Austin

Quick writer's note:

Tags for this story: Romance, Love, Love Story, Relationship

There is a country song by Blake Shelton I've always liked; it tells the story of a woman who leaves her love behind to find herself, only to realize that she left everything she needed. 'Austin' was released in 2001 and became Blake's first #1 song.

I heard it again the other day, it left me wondering Why did she leave? What brought her back and why did he wait for her? Here is my interpretation of the story behind the lyrics. The italicized words in between music notes are the actual lyrics. I did take some liberty with them occasionally. Consider it my poetic license.

This is my first story for the Romance Category, hope I do it credit.

I want to thank my editors for their collaboration and input on this story; Charlie, John, Dark Binding, Simepop, High Luster and Ma Fille Rouge.

I love to collaborate with people and so I look forward to expanding this editing team. If you are interested in being a part of this collaboration, please send me your email address through private messaging and I'll shoot you my stories.

Ashleigh

I sat motionless in my loaded car. The car held everything I owned. The car I'd just spent the better part of the day packing while my live-in boyfriend was at work. The car that would take me away from here. I knew it was a crappy way to do this, but if I didn't just leave, I never would.

I love Daniel with every fiber of my being, but my dad is right: we are from two different worlds and we will never have any kind of lasting relationship. He just doesn't fit in.

I slip my car into drive, check my rearview, and ease out into traffic. My mind drifts back to high school when Daniel and I met. He was the star of our football team and I was the captain of the cheerleading squad. It was like we were destined to be together. Even though we lived on opposite ends of both the town and the social scale.

We were at the upper end of the societal scale. My father owned a successful marketing company, so we lived the proverbial high-society life.

Daniel's father worked graveyard at the local refinery and by all accounts was middle class at best. The family was strong though; they lived a good life, but my Daniel certainly wasn't up to my father's expectation for his precious daughter.

After graduation, and with no interest nor desire for college, Daniel accepted a position as an Operations Technician Trainee at the refinery. The Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City provided many jobs for our community. He was proud of his work because it was an honorable position. I was proud of him because he was finding his way in life maturely.

My path in life pointed north to the University of Houston where I would pursue a Marketing degree, just as my father always wanted me to. I knew I'd enjoy the concepts, but more than anything else, I enjoyed that my studies would make him happy.

They were happy years; Daniel and I made the hour-long drive work for us. We made it a point to be together every other weekend and for all the holiday breaks; it was barely enough.

Four years later I started my career in an entry-level position learning how to create and manage marketing campaigns for some of the biggest companies in Galveston, under my daddy's company banner, of course. By the time I graduated, Daniel had worked himself into a steady technician position with a bright future ahead of him. We were twenty-three, in love, and living together in a little apartment located in between both of our jobs.

We were invited to a gala and that's when my world was turned upside down.

Each year, my daddy holds a large celebration for his employees and some of his largest clients. To say that Daniel stood out in such a gathering would be a gross understatement. At six-foot-three, he towered above the crowd and that large, fuzzy beard he had gave him a look of modern masculinity. It also unsettled my father.

"Ash, did you have to bring him?" My father did little to hide his disdain for Daniel.

"Daddy, he's my boyfriend and hopefully he'll be my husband someday. I hope you can support that. It would mean a lot to me if you could respect our relationship." My Daddy smiles at an employee, raising his champagne flute in acknowledgement before he turns his attention back to me.

"He doesn't fit in here, Sweetie. He's not worthy of you; even Mrs. Sullivan noticed his tux is a rental the moment he walked in the door."

I looked over at Daniel. It wasn't hard to find my quiet titan. He looked handsome in his tux, though admittedly, he did look uncomfortable. Stiff even. The champagne flute seemed out of place in his large, calloused paws. He lumbered through the crowd. Some stared at him in awe and others pointedly ignored him, as if he were beneath their station. A few did neither.

"Daddy, isn't that for me to decide? And besides, the Sullivans are way too aristocratic; nobody's good enough for them."

My heart fluttered when Daniel saw me from across the ballroom and smiled his 'I want you smile.' I felt the warmth in the pit of my stomach, and it crept lower to my nether regions. I could feel myself moisten from just looking at my gentle giant.

As he made his way over to me, Daniel bumped into an older woman who defined Texas royalty. It wasn't pretty. Her champagne drenched a dress that probably cost at least Daniel's yearly salary. He was apologetic, blushed and tried to help the woman clean up the mess. I could tell by the body language that she was berating him, mistaking Daniel as the hired help. His shoulders slumped as he lowered his head and made his way towards the restrooms to clean his tux. My daddy and I reached the irate woman and her husband just as Daniel disappeared into the crowd.

"James, did you see what that oaf did to my Marjorie?" The hotel mogul addressed my father in an irate voice.

"Mr. Calhoun, I'm so sorry. Please let me pay for the cleaning."

"Of course, but can you tell me how such an uncouth person found his way into your party?"

