had just pulled in, and wanted me to sing with him... but he had work to do, so it turned out that I missed out on that. I got Jon and the kids dinner (Arby's and Burger King- and assortment!) and then we ate while it POURED outside.
When we were finishing up, the rain had let up a little too. There was the most amazing RAINBOW! Actually, it was a double rainbow, but it was the complete arch on both of them. One was so brilliant, and the other one was faded a bit, but it was so beautiful! Here are some pictures that don't do it justice.
As the evening was winding down, the clock was ticking. I forgot that I didn't have to work until 11am, but instead just had it in my head that I was going to have to be at work at 9am. So, around 8pm, I loaded everything in the car and got us all situated. The kids were in and out of the car, which was parked right in front of the room. I made everyone finish going to the bathroom and then I went in myself. As I was washing my hands, the bathroom door knocked lightly and then opened.
It was Jon, of course. He slipped into the bathroom with me, and wrapped his arms around me and gave me a huge kiss. Told me how good it was to see me, and that he was sorry again that he didn't make it back the night before. We talked a little about when we'd see each other again, just trying to quickly have 2-3 minutes with just us.
After a few more kisses, we left the bathroom and I got ready to head out back on the road.
Did I mention what his kisses do to my stomach? Oh, the flip flops were in full effect and a big cheesy grin was plastered on my face.
So we said our goodbyes, and I got on the road about 8:30. On the ride home, he called and we talked for a little while, but then I said goodnight.
I got home somewhere close to 12:30am. The kids and I stumbled in and all of us passed out cold. It was such a long weekend, but I'm so glad that I made it down there. It was worth the trip. He's talking about coming up here next.
I am planning on spending the next two weeks making this house even more homey looking. If he doesn't come this time, I will end up with a more homey house. I'm also going to set up my art studio downstairs. It's time I started painting again.
My creative outlets have been pent up for a while. I think I ju
st needed a chance to figure out what I wanted and a friend to bounce my ideas off. I came back into PA with a fresh resolve, and a renewed spirit.
Life is going to be pretty mellow for a while... That's a good thing.
-Audrey
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