My Saviour - Tanner X Woods

Chapter 2 - Great Night Out

I got out of the car and slowly walked up to the house. I could feel Tanner's eyes on me at all times. He unlocked the door and smiled before gesturing for me to come in.

I slipped my shoes off and walked into the living room. I was greeted by a small and very excited dog. "Oh sorry, she can get a bit in your face sometimes but she will settle down."
I nodded and knelt down to pet the dog "Can I ask what her name is?"
"Oh yeah, it's Cassie"
I fussed the dog even more and then sat down entirely on the floor and rolled around with her. She was bouncing all over the place and running around me before pouncing on me to get me to play again.

Tanner just watched and smiled from a distance. "So what do you do for a living then Woods?"
"I have a shitty job in a shitty store stocking shelves." I lowered my head embarrassed about what he would think.
"Ah it's hell doing that. I used to stock shelves in the shop just down the road but I couldn't stand it so i had to leave. I now work in a giant office." He said being very understanding.
"An office doesn't sound much better though"
"This isn't an ordinary office. We get to play with nerf guns and shoot people and do loads of really cool challenges and things. It's not loads of paper work stacked on your desk for you to look through and organise. It's so much fun. You could consider joining if you wanted."

I was so confused. What sort of office shoots nerf guns and doesn't have paper work? It sounds great but is it real? "Well I will think about it"
"Okay" Tanner said cheerfully. "Me and some of my work friends are going on a trip to the beach on Friday and staying over until Saturday and we can bring somebody along. I don't really know anybody other than you. Do you want to come and meet the guys?"
I only just met this guy and I could be a murderer or something and he is willing to do all this. "Well I mean... I don't have anything else to do. I was going to quit my job soon anyway because I hate it there. I'm done thinking. Where and when can I go to sign up?"
"Well you can come into work with me tomorrow if you want. You did say you don't have anything back home right?"
"Yeah. Nothing important. I have nobody at home. Just me myself and I." I let out a short sigh.
"Hey I will show you where you can stay and then we can go out for dinner." Tanner guided me upstairs and led me to a smaller room on the left side of the house. As I looked out of the window i saw a small bungalow covered in vines and flowers just stuck out out behind some trees. It had a little white door with a heart shaped window in it and the garden was filled with brightly coloured flowers and various different gnomes spread across the land. As I looked to right of that, there was a large willow tree that was ever so slightly blowing in the breeze.

I turned around to look at the room properly. A small single bed tucked away in the corner with a little table top and a lamp placed neatly on top of it. It was very cosy and seemed like a nice little place to escape to if I needed to.

Tanner had disappeared from the room so i went to look for him. I heard a rattle from a room just across the hall. I slowly walked up to the door and knocked quietly. I opened it slightly and saw Tanner without his shirt on. I instantly blushed and tried to hide my face before he could see. But he walked up to me still shirtless and lifted my chin. I got redder by the second. He laughed and then grabbed a shirt.

We went downstairs and he grabbed his keys from the sideboard and then we went to his garage. I parked slightly out of the way when we arrived in case he wanted to go somewhere. I'm glad I did now.

"So where do you want to go?" Tanner asked while fiddling with the keys.
"I noticed a pub just down the road. Do they do food?"
"Yeah I think so. If not then we could just order pizza"
"Let's go and check the pub"
Tanner nodded and he started up the engine and reversed out of the garage.

After a few minutes of driving we arrived. We looked at the sign outside. They were serving food until 10pm. We got out of the car and walked into the pub.

Tanner ordered a glass of coke and I got a J2O. "So where do you want to sit?" He gestured towards a few tables and we chose one right in the corner.

We sat down and placed our orders then we just began to talk.

"So where are you from then if you aren't from around here?"
"I live a few hours away. I just come here to visit my friend once a year."

The conversation went on until the food came. We at up and then left. We slowly headed for the car and carried on talking about random things. We got to know each other more. It was really good. Tanner turned to me suddenly "I know exactly where to go next" he put the keys in and started the ignition. When we arrived at Tanners house I was confused becias e he sounded like he was going to go somewhere other than here. "Stay there and look the other way" he said as he ran inside. I waited for a few minutes when I was considering turning around and going in.

All of a sudden I felt a warm fuzzy thing suddenly consume me. Blankets. Tanner brought blankets. "So... follow me" we didn't say a word. We just walked around the back of the house and then headed out of a small gap in the hedge and then I saw it.

"So, while we were out I had one of the guys from the office come round and decorate." Tanner grinned from ear to ear.
"I love it. It's amazing..."

The willow tree I noticed earlier was now decorated with fairy lights and there were blankets laid out up against it. It had just turned 11pm and so it was dark. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me under the tree.

He pulled out a small box filled with cookies and brownies and we sat looking at the stars. We didn't need to say anything to each other in that moment. I could have stayed here for an eternity. The sound of owls hooting in the distance and the small water fountain in the nearby garden was so peaceful.

Tanner got closer to me and put his arm around me slightly. I blushed and buried my face in the blankets. Was I in love with this man I only met a few hours ago?

He gently kissed my forehead and I rested my head on his chest hearing his heartbeat gently patter in his chest. I wish this would never end...