Chapter 2

The next day I hit the road and drove back to school. Even though it wasn’t a long trip, it was long enough that I had plenty of time to think back on what Andrew had done the day before. I could still feel my face turning red as I thought about it. Did my 6 year old nephew really think I needed a boyfriend so badly he had resorted to trying to hook me up?

“Hey, I’m home!” I called as I walked through the front door of the house I rented off campus with four other friends.

“How was the trip?” Hailey asked walking out from the living room. I carried my bag up the stairs to my room and she followed.

“It was good, up until yesterday afternoon,” I told her.

“What happened yesterday?” Kelly asked walking into the room behind us. I sat down on my bed and sighed.

“I took Andrew to a hockey game because Brendan had to work and Delia was sick. After the game he decided he wanted to get autographs and I said it was okay. Then he just disappeared in the crowd so of course I freak out while looking for him. Oh, but then he walked right off the visiting team’s bus holding some guys hand. He brought the poor guy over, introduced us, and then announced that I needed a boyfriend.” My friends burst into laughter as I put my head in my hands.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Hailey said through peals of laughter. I shook my head at them, not finding the amusement in all of this.

“Was he cute?” Kelly asked. I rolled my eyes at her. That would be what she wanted to know.

“I don’t even know. I was too embarrassed to care.”

After making fun of me for a few more minutes they left my room. I unpacked and then got to work on some homework I’d put off. A solid three hours later I was almost done when my phone rang. I was a little annoyed at the interruption and glanced down at the caller ID. I didn’t recognize the number and decided I should probably answer it.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hi, is this Tanner?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.

“Yes it is,” I replied confused.

“Hi, this is Sidney, from yesterday,” the voice said. I almost dropped the phone. There was no way. Seriously? The guy from the Penguins Andrew had pulled off of the bus?

“Uh, hi,” I said wondering how he’d gotten my number. It was explained to me right away.

“Sorry to bother you but I just wanted to let you know that you’re nephew gave me your number on the bus and told me to call you. I don’t know if he does this often, but I thought you should know that he’s handing your number out to strangers.” I gritted my teeth and felt my face turning bright red all over again.

“No, he doesn’t do this often. Thank you so much for calling to tell me that. I’ll have a talk with his parents,” I told him.

“Did you enjoy the game yesterday?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” The question had caught me off guard. I’d expected to just hang up after he informed me about Andrew, not continue the conversation.

“The game yesterday. Did you have fun?” he repeated.

“Yeah, I did. It was my first hockey game,” I explained. This was really awkward.

“You’d never been to a game before?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“I’m not big into sports.” He laughed even though I wasn’t sure how that was funny.

“Then what were you doing at a hockey game?” I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to keep talking to Sidney, but I did anyway.

“My brother had tickets for the game but then he got called into work and his wife got sick, which left me as the only person who could take Andrew to the game.”

“And then you were subjected to your nephew’s matchmaking,” he stated. We’d come full circle now and I was sure the conversation was about to come to an end.

“Which was super fun, of course,” I said sarcastically.

“You know, I may have just met you, but I can’t see what’s so wrong with you that you don’t have a boyfriend. You didn’t seem like a psycho or anything,” he joked. Okay, maybe this conversation wasn’t ending.

“I’m not sure you know me well enough to say things like that,” I joked back. Despite the oddness of the conversation, I felt myself smiling. He laughed.

“Okay, the hands are up. I’m sorry.”

“I’m just a very independent person and most guys don’t like that so much. I hate all that being taken care of stuff. I’m completely capable of taking care of myself, thank you.” After I told him that I immediately wondered why. He didn’t need an explanation, he was a stranger.

“So no opening doors and pulling chairs out for you then,” he said laughing again.

“Well, I didn’t say I disliked politeness, just the assumption that I need things done for me.”

“So why is your nephew under the impression that you need a boyfriend so badly?” Well there was the million dollar question. I shook my head in anger just thinking about it.

“He had to have overheard it from my family. Every member of my family has gotten married by the time they were 22. I’m already 21 with no boyfriend and there’s no sign that I’m ready to get married, which I’m not. I think it’s embarrassing for them and they don’t understand that I’m my own person and there are plenty of things I want to do in my life before I reach that point. I refuse to settle,” I explained. He was quiet for a moment and I wasn’t sure why.

“So if you’re only 21 are you in college?” he asked finally.

“Yeah, I’m in my senior year at Duquesne,” I told him.

“You’re in Pittsburgh?” he asked sounding surprised. I nodded and then realized he couldn’t see the motion.

“Yes, I am.” I heard some noise in the background on Sidney’s end and then I heard his muffled voice say something.

“Sorry, I have to get going. It was nice talking to you, Tanner. I hope your nephew is done with the matchmaking.”

“You too, Sidney, and thanks,” I said before hanging up the phone.

I stared down at my phone and wasn’t sure what to think. I was furious that Andrew had given my phone number out to a complete stranger yet I’d almost enjoyed talking to Sidney. Oh well, that was probably the end of that, I figured. I called Brendan and informed him of what Andrew had done and then got back to work, finishing up my homework.