Part One
So we're both back on campus at the beginning of our junior year. Papa Rooster has decided No More Girls for him. I am determined to play the field and get to know all the boys I couldn't while I was tied up with Mr. Pre-Law. There is a square dance on campus on Saturday night.
I should mention that at Wheaton in the 80's and before, dancing on campus was not allowed. Unless it was performance dancing like ballet or folk dancing like square dancing--the only official exceptions. So this was as close to a "dance" dance as we got without breaking The Pledge that we had all signed, agreeing to abide by the campus rules.
My girlfriend and I decide to coordinate a group date. "Let's ask PR and Mr. A to get a group of guys together," my friend suggested. "They know everybody." By now they were no longer freshman class president and veep, of course. As a junior, PR was now VP of the Student Body and a BMOC (Big Man on Campus). Mr. A's foray into campus politics was a distant freshman memory, but they were still close--roommates, in fact, in a very cool off-campus house. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
"Let's ask PR and Mr. A," my friend suggested.
"Great idea," I responded eagerly. "But I don't know them that well--will you ask them?"
She agreed, we separated, I went to CPO to check my mailbox--and ran right into PR. So I decided to go ahead and pose the question myself.
"Hey, what are you and Mr. A doing on Saturday night? Deb and I want to get a group of junior guys and girls together to go to the square dance. Are you going?"
He told me he wished they could go with us, but they had tickets to Second City's comedy show in downtown Chicago. Disappointed, I didn't think much more about our conversation, but the encounter was full of meaning to him. Hey, he thought, she must not be dating Mr. Pre-Law anymore....
Sunday afternoon, the day after the square dance, I was in my Williston dorm room relaxing with my two roommates when the phone rang. It was for me. "Hi, this is ____," the male voice began.
I couldn't think who ____ could be. I knew several _____s back home in Ohio, but at that moment I could only think of one guy with that name on campus, and I was a little surprised he was calling me. True, we had just gone to a movie together, but it hadn't been a date; we had just ended up walking in late together. We had talked for a little while afterward, but I hadn't picked up on any signs of interest. Still, that must be who this was?
The male voice cut across my mental gropings. "I was just wondering if you'd like to meet me at the Stupe tonight." The Stupe was the campus ice cream/coffee/sandwich shop where many a first date took place.
"Oh! Sure!" I responded.
"About 7 all right?"
"Okay," I agreed. (But WHO was I meeting??)
"So how was the square dance? Did you get a group together?"
(How does he know about the square dance? I never mentioned the square dance....)
"Oh, it was fine! Yeah...a group...We ended up going with my brother and some of his friends. They were all freshman, but we had a fun time."
"Oh, you have a brother who's a freshman? My brother is a freshman this year too!"
(No, he isn't! You told me your brother was still in high school. Who IS this??) "Oh, really?"
I decided to float a trial balloon. "So, are you all moved out of McManis yet?" (McManis was a guy's dorm on campus.)
There was a pause. Now the male voice sounded confused. "Nooooo," it said slowly, "I'm living off campus this semester."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I apologized. (What do I say now? Better be honest.)
"I'm sorry, but who is this again?" I asked, wincing and hoping it carried through in my voice.
On the other end, Papa Rooster says he let his head fall back and hit the wall. What a ditz, he thought. She's as bad as all the others!
"This is _____ ______," he said patiently. "Who did you think it was?"
"Oh!" I exclaimed. (Papa Rooster! Oh, my! He just asked me out! I was so flattered. Why didn't I think of him before? I guess because we had barely ever spoken. And now what does he think of me?)
I responded with the full name of the other boy with the same first name. "I just went to a movie with him last weekend," I babbled, "but I've never heard his voice on the phone before...or yours, either...."
"Well, do you still want to go to the Stupe with me?" PR asked, with something like--incredulity?--in his voice.
"Oh, yes!" I responded eagerly. "Even more so!"
That was what saved me. "Even more so!"
He liked that.
Stay tuned for Part the Third...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Oh, my! That cracked me up! Don't you just hate names that everyone else seems to have? My DH has a slightly uncommon variation of a more common name and everyone thinks he is the common name. Including my dad, who called him the common name (and not his real name) through the entire first year of our marriage!
LOL, that's a great story! Sounds like something that would happen to me! My DH has a common name for his age, but as he is a *bit* older then me it is not so common in my age group, I had never dated anyone with his name. :)
I laughed so much at this- your husband must have been made of good stuff to take that hit to his ego!
Oh that is TOO funny! So unlike you too. You're the farthest thing from ditzy . . . but it's funny to know that you still have your moments too :-) I, on the other hand, have them ALL of the time!
Post a Comment