Wildest Dreams

It was three days after Christmas and it was time for Tyler’s family to go home and for the Stars to get on a plane and head for Florida for their game the following night. Tyler offered to drive his family to the airport before he had to be there himself. He started taking the luggage to his car to load up and his sister Candace helped.

Candace: I heard you met someone.
Tyler: Damn, Mom can’t keep her mouth shut, can she?
Candace: It wasn’t Mom who told me.
Tyler: Shit. Whatever you heard is probably wrong. Who did you hear that from though?
Candace: Jamie.
Tyler: Why are you talking to Jamie?
Candace: He keeps me updated on your life since you don’t always like to tell me. So, what’s mystery girl’s name?
Tyler: You can tell Jamie to mind his own damn business and if you want to know what’s going on in my life, just ask.
Candace: Okay, so then what’s going on in your life?

Tyler rolled his eyes at his sister.

Candace: Tyler, seriously, did you really meet someone?
Tyler: Yes.
Candace: Why didn’t I get to meet her while I was here?! What’s her name?
Tyler: You didn’t meet her because I only met her a few weeks ago and she doesn’t seem to be big on communication and you don’t need to know her name.
Candace: Why can’t I know her name?
Tyler: Because Jamie and the rest of the guys don’t need to know her name.
Candace: I swear I won’t tell, Tyler. I wanna know her name!
Tyler: It doesn’t matter what her name is. It’s not going anywhere.
Candace: How do you know that?
Tyler: She doesn’t seem to be big on communication and she has a lot of stuff going on right now in her life. She’s very busy.
Candace: So, that doesn’t mean its not going anywhere. Have you put in an effort to get to know her?
Tyler: Yeah! I text and call her all the time and I finally saw her last week.
Candace: What did you do when you saw her?
Tyler: I surprised her at work and then took her out to a field to look at stars.
Candace: You’re such a hopeless romantic. What else have you done?
Tyler: That’s it…

Tyler had finally finished loading up all the luggage and shut the trunk to his car.

Tyler: I don’t know what else to do. She’s too busy to do anything.
Candace: Then you call her and find out what she’s doing and you go do whatever she is doing with her. If she’s too busy to go on a date, go run errands with her or something. You need to do more if you actually want to get to know her. Besides, it would make mom really happy if you were in a relationship.
Tyler: So I’ve heard.

The rest of Tyler’s family walked out of the house and got in the car for him to drive them to the airport. He dropped his family off and said his goodbyes. On his way back from the airport he thought about what his sister had said to him. Maybe running errands was the only way he could see Meredith and maybe that was going to be good enough and he would give it a chance. He wanted to call her on his way home but he knew that wasn’t a possibility since he needed to go home and pack and then get on the team bus to the airport. He was going to have to wait three days until the Stars were home again before he could try to see her.

The next day Meredith was at her uncle’s house helping make arrangements for the funeral and the relatives coming in town. They all stopped to have a lunch break and started talking. Sitting at the table was Meredith, Nicole, her uncle Rich, her aunt Betty and her mom.

Nicole: Meredith, whatever happened with Tyler?
Meredith: Nothing.
Rich: Who is Tyler?
Meredith: No one that anyone needs to worry about.
Nicole: That’s a lie. Meredith met Tyler Seguin!
Betty: The Tyler Seguin?
Nicole: I can’t believe I forgot to tell you this!
Anne: Who is Tyler Seguin?
Nicole: He’s a hockey player for the Dallas Stars.
Rich: He’s not just any hockey player for the Stars; he’s part of the dynamic duo and is one of the best players in the league. He’s a top scorer in the NHL too.
Betty: Did you meet Jamie Benn too? Or any of the other players? How did you meet him?
Meredith: No, I did not meet anyone else and I met him at Jumping Jacks a few weeks ago.
Nicole: Is he still texting you? Have you hung out with him?
Anne: Meredith, you met someone at a bar?!

Meredith took a deep breath and was annoyed with all the questions. She looked at Nicole and gave her a look that said she was not happy with her.

Meredith: It’s also a restaurant, so no, not at a bar. And it also doesn’t really matter because I have other things to worry about.
Rich: Do you think we could meet him?
Meredith: I don’t think so. I don’t plan on seeing him unless he randomly shows up at work again.
Nicole: He showed up at Change Up while you were working?
Anne: Why does he know where you work?

Meredith grew more annoyed with all the questions and rolled her eyes.

Meredith: Because mom, he asked me where I work and I told him. And yes, he randomly showed up at work last week and we hung out for a little while but that’s it. Are y’all done interrogating me now?
Anne: Never.
Nicole: I’m not interrogating, just asking questions.
Betty: That’s also known as an interrogation…
Rich: You can’t drop a bomb like that on us and not expect us to ask lots of questions.
Meredith: I didn’t drop a bomb on you. Your daughter brought it up.
Anne: It only makes sense for you to date an athlete, our family revolves around sports.
Meredith: Mom, I’m not dating an athlete. I’m not dating anyone right now. We have more important things to worry about right now, not my nonexistent love life.

Meredith got up from the table to clean up her dishes and the rest of them followed her. She had had enough of the conversation and wanted to finish up at her uncle’s house so she could go home and crawl into bed. The next day was her grandfather’s funeral and she wanted to try to get some sleep before she became emotionally drained.

The day after the funeral was New Year’s Eve and the Stars had gotten back in town for their game on New Year’s Day. Tyler decided that he would try what his sister said and give Meredith a call, hoping that she would being doing something he could tag along with, even though is was a holiday.

