I may want her forgiveness, but I’m finding out very quickly that Ineedher friendship.
“I haven’t played this game in forever,” Izzy says as we place our bags down and grab our clubs for our approach shots. “But you’re on. Keith says it after every hole, so I feel pretty confident it’s coming in the next five minutes.”
“Yeah, but Marty wasn’t done trying to get me to invest in some new crypto he’s a part of, so I think he’ll restart his pitch as soon as we’re all together on the green.”
Izzy hits a beautiful chip, landing it just past the pin with enough backward spin to bring it within inches from the hole.
“No fair,” I say, shaking my head. I set up, noticing the way Izzy is watching me intently, just like she has every time. I’m not sure if she’s just a very polite golfer or if she’s trying to analyze something about me. She hasn’t offered any critique or helpful advice. Just nods and says “Nice shot” or “Not too bad.”
Izzy shrugs. “It’s not my fault I’m such an exceptional golfer. You know, it’s probably because I’ve played this course so many times before.”
I narrow my eyes. “You know, I really haven’t been risky enough with my portfolio. Do you think Marty has any tips?”
She laughs. “Don’t you dare. I’m supposed to be golfing well. Yours would just be cheating.”
“Another close one,” Keith says as our two groups converge on the green. “It must be nice playing on a course you’re so familiar with.”
Izzy nods magnanimously before turning around and sending me a huge, victorious grin.
We continue our game for the remainder of the holes, the stakes becoming progressively more ridiculous as Keith’s frustration with his game reaches new heights and Marty’s alcohol consumption increases.
By the end of the nine holes, I’m exhausted from the walk, and slightly worried Keith is going to start throwing his driver. I’m also completely enchanted with Izzy. She hasn’t changed a bit, and at the same time, it’s like she’s a completely new person. It’s a little trippy, but in the best way.
I know I haven’t broken down any barriers with her, but it at least feels like she’s not actively pushing me away.
We putt in on hole seven, nine holes after seventeen apparently, and shake hands with the two men.
“When is that girl with the golf cart going to be here to pick us up?” Marty says, his face bright red from what I can only assume is some combination of the sun and the vodka shooters he gotfrom the bar when we passed by between holes eighteen and one.
“You know,” Izzy says, her gaze flicking over the two men we just spent the last two hours with, “I think I’m going to walk back. We just have to make our way through eight and nine. Won’t be too terrible.”
I join Izzy for the walk, not sad at all to be leaving the two men behind. The fifteen minutes it takes is mostly full of silence, but it’s not as tense as it was when we first started. I might even be bold enough to say I’m making progress.
“Thanks for today,” I say when we reach the clubhouse. “It’s a cool event, and I’m sure it’s a good cause. They’re lucky to have you in their corner.”
Izzy shrugs, clearly uncomfortable with the compliment, and I know it’s my cue to leave before she starts overthinking the time we just spent together.
“Well, I’m going to head out,” I say, sending a thumb over my shoulder.
Izzy nods. “Bye.”
Chapter eight
Jaxon
Ihaveatwenty-seven-stepplan to win back Izzy’s friendship.
Well, “step” is likely the wrong word. I have twenty-seven different ideas, all of varying degrees of normalcy, written down on a sheet of paper, that I plan to work through until Izzy and I are friends again. Earning her forgiveness is certainly the crucial phase one of the plan, but after yesterday, I want more. I want to be her friend.
After everything, I realize friendship might be asking a lot, but I want Izzy Harper in my life.
And, shit, after the way my body reacted to seeing her in that little pink golf skirt yesterday—and that’s to say nothing of the golf cart incident—I might want more than that.
But earning her friendship is priority one, which requires earning her forgiveness.
Priority two is finishing the song that I now have two lines of for the Lupus Foundation.
Priority three requires me to write and record an entire album before my label decides to give me the boot, taking my entire life’s work with them as they go. So, we’ve got a ways to go on that one.
