Day 9…
Day 9…
Ghost of Boyfriends Past (Part 1)…
Wednesday morning was no different from any other morning. I woke up with swollen eyes and a somber heart… Dreams suck sometimes. At least I didn’t have to work or go to school. I hopped out of bed, slapped on some D.O. for my B.O., and laced up my running shoes. 30 seconds later I was out the door, jogging through an unfamiliar part of my dad’s neighborhood. My head was clear as I focused on the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. The rhythm was music enough to my ears. I was beginning to wear out when I stumbled across a playground- nothing fancy, just a few swings and a slide. I walked over and sat in the seat of one of the swings. That’s when I realized I recognized this place, and I was instantly transported to the past like a flash back in a movie. Matt and I had been here on our first date…
After a few aggravated attempts, I finally stop trying to curl the one inch strip of hair on the underside of my head. I smoothly pin it up so that it’s out of sight, out of mind. I let out a breath, unable to fathom the idea that I’m going on a date with a stranger. I had somehow let Wade (a close friend at the time) convince me that it’d be worthwhile. Apparently, his friend and I are “perfect for each other.” The door-bell rings and my father is swift to answer. He’s still giving “the talk” (boy, you better have her back by ten… dad really?! It’s summer) when I descend the stairs. I try to refrain from giggling when I behold that Wade was not lying… His friend is attractive. Before he notices me, I marvel over his sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and tall, muscular frame. He looks up, and his mouth spreads into a smile. He extends his hand and I take it without hesitation. “Hi, I’m Matt,” he says, “It’s so great to finally meet you. You’re way prettier than Wade described.” I accept the compliment and hastily move us out of the house- no offense to my father, but I’m now very eager to get this date started. Matt opens the car door for me, as a true gentleman should. When he gets in, I hand him a list of directions (I agreed to the date on one condition- I get to pick the nights activities). As we drive down the highway, he relentlessly badgers me for details, but I flirtatiously fend of his questions. “You’ll see when we get there.” Ten minutes later, we are seated at a table in the spacious dining room of the country club my father is a member at. To my surprise, no other members are dining in this evening, giving off the appearance that we have rented the place out for ourselves. Our table is directly in front of the oversized bay windows that overlook the final holes of the golf course and the lake that runs up the side of the 18th fairway. The sun begins to set and the sky is painted with the most beautiful hues of purple, pink, orange, and blue. I couldn’t have requested a more romantic scene. Not only is the setting seemingly perfect, but so is the man that sits across from me. I again take in Matt’s features and swoon over every word he says. Even the food is divine. When the check comes, Matt politely reaches for it; however, his hand stops short when I start laughing. A puzzled look crosses his face, but vanishes when I tell him I have a tab. I pick up the book and sign the receipt, assuring Matt that he’s not less of a man because he didn’t pay. I reach in my purse and hand over the next set of directions. This night isn’t over. Not much later, we’re standing in line for go kart and putt-putt passes at Speed Zone. Matt closes the gap between us and pulls me into a hug. I’m beginning to melt into his arms when the guy behind the ticket counter calls “NEXT!” (Seriously dude? You know how to ruin a moment…). I hip check Matt out of the way to pay for myself (I know I’m weird- at the time it made me uncomfortable when people paid for me), but soon realize that my debit card aka my only form of payment is nowhere to be found. Matt senses my anxiousness, but there’s a smirk on his face. “Looking for this?” He aks as he holds up my card. I reach for it, but he holds it high above my head. While I was melting in his arms, he was grabbing my card out of my pocket. He then steps up to the window and pays for our passes. I’ll admit, the boy is smooth. After a few rounds of go karts in which I smoke him (I don’t do that whole “I-lose-so-my-man-feels-better-about-himself” thing), he decides to try his luck on the putt-putt course. He assures me that he’s an undefeated putt-putt champion, and I smile in acknowledgment. “Ladies first”. I set my bright purple ball down and take a deep breath before I strike it. *Tink*. I smile at Matt and assure him that my hole-in-one was just a lucky shot. And I continue to assure him when it happens again on the next three holes. He finally breaks and asks me if there’s something I need to tell him. “I may or may not have played varsity golf for four years of high school. And I may or may not have been a part of winning two state championship,” I admit. We both double over laughing and he pulls me in for another hug. He looks into my eyes and whispers, “You’re really something. By the way, the reason I’m losing is because I can’t stop looking at your curly hair every time it falls over your shoulders. It’s not fair.” Again, boy is smooth. We leave Speed Zone and head back to my dad’s house. Along the way I tell him to pull off at park- we do have thirty minutes left after all. As soon as he parks, I’m out of the car and running towards the swings. Giddy like a schoolgirl, I ask him to push me. He willingly obliges. When I’m high enough, he takes the seat next to me and begins to swing, too. On the count of three, we both launch ourselves off and go soaring through the air. Luckily, I gracefully stick the landing. We walk back and resume our seats, talking and gazing at the stars. Matt makes a joke at my expense, and I playfully begin to storm off, as if I’m actually offended. I feel his hand close down on my wrist and with a gentle tug I find myself wrapped up in him. He leans down and I can feel his breath on my lips. I stumble slightly, but his grip tightens to keep me from falling. My cheeks turn rosy and a giggle slips out. I look up and say, “Let’s try that again.” This time he gently presses his lips against mine and time around me stops. Everything about this night and this moment is perfect. A tingling sensation rises from the pit of my stomach and fills my whole being with warmth. After a few seconds he finally lets me go. We walk back to the car hand and hand, not saying anything, but rather cherishing the moment.
I snapped back to reality and couldn’t help but smile. Matt was a good one. I got up from the swing and took off towards my dad’s house…