The story below is based upon the following prompt from The Red Dress Club:
This week’s prompt was about affection. We asked you to write how the show of affection played a part in your memory.
You were to choose a time when either the abundance or lack of affection and take us to that moment.
It is the Spring of 1988 and I am a 19 year-old freshman in college enjoying all of the freedom and benefits that university life has to offer. My initial plan to spend the year in Israel has been scrapped and I am pleasantly surprised by how much fun I am having.
There is a girl in my political science class that intrigues me. I have spent more than a few minutes trying to stare at her without getting caught. She has long black hair and dark eyes. It is quite warm in spring so I am treated to lots of sun dresses and or shorts. Some days I make a point to sit just behind her and to the side. From there I am able to drink deeply in the dreams I have of her. She has a lot of attention from men so I don’t want to be like everyone else- I need to figure an angle that will make her notice me.
Little do I know that tripping over my own two feet will be enough to catch her eye.
Class has just ended and we’re heading out of class to wherever we need to be. She is standing in front of me and my eyes are drawn downwards. I am walking but not watching where I am going and somehow I end up sprawled in the hallway. Don’t know if I grunted, screamed or if she heard the soft thud my head made when it smacked the ground. What I do know is that I find her standing over me. She wants to know if I am ok. I mumble something at her and stand up. We talk for a moment. I attempt to be cool and fail miserably at it.
But the fall has broken the ice and we start to have conversations. I am ecstatic about it and work hard to say just enough not to sound like a fool. A few weeks pass and I gather the courage to ask her out. She takes me with her to a party at her friend’s apartment and we grab a few drinks. I am more than pleased that she laughs at my jokes. She flips her hair and touches my arm throughout the night and I begin to think that maybe lady luck is with me.
A short time later we’re at her apartment. I try to figure out how to kiss her without looking foolish. I think to myself that Jewish kids don’t have patron saints, but if I did it would be great for our Lady of Getting Lucky tonight to put a good word in for me. My silent prayer is answered and she invites me in.
Moments later her arms are wrapped around me and I am trying to hide my response. Can’t give away all my secrets so quickly. A few soft kisses lead to her neck and I feel her melt. She grabs my face in her hands and I prepare to enter heaven when I receive a sudden and rude shock.
Her tongue is everywhere and not in a good way. Apparently, my dream date has graduated from the St. Bernard School of Open Mouth Kissing. I stand there in shock trying to figure out if she thinks that my face is made of chocolate or peanut butter. Remember, I am 19 and the boys have told me that we want a woman who is a master with her tongue, but this isn’t what they were talking about…now is it.
If you are interested in reading past posts try one of these:
- Wind and Waves
- Donuts
- A Detour
- 1974
- The Day Joy Left My Life
- Preserve Your Memories
- August
- The Flying Clown
- The Kitchen
- One Slightly Used Pump For Sale
- The Song of My Heart Has Gone Silent
- Grandpa
- Five Minutes
- Endless Blue Skies
- And then the world shifted
- I Hear Music
- A Fire In The Sky
- The Telephone Call
- She Wore A Red Dress
- Song Sung Blue…And Other Colors
- When Simply Awful became Simply Wonderful
- A Mugger
- A Jealous Man
- She Was Wrong
- It Was Just Coffee
@bfe33ff8a292aaec815fe44b61666fbf:disqus I have had that happen a few times- but every now and then it was better than expected.
Great post Jack.
I often found that the person, object, food, I lusted after usually turned out to be better in my head.
It certainly was something else.
loved this. Â what a great college flashback to fantasy and harsh reality!!!
Hilarious! I remember my first encounter with one of those slobbery kissers, a total turn-OFF!
(I loved your mace comment too.)
@FromTracie:disqus It is kind of crazy. You sit there trying to figure how kissing someone lead to having to wipe your face off.
Hilarious! I remember my first encounter with one of those slobbery kissers, a total turn-OFF!
(I loved your mace comment too.)
Dude, you married her, didn’t you?
Nope, I most certainly did not.
Dude, you married her, didn’t you?
Nope, I most certainly did not.
Shoot! And she had so much potential! 🙂
Love that the fall kicked things off, too bad about the ending! 🙂
@twitter-213947518:disqus Funny how things work. Just when I thought that I had it made I learned otherwise. 😉
Shoot! And she had so much potential! 🙂
Love that the fall kicked things off, too bad about the ending! 🙂
How awful is it when you you discover that the person who you have on a pedestal used her tongue to climb  up there?  Ew.  I hope you weren’t injured, poked in the eye or whatever.
Sorry to laugh, but this was awesome.
Glad I came from TRDC linkup!
I’m with Kim–this made me laugh! I love it!
How awful is it when you you discover that the person who you have on a pedestal used her tongue to climb  up there?  Ew.  I hope you weren’t injured, poked in the eye or whatever.
Sorry to laugh, but this was awesome.
Glad I came from TRDC linkup!
I’m with Kim–this made me laugh! I love it!
@87145d809c2f3a38a4ab2575b5c0fa7f:disqus laughter is always good. My job here is done. 😉
@1a80a007fac8a08a70ccfec97f624aed:disqus That tongue was brutal. She doesn’t need to carry Mace. If god forbid she was attacked she could lick them into submission.
Funny stuff. Â Great take on the prompt. Â I have quite a visual–especially before 7 a.m. Â You did a good job describing the pursuit, the dogged chasing the focus of your affection. Â And then…whamo…shitty kisser. What. A. Bummer. Â –HonestConvoGal
from TRDC
Funny stuff. Â Great take on the prompt. Â I have quite a visual–especially before 7 a.m. Â You did a good job describing the pursuit, the dogged chasing the focus of your affection. Â And then…whamo…shitty kisser. What. A. Bummer. Â –HonestConvoGal
from TRDC
@google-59e112c9e196b97ca95458c017a8cdd0:disqus I have a very vivid memory of the moment just before she made like Beethoven the St. Bernard and the moments afterwards. It was…something.
LOL!
LOL!