Meredith: Hey.
Tyler: I wanna see you, what are you doing?
Meredith: I’m driving to Change Up.
Tyler: Can I meet you there?
Meredith: I guess… I was going to work out.
Tyler: Perfect. I need to work out too.
Meredith: That’s fine. I’m going to the Dallas location though.
Tyler: I’ll meet you there in 20.
Meredith: Alright.

They hung up the phone and Tyler went to Change Up. Meredith was already there when he got there so she opened the door for him. Because it was a holiday, the facility was closed and they had it to themselves.

Tyler: This one is even bigger than the one you work at.
Meredith: Technically I work at all of them; I just manage and run the other one. This was also the first one my dad opened and we have the most clients here so it has to be bigger.

Meredith walked over to her gym bag that she had put down before letting Tyler in and looked at her phone that was ringing.

Tyler: Do you need to get that?
Meredith: Nope.

Meredith pressed ignore, put the phone to the side and pulled out boxing gloves.

Tyler: Boxing? I don’t usually do that work out.
Meredith: Kickboxing. It’s more fun.
Tyler: Never hurts to change a work out.

Meredith smiled and walked to the punching bag.

Meredith: Hold the bag for me? I hate when it starts swinging around everywhere.
Tyler: Sure.

Tyler smiled and followed Meredith to the bag where he held it for her while she started punching and kicking it.

Tyler: So your sister plays softball and your brother plays baseball, were you a softball player too?
Meredith: No, I was a swimmer.
Tyler: Do you still swim?
Meredith: No, I gave it up a few years ago. I got bored with it. All I did was swim laps really fast. I get bored with thing easily.
Tyler: Did you do any other sports?
Meredith: Volleyball, basketball and soccer.
Tyler: You kept yourself busy.
Meredith: I still do. I don’t know what to do if I don’t have something to do.
Tyler: I hear that one. How was your Christmas?
Meredith: Terrible.
Tyler: Why, what happened?
Meredith: It doesn’t matter.
Tyler: No, don’t do that. Why do you refuse to let me in?
Meredith: I’m not…?
Tyler: You are. Anytime I ask you something you never want to answer. You just tell me not to worry or it doesn’t matter and it does. Why won’t you tell me?
Meredith: Because…
Tyler: Meredith, please answer me for once.
Meredith: Fine, you wanna know?
Tyler: Yes. That’s what I just said.
Meredith: My grandfather died.
Tyler: Oh my God, Meredith, I’m so sorry to hear that. Are you okay?
Meredith: No. Don’t apologize. I don’t want to hear it. That’s all I’ve heard the past week and I’m sick of it. This is why I didn’t want to tell you. I get pity looks and I don’t want them. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to have to think about it. I just want to hit and kick the shit out of this bag.
Tyler: Don’t let me stop you. When was the funeral?
Meredith: Yesterday.
Tyler: Are you okay?
Meredith: You don’t have to pretend to care or ask questions. You can just let it be.
Tyler: But I do care.
Meredith: Why? You barely know me. You don’t know how close I was to him; you really don’t know anything about my family, or me so why do you care?

Meredith stopped boxing for a moment and looked at Tyler.

Tyler: Why do you refuse to let me in?

Meredith walked to the bench and grabbed a pair of gloves and then tossed them at Tyler.

Meredith: Your turn.

Tyler put the gloves on and took a few swings at the bag. Meredith stood next to it to keep it from moving around a lot.

Tyler: You didn’t answer my question.
Meredith: I’m not refusing to let you in. I just don’t understand why you care about me so much.
Tyler: Why would I not care?
Meredith: Because you met me thinking I was going to be your hump and dump for the night and I didn’t go for it and now I think you’re just being nice to me to make me feel better even though I don’t think you actually care, you’re just doing it to feel better.
Tyler: Why would you say that? I told you the night I met you, you were different and I wasn’t just trying to hookup with you.
Meredith: You’re the kind of guy that has a lost and found closet.

Tyler looked around quickly and down at his feet.

Meredith: See! You do have a lost and found closet, don’t you?
Tyler: So, what does that matter?
Meredith: You know I Googled you.
Tyler: Fuck. I was 19. The media likes to blow things out of proportions. I’ve settled down. I’m not that big of a piece of shit that I was made to look like in Boston.
Meredith: So you’re also not the guy who started Seguin Star’s after your friend was in a really bad accident and donate a suite to a different kid every home game?

A small smile appeared across Tyler’s face as he continued to box.

Meredith: Not everything I found was bad. But yeah, you were made to look like a little shithead in Boston. But you still go out and party and take home a different girl every night and you have a fucking lost and found closet.
Tyler: Please do not give me a speech about my life and how you don’t approve.
Meredith: I’m not going to give you a speech. That’s just not how I live my life but if that works for you, that works for you. It just doesn’t work for me.
Tyler: So what does this mean?
Meredith: I don’t know. I just wish my life wasn’t so fucked up right now. This would all be easier.

Tyler stopped what he was doing and looked at Meredith, leaning one hand on the punching bag.

Tyler: Well let me tell you this. I want to hang out with you. I want to text you about my day and call and tell you about my games. I want so many things that I’ve never wanted before and I currently can’t have them without you being apart of my plans.
Meredith: Why are you telling me all of this?
Tyler: Because I want you to know that I’m not the guy you think I am.
Meredith: My life has fallen to pieces and is a fucking mess right now. I think you’re crazy for wanting anything to do with me.
Tyler: Sometimes being crazy pays off in the end.

Notes

Chapter influence: Over by Blake Shelton

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