“He probably played football in high school,” was all I thought about the big, tall dude who always sat in the same desk in CS 411. With a month left of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” class he applied habit one: Be Proactive.
Flattered that he texted me promptly after getting my number, he texted me out. Wishing he had called I justified it with thinking, “I always wanted to date a jock.” A past fantasy of a high school art girl, “She’s All That” was probably based on a true story, right?
Friday night was the plan, with no other details. I let my creative girl mind wonder. No word until a text on Friday night, “meet in the Orem mall parking lot?”
Worried I’d end up on the side of a milk carton, I pushed my better judgment aside and met him there. I got into his truck excited for a night of surprises. We drove across the lot to Wing Nutz.
Looking over the menu I knew what I wanted: Premium Full Order (10) wings, sauced with Southern Hotties (3 stars of hotness). I look to him to see if he is ready to order. He looked nervous gathering his courage, he asked “will you order me a beer?”
“How old are you?” “Nineteen. Oh, twenty I mean.” How much older am I than him? A lot. “No. I’m sorry. I can’t order you a beer. Maybe next time?” Thinking to myself, “What? No! There won’t be a next time!”
Fingers and face covered with wing sauce, chicken and bits of cheap napkin, he kept asking me if I needed more napkins. I politely declined because all I could think was, “this is what happens when you eat mini chicken wings covered in 3 stars of hotness with your hands.”
But thinking I could charm him with my wit I then asked, “are you having a Jessica Simpson “With You” music video fantasy right now?” He gave me a blank stare. He didn’t get my joke. How old was he in 2003 when she was on MTV’s “The Newly Weds”?
After eating we went on a drive. We drove. From Orem to American Fork to Lehi back through Orem and Provo to Payson and then back. He talked most of the time while I picked all the chicken bits out of my nails.
We stopped by WalMart, maybe to get some ice cream? We just walked around for 20 minutes. No ice cream, no milk and no “your team” game.
With the mall cops circling he walked me to my car. I desperately found my keys fast enough so he wouldn’t think I was “lingering a little longer.” I unlocked my door, gave him a kiss on the cheek, thanked him for buying me dinner, got in my car and drove home.
Still smelling like buffalo wings I giggled, giving the kid props for being proactive but next time I hope he begins with the End in Mind, Thinks Win-Win and Seeks to Understand Before Being Understood. Who knows, maybe I’ll Synergize and buy him a beer.
By Elyse Taylor
The V Designer