My daddy stared at me with a perturbed look. "He is a friend of my daughter. I'll make sure he stays out of your way."

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Calhoun. May I help you with your dress?" I walked Mrs. Calhoun to the lady's room. Daniel was embarrassed and felt guilty about the incident. He kept a low profile for the rest of the evening.

I was just about to leave the party when I was summoned to stand in front of my father.

"Ash, tonight is what I'm talking about. He just doesn't belong here. He's not our kind of people."

"Daddy, that's not fair. Daniel is a good man and I love him."

"Ashleigh," he only called me that when he was disappointed in me, "I'm afraid you don't have a place in my company if you insist on staying with him."

I stood there staring at him in disbelief as he continued. "You and your choices reflect on me and my company." His face was red. I could tell he was angry with Daniel. "I want you to think about what you want. Think about moving to our Austin branch. Our branch manager, Christopher, would be a good mentor for you. If you don't want to do that, I suppose you should find another way to pay for the master's degree you're working on and someplace else to work."

Tears rimmed my eyes as I fought my urge to sob. "I can't believe that you would make such a demand of me. I've done very little to embarrass you, but I'm starting to feel that I'm not as important to you as you are to me."

I could see the shock and surprise in his eyes. It's not often that I spoke my true feelings to him. He shuffled his feet as I held back the tears, scooped me into his arms and hugged me like he was trying to put back the pieces he just broke inside of me. In the end, we both knew, I've always done whatever I could to win my father's approval. He kissed me on my forehead and whispered, "I love you Buttercup."

Two weeks later, I find myself sitting in my packed car driving away from the love of my life, leaving only a note on the table saying that I was gone.

She left without leavin' a number
Said she needed to clear her mind

Daniel

I arrived home that awful afternoon at roughly 4:30. I stood in the hallway stripping my filthy Carhart's off, then I entered the apartment. Something wasn't right. The place seemed sterile. Almost like a cleaning crew had come in and done a deep cleaning. I looked to the wall where our favorite photo used to hang. The stain around where the frame should have been told me the story right away.

I called my Ash immediately only to reach a disconnect message. I knew better than to call her father because he despised me and wouldn't tell me anything at all. So, I called her best friend. I was shocked when she told me that she knew nothing of Ashley's departure. I searched her social media profiles and found them all deleted. I sat in what used to be our living room, still in my underwear, destroyed and unable to decide what to do next.

My best guess was that Ash must have moved back to Austin. She was born there; her father opened his first office there and she still has lots of family there. I stumbled my way through the next few days. learned a new normal, but the hole in my heart and my life was monstrous. I just couldn't abandon my love for Ashleigh instantly. I prayed nightly that she would find her way back to me.

He figured she'd gone back to Austin
'Cause she talked about it all the time

Ashleigh

I settled into the guest house at my aunt's place and started in the office the following week. Christopher is about eight years older than I am, and freshly divorced. He's ruggedly handsome and the type of man my father approves of. I knew right away that my father wanted Christopher to be more than a mentor to me.

We worked well together. Christopher was a gentleman and a light flirt. Many late-night work sessions turned into dinner. He occupied my workdays, and then over time my weekends, with plays and society events. He was also from a prominent Texas family, so we met many of our relatives at these events. Too many of them suggested that we were a very cute couple.

At night, my thoughts would leave Austin and dwell in Texas City. I would reflect on Daniel and what we had, making me sad about what I had given up so carelessly. I would often stalk Daniel's social media; his face always made me smile. I was looking for evidence that he had moved on, but all I found were pictures and posts from his group outings. He was still a good Texas boy, hunting and fishing like always.

About eleven months after I had moved back to Austin, on a cool Texas autumn night Christopher dropped me off after a night at the opera and dinner. He gently took me into his arms, our eyes locked onto each other, he leaned in, and he softly kissed me. It was our first kiss. I held back for a moment and then melted into his arms and returned the kiss. I could feel he wanted it to turn romantic, but after another second, I realized that it was like kissing my brother. There was no passion there for me, no chemistry. We broke our kiss. He stared at me as I apologized and made my way back to the guest house, leaving him standing in the driveway.

I was disgusted with myself, I just cheated on Daniel, my only love. I sat there and cried for my loss and for my stupidity. I hated my father right then, but not nearly as much as I hated myself. After so long, I was sure that Daniel was over me and had found a new love. He should have; it was what I deserved for hurting him so terribly.

The next day was a challenge. I stayed clear of Christopher as best I could and made excuses about why I couldn't attend the dinner meeting scheduled for that night. I rushed home and sat at the table looking at my phone. I knew the only way I would get any kind of closure would be to reach out. I dialed.

It was almost a year before she called him up
Three rings and an answering machine is what she got

The phone rang and went to his voicemail.

"If you're calling about the car, I sold it. If this is Tuesday night, I'm bowling. If you're selling something, you're wasting your time. Anyone else, wait for the tone and you know what to do.

