Where I Want to Be

Chapter 2 Wyatt

That's it. I'm going crazy. I have to be. Who thinks they see their childhood crush they haven't seen in years across the parking lot of their new job? And why does she pop into my head as often as she does? It's my biggest secret and shit, probably my weirdest one too. Who has a crush on their sister's best friend who is seven years older than them? But it's just been something I could never shake.

Over the years I chalked it up to boyhood fascination with the first pretty girl that ever paid me attention. Lilla Thomas: my older sister's best friend when we were growing up. Her and my sister, Ella, were always together, so she practically lived at our house. I have such distinct memories of her even when I was just a kid. When Ella told me to go away, Lilla always said it was okay for me to be around. When Ella would call me a dork, Lilla would always give me wink and say,

"Yeah, but he's a cool dork."

In hindsight I can see she probably just felt bad for me and knew I probably just wanted the attention. She let me tag along with them to so many places. And when I talked, she listened. That wasn't something I always got being the youngest of three in a family with big personalities. But I have never quite forgotten Lilla over the years, even after she and my sister grew apart.

I never really dated in high school. I was always either too busy with sports or working for my dad. It wasn't like I didn't find girls hot, because I did. Just like any other horny pubescent teen would, but my standard for hot had always been Lilla. That pretty much continued into college too. Frank, my roommate, convinced me freshman year to date the friend of the girl he was hooking up with for a few months. I didn't want to but I also didn't not want to, I'm a pretty go with the flow type guy.

My freshman roommate and best friend, Frank, was rushing his frat freshman year or his quote-un-quote 'brotherhood' as he likes to call it, and he thought these sorority girls were the hottest and best to be with. So, he dragged me along too. I always thought Cassie, the girl I dated, was kind of silly. She was always worried about her hair, or what she was wearing or some other sorority bullshit I didn't give a fuck about. She never tried to share any of my interests and I feel like she never really listened when I talked, not the way Lilla had.

"Dude! You good?"

Frank calls over his shoulder at me already seated in the driver's seat of our golf cart. I realize I'm staring at my shoes lost in thought.

"Yeah." I reply and I reach down to pick up Mr. Ashley's golf bag and lift and secure it to our golf cart.

I make sure not to look back in the direction of the girl who I thought was Lilla Thomas and pull my visor down further on my head. It was just another brunette with a small frame I'm sure. I've mistaken many girls over the years for her. The girl probably thinks I'm a freak anyway after staring at my shoes for so long. I hop on to the golf cart with Frank and try to focus on the day.

It's my first week at the Dubois Club working as a golf assistant. My first summer job that is not at my dad's construction company. And boy did that not go over well with him. My dad owns a fairly successful residential construction business in my small hometown of Daphne, South Carolina.

I am about to start my senior year at Lowcountry Carolina University which is only about a 45 minute drive from here. I'm majoring in business administration. And since my older sister decided to become a nurse and my older brother went to law school, my dad has decided that I will be the one to take over the business for him. He has never technically asked me if that is what I wanted or not and in his defense I have never technically told him I did not want it either.

I'm a pretty non-confrontational guy. I just like to go along with whatever everyone else wants. Over the years I've figured out if I just do what everyone else wants, they tend to leave me alone and that leaves more time for myself--which ultimately means more time to go fishing. Fishing has always been my priority. It was the main reason I picked a college on the coast and not the big university my dad and siblings attended.