"who?"
"the guy wearing the curious george shirt."
i spotted him later that day. he was tall, lean, and looked like he had a fun personality. i mean, he was wearing a curious george shirt, ok? yeah, i thought, he's cute.
school began. classes, soccer games, and practices filled my schedule. meals at the dining hall in krannert. at convenient times i cracked a book while in study hall. during one lunch i sat with a co-ed group of soccer players. since my older sister played on the girls team and graduated the year before i knew most of both the girls and the guys teams. rob, a upperclassman i had known as the ringer on my family's co-ed indoor soccer team asked, "so, peek, who are you
interested in? who do you think is hot?"
i really didn't have time to be interested in anyone. i was really enjoying just hanging out with my team mates. they were instant friends- instant sisters to me. we were already tight after doing two hot weeks of summer soccer camp and surviving one week of preseason intense training.
i told him i wasn't into anyone.
he kept it up.
"awww, com'on. you have to like somebody! just tell me who it is."
"seriously. i don't really care about that kind of thing right now!"
"right: sure. but com'on. just tell me who you think is cute."
just then, across the dining hall, curious george stood up. he was sitting at a table of what appeared to be basketball players. tall skinny folk wearing athletic clothes. he picked up his tray and began to head away to put it up. one of the basketball players must have made a joke because he laughed- his smile was big and earnest. to get rob off my back i nodded in curious george's direction.
"him. i think he's cute, ok?"
"what?!?!?"
"what, you know him?"
i then immediately came to find out he was in fact NOT a basketball player but a freshman on the soccer team. he hung out with basketball players because his room mate and long time best friend, dave, was an incoming freshman on the basketball team. great- i thought. guess who is going to be the talk of the locker room at this afternoon's practice?
that afternoon- sure enough, i suspected he knew. we had to run three mile loop because we didn't have enough time for practice. all the athletic teams were to attend a meeting in ford auditorium discouraging drinking, partying, etc.
my team knew all about it by now so on the run when his car past by us the second time our captain mentioned "that's him in the white honda and it's the second time he's past us". then she added in a sing song voice, "i think he's stalking you"
at the anti-drug/anti-drinking meeting in ford auditorium the boys' team sat behind ours. i could feel his eyes burning through the back of my head. i couldn't turn around to find out if my feelings were correct- if he was looking at me.
what stupidity! why did i open my mouth? why did rob have to be so insistent?
after the meeting all the girls were going to go dancing at tan-ba-tae, a japanese steak house whose second floor turned into a dance club after hours. we met at one of the girls town homes before heading out. a guy on the soccer team was there and all the girls were prodding him for information on "curious george". his name was chris. he didn't speak of having a girlfriend. he actually didn't speak much at all.
at tan-ba-tae chris was wearing the famous curious george shirt, a michigan baseball hat pulled down low, jeans, and black adidas sambas. asked me to dance- he had to know. i figured there isn't a chance i could be more embarrased. only to find out that i was way wrong.
the keeper on the guy's team approached us. addressing chris, he said, "hey, dude! she likes you."
ugh, i thought with red cheeks. thanks.
chris just looked at me and said "if i had a dime for every time i have
heard that today."
after dancing we headed to waffle house with a group of mixed athletic peoples. the more i hung out with him the more i wanted to. he was funny, spontaneous, smart, and caring. two years after that very night we were married. and 14 years after that very night is today.
he is still funny, spontaneous, smart, and caring. he tells the kids that i liked him because he had a car. maybe- but i like to believe i am not that shallow.
his curious george shirt shows up in the laundry from time to time. it has holes in it and is hopelessly faded. but our love endures.
1 comment:
awwww! :-)
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