"Oh, and P.S. -- If this is Austin, I still love you."

The beep startled me as I stared at my phone not sure what to say or do. I pressed the red disconnect button and sat there.

Daniel

I was just getting out of the shower, preparing to meet the guys at the alley, when I caught the last ring of my phone. Still drying off, I looked at the call history to see that the call came from a 'Private Number.' My heart skipped for a second thinking that it could have been Ashleigh, but it's been a year. Why would she be calling me now? Damn phone solicitors, I cursed under my breath as I found my clothes for the night.

Ashleigh

The telephone fell to the counter
She heard but she couldn't believe

What kind of man would hang on that long
What kind of love that must be

I'm not sure how long I sat there, stunned and immobile. Was he talking to me? He had to be! We didn't know anyone named Austin; he must be talking to me. Did he know where I was?

How could he still love me after what I did? How could anybody?

The rest of week passed quickly. My head was in the sand. I was often distracted at work. Christopher immediately picked up that something was different, something was wrong.

I understood how much I had been set up with Christopher when on Friday I got a call from my father.

"Ash, how's life in Austin?"

"It's good Daddy. How are you and Mommy?"

"We are good Sweetheart, Christopher mentioned that you've been a little distracted lately."

"Oh, yeah. Maybe a little."

"Are you missing home Buttercup?"

"Yes." Daniel's smiling face entered my mind, I could smell his aftershave, my hands trembled. Right there, I decided that I needed to stand up for myself, for what I want no matter the cost.
"I've been thinking of Daniel a lot lately." I whispered into the headset.

"I thought so, you know it's been so long, he's probably moved on. I heard he is dating that girl, uh, what's her name? Oh yeah, Crystal or something like that."

"Do you mean my friend, Chantelle?"

"Yes, that's her."

"She got married last month Daddy, and not to Daniel." My anger flashed, I'm sure he could hear a new resolve in my voice. He stammered on the other end, desperately looking for a way out, a way to continue to control me.

"Oh, aren't you and Christopher dating?"

"Not really, it was just work. He did try to kiss me, but it just wasn't there."

I tell myself Now is the time to take a stand.

"I know that's why you sent me here? You wanted me to hook up Christopher, didn't you?"

"Well honey, he is from a good family and certainly fits your life better. Would it be that bad?"

"I can't believe you. I don't love him, I love Daniel. I'm going to see if he will forgive me." I hoped he would and if his message was any clue, I knew he still loved me. But everyone has doubts. I doubted myself just as I'd misjudged Daniel.

Would he accept me after all this time? I wondered. I needed to find out. Now.

"Just remember, if you do that Ashleigh, I won't pay for your college. You wouldn't want all that hard work to be wasted on a boy like him, would you?"

It was as if a blanket was removed from my eyes, I finally saw my father as the conniving, deceitful man he is. My heart yearned for Daniel and I prayed that he still wanted me.

"You'll be throwing away a fantastic career, are you okay with that?" Daddy was showing his colors. Or maybe I just started to see them.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine with that, I can't believe I let you get between me and my love. I quit." I slammed the phone down and started to pack my things. I had no idea where my uncharacteristic courage came from, but I wasn't letting it go. I had to move fast. I dashed out the door letting it announce my departure.

She waited three days and then she tried again
She didn't know what she'd say
But she heard three rings and then

I called him that afternoon as soon as I got back to my Aunt's house. Three rings and then I got his voicemail.

"If it's Friday night, I'm at the ballgame. If it's not raining, I'm heading to the lake Saturday morning and will be gone all weekend. I'll call you back when I get home Sunday afternoon.

"Oh, and P.S.--If this is Austin, I still love you."

I paused for a moment after the beep, then just left my phone number and not another word.

Daniel

The AAA ballgame was great, my friends and I had a little too much to drink, so I got up late Saturday morning. I barely got my stuff squared away in time to meet Tommy who swung by to pick me up. I appreciated that my friends would not allow me to wallow in my grief. Each day was getting a little bit better. I still couldn't see dating anyone, even though my friends continually tried to set me up with any number of hot women. I felt lost and rudderless without Ashleigh. No one could take her place and I felt it might be years before I was ready to start dating again, let alone fall in love.

The lake was fun, though I mostly watched my friends quietly. Occasionally I would allow one of the girls to pull me up and dance with them around the fire, not to close of course.

Sunday morning, we packed up and headed back into town, we all had to work on Monday, and we needed time to prepare for the week. It wasn't until I got home and put my gear away that I saw that I had a message from another 'Private Number.' I pushed the number for my voicemail. My heart raced as I heard that familiar voice read out her digits.

I played it again, and again, not believing that she would be calling me. I wrote the number down and my hands trembled as I dialed them. It rang three times.

When she waited by the phone on Sunday Evening
And this is what he heard