Monday morning I was sitting at the desk in S&R when Becky came in. I looked up from what I was doing and smiled as I said:
“Good morning Becky. Have a nice weekend?”
Since that was one hundred and eighty degrees from the way things had been it took her by surprise, but she made a quick recovery.
“It was okay. It didn’t go the way I wanted, but it was okay.”
Things were busy that day and while Becky and I were always around each other our only conversations were about business matters. Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty much the same. Things took a turn about an hour after lunch break on Thursday. It was a slow day and I was sitting at the desk going through some shippers. Becky was sitting at the side table entering billing information into the computer when suddenly she spun around to face me and asked:
“Are you doing anything tomorrow night?”
That caught me by surprise and I looked at her with what was probably a WTF look on my face and answered “I beg your pardon?”
“What are you doing tomorrow night?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“I want to go to the VFW dance and I need a date. Since it looks like you are never going to ask me out I’m asking you.”
I wasn’t surprised by that. I was stunned! I didn’t know why. I probably shouldn’t have been considering the way she had behaved over the last week or so, but it still stunned me. I sat there looking at her with my mouth hanging open as my mind tried to process things.
“It isn’t all that difficult a question Harry. There are two one word answers to choose from? Yes or no.”
I finally shook the fog out of my head.
“I don’t think that it would be a good idea given our work relationship and all.”
“Oh get off it Harry. In a little over a month we will be out of here and back to school. Besides, our supervisor-subordinate doesn’t mean beans. You can’t show me any favoritism because you don’t have the authority to promote me or give me raises. I’m part time summer help Harry. So what’s it to be Harry? Yes or no?”
I have already mentioned that I’ve always had the hots for Becky right? I’ll grant that by the time I’d started college I’d already accepted that she was unobtainable, but here she was making the first move. As I sat there and looked at her there was a small war going on in my mind. On the one side the voice was saying “This is too good to be true Harry so it probably isn’t.” The other voice was saying “Go for it Harry; it is what you always wanted.” The first voice came back with “This won’t end well Harry.” The second voice said “She’s a lovely young lady Harry and she obviously wants to get to know you better. Come on Harry; what have you got to lose?”
Some other guy may have been able to look back on those years of longing and say “Fuck no!” I couldn’t do it.
“Yes.”
“Yes what Harry?”
“Yes I would like to take you to the VFW dance on Friday.”
When I picked Becky p on Friday I was reminded of why I had been hung up on her since the seventh grade. She was absolutely stunning in her little black dress and heels. I got a great shot of her sexy legs when I helped her into the truck and my pants were ready to burst by the time I got over to my side and got in. Once away from the curb Becky said:
“Still trying to get a handle on why?”
“It has crossed my mind a time or two.”
“It is pretty simple really. I want to find out what I missed by being such a bitch to you at school.”
“The truth is that you didn’t miss much. I was so ga-ga over you at the time I wasn’t thinking straight when you were around. I probably would have done something so incredibly stupid that you would have laughed at me and put me down. That would have hurt more than the indifference.”
“You were ga-ga over me? Past tense? Does that mean I’ve lost a step or two over the years?”
“The fact that you have managed to get us both in this truck together should answer that one for you.”
I had a great time at the dance. There were several people there that we knew including Sarah and Randy and we pushed a couple of tables together. Becky and I seemed to fit and we moved well together on the dance floor. At one time during a slow number she was in close and had her head on my shoulder and I was cursing the Gods for keeping it from happening sooner.
I did dance a few times with Sarah and a couple of other girls that I knew. During a waltz Sarah said:
“It looks like I missed my chance.”
I laughed at that. You had chances galore girl, but every time I asked you for a date you turned me down.”
“Yes I did because every time you asked me I was seeing someone else. You should have kept asking and sooner or later you would have caught me when I wasn’t with someone.”
“Damn! If I had only known.”
“It isn’t too late. If things don’t work out with Beck and you can always give me a call.”
“Yep. And be told sorry but I’m seeing someone right now.”
“If I am I’ll cut him loose rather than miss my chance with you.”
I was thinking “What the hell is with these girls all of a sudden. All of a sudden I’m the flavor of the month?”
“I know just what you are thinking Harry.”
“You couldn’t possibly.”
“Want to bet? You are wondering why, all of a sudden, girls are asking you out or are letting you know they are interested in you. Am I right?”
“Pretty much.”
“A couple of reasons Harry. One is that girls talk and Paulie gave you extremely high marks so now that she is gone others want to see what it is that she thought was so great. The other is simple human nature. Someone else wants it so naturally you do too.”