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Author's Chapter Notes:
This is my first. I love comments, good or bad. Enjoy!
Traffic slowed to a halt as another commercial came on the radio. Why was it that when I was in traffic there were no good songs on, but the second I pull into my driveway all my favorite songs will come on? I switched stations until I found music. As the song ended, another one began with guitar playing. Normally, I only listen to country music when I ‘drown my sorrows in the bottle’, but it was pretty and I was bored. When the chorus started I was immediately reminded of last summer. I don’t know who sang it, but I know who wrote it. As I listened to the words I felt a dull ache in my heart.

But when you think: Tim McGraw,
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long:
The moon like a spotlight on the lake


“Tim McGraw again?”

“Hey, you sing in a boy band. That immediately disqualifies you for music criticism,” she smirked and ruffled my hair.

We sat by the lake with radio, a blanket and a bottle of wine. The sun had gone down hours ago, but the moon was so bright that we stayed out longer. Although, the wine had run out, so I doubt we would stay out much longer. She moved from my lap and took my hand.

“Dance with me?” Her cheeks were flushed from the wine and the moonlight made her eyes shine. I pulled myself up from the ground and wrapped my arms around her waist.

“I don’t know. Doesn’t me being in a boy band disqualify me from dancing?” I started to move away from her, but she grabbed my arms and wrapped them back around her waist.

“I think I’ll let it slide this time.” She placed her arms around my neck and placed her head on my shoulder.

As we started to sway with the music, she asked, “Doesn’t the moon remind you of a spotlight, the way it’s shining on the water? It makes the water look like a dance floor.”

I smoothed her hair down and laughed, “You’re cut off from the wine for tonight.” She moved her hands away and pinched my side. I quickly grabbed her hands and kissed her.


When you think happiness,
I hope you think: "That little black dress"
Think of my head on your chest,
An' my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw,
I hope you think of me


“Why is it that every girl seems to have a black dress?” I put a piece of ravioli in my mouth. She looked up from her plate and smiled. God, I loved that smile. The way her eyes sparkled and her nose curled up. She was beautiful and all I wanted to do was hold her forever. “Don’t you have something that makes you feel great when you wear it?” She asked.

“Yeah actually I do, I have the jeans that make my butt look really good.” I smirked as she started to laugh loudly then quickly covered her mouth and looked around. I loved her laugh. I loved that I made her laugh.

It took her a second to stop laughing before she started to speak, “That’s how a black dress is, no matter when I wear it I always feel like I’m beautiful. It’s like Superman and his cape.” She smiled a little before eating more of her food.

“As long as you wear those jeans with the holes in them, they make your butt look nice.” She laughed and shook her head.

“There you go thinking like a man again.”


September saw a month of tears,
An' thankin' God that you weren't here,
To see me like that
But in a box beneath my bed,
Is a letter that you never read,
From three summers back
It's hard not to find it all a little bitter sweet,
An' lookin' back on all of that, it's nice to believe:


“Please don’t cry,” I told her. I hated this; I didn’t want to go back to the real world. I wanted to stay here. I wanted to stay with her.

“I can’t help it. I’ve been spoiled having you all to myself.”

She looked so sad, but beautiful at the same time. Now I understood what sadness is beautiful meant. Why did I have to leave? Why couldn’t she come with me? Why why why… I just wanted to take her in my arms and go back to bed.

“You know I’ll always love those blue eyes,” I told her as I brushed the tears from her cheek with my thumb.

“You better get going if you’re going to make that plane,” she said as she stepped away from me and crossed her arms. I knew she was upset. She thought I was just going to blow her off like every other girl. For her sake, I hope I didn’t.


I pulled into my driveway and put the car into park. Instead of going inside I just sat there for awhile. I wish she knew that even still, I call her almost every night. I just never get to the last digit. I don’t know what I’m scared of. Maybe I’m scared of what she’ll say. Maybe I’m scared that she means a lot more to me than I let on.

I pulled out my phone and started dialing the numbers I knew by heart, the numbers I dialed every night. I looked down at the phone for a second before I hit the last number. As I listened to it ring, I wondered what I was going to say if she answered. What could I say? So when she answered I did what I was best at doing, what I have been doing for so long.

“Hello?”

But when you think: Tim McGraw,
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long:
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
When you think happiness,
I hope you think: "That little black dress"
Think of my head on your chest,
An' my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw,
I hope you think of me


I said nothing and hung up the phone. Maybe I was just meant to go on missing her.


Tim McGraw – Taylor Swift