Page 26 of Holiday on the Rocks
My only serious relationship was with Clint Jacobsen. He worked in finance for Northern Trust Corporation and we met when he was walking across the street. I had looked down when I dropped my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in my lap, and when I looked back up he was right in front of me crossing the street. I screeched to a stop and didn’t run him over by sheer inches.
After much apologizing he said he’d forgive me if I met him for dinner. Pretty cool pick up line I had to admit. He was handsome, sweet, and funny. As things grew a little more serious, the fear of being happy and things imploding almost consumed me. I secretly saw a therapist to try to get a grip, but after two sessions she wanted to focus on “resolving my Levi issues” and that was a fuck no. I’d done my best to bury that shit and no matter what a professional said, opening that box was not a thing I could do.
I knew with all my being that Clint was a good man, but what if he grew tired of me? What if one day he didn’t want us anymore? What if I woke up and he was gone? This happens to people all over the globe, and it’d happened to me with the only man I’d loved, and it broke me.
The pain and thoughts of Levi 24/7 made me wish I hadn’t survived the accident. He didn’t just disappear; he took a part of me with him that would likely never return. The trust part, the part that jumped without a net knowing his arms would catch me. If he could do that after what I thought was the strongest love in existence, it would likely happen again. I mean maybe someday? Or not. I went to a dark place that took so long to climb out of, I didn’t know if I could do it again.
While I’m no shrink, I knew the desperate job search I did in all states but my own confirmed I was just not ready for a serious relationship. Yes, I didn’t have the balls to end it like a grown up so a perfect job offer across the country was an easy solution for those of us who don’t like conflict. Sure we said we’d try the long distance thing but over time the calls became less frequent, and I brushed off him visiting or me going back to Chicago because of my crazy work schedule. But it was probably for the best.
I figure I’d get my first cat in the summer. I never dreamed I’d grow up to be a super cool crazy cat lady, but I’m pretty sure I’d kill it. Not the cat, just the living my life solo part.
Someone once said it’s beautiful to be alone. To be alone does not mean to be lonely. It means the mind is not influenced or contaminated by society. Yeah, I’m clinging to that shit like the Kardashians’ cling to filler.
I walked through the trees and before me stood a handsome Evergreen, and I got to it. I used my pliers but after cutting only three branches, there was rustling of leaves and loud cackles. WTH? I spun around to see three wild turkeys running in my direction. I let out a scream in an octave I wasn’t even aware I could hit, threw my pliers at the leader of the killer turkey gang, and hauled ass. They were blocking my path back to the house so I bolted in the other direction.
In front of me stood a tree that had some low branches. Without a thought I jumped on a branch and climbed up. It was a little concerning that the lower branches seemed to be breaking right off the damn tree while I made my way up as I hoped to eventually climb down. After a few stumbles, I arrived at a high perch. Did I ever expect to have to climb a tree in a forest in Colorado to escape possible rabid turkeys? Short answer, no. Long answer, heeellll nnnooo.
As my attempted killers scampered around at the base of my tree, I immediately took the pine cones close by and threw them at my attackers. Why didn’t I bring my cell freaking phone? I knew I’d run a little ways from the house, but certainly Levi would find me. Good news it appeared turkeys don’t climb trees.
I sat quietly counting thirteen pine cones above me.
“Langley, Where are you?”
Relief washed through me as the deep voice echoed throughout the forest. “Allie!”
“I’m here! I climbed a tree!”’
“Why in the hell did you go tree climbing?” His voice moved closer.
“I was attacked by turkeys! They’re at the bottom of my tree!”
His chuckle echoed everywhere. “Are you kidding me right now? You can’t be left unsupervised for ten minutes?”
“It’s not me!”
He spoke like a robot. “Warning, unsupervised adult may exhibit erratic behavior and will be highly unpredictable.”
A few second later Levi was running, yelling, and waving his arms in the air and the turkeys took off. He looked up and shook his head. “I guess they like short people.”
I chucked a pine cone and it bounced off his head. “You watch it. Short girls are like cute tiny ninjas of death who are the perfect height to do serious damage.”
As my eyes looked down, I realized how far up in the tree I actually was. My heart hiccupped as I found I was a little more scared of heights than I’d realized.
“Come on down.”
“Uh, okay.” I held on to the branch my bum sat on and lowered my foot. “I’m not sure how to do this.”
“You had a brother. Didn’t you tree climb as a kid?”
“Will climbed trees. I played Barbies under the trees.”
“Okay, I’ll guide you down. Just follow my instructions.”
“The ground looks so far away. And, as hard as it is to believe, I’m kinda a klutz.”
“You don’t think I remember that? The girl who was leaning too far over the ledge and literally landed on me?” He chuckled. “I still think you did that on purpose.”
It was the perfect meet cute if we were a romcom movie. Me with Lexi and Rachel, I wasn’t supposed to go but snuck out to go to a concert a few towns over. I was sitting on a railing I shouldn’t have been on because it was stupid, and as I threw my arms in the air when Coldplay took the stage, I tumbled over and landed on Levi who was with his friends below me. We were connected at the hip for the next twelve hours. And the next year. There was an instant chemistry that wove between us. “Why in the hell would I throw myself over a ten foot ledge?”
