How We Met - part eight

Flashback Friday - The Big Surprise

Background information: I’ll admit I was a sheltered, naïve teenager. (Wayne says I'm still sheltered and naive.) I would attend “standards night” every year and leave with more questions than answers, yet I was too shy to ask anyone for clarification. Since I wanted to be sure to not go “too far,” I decided that I would never even kiss someone until I was engaged. Contrary to popular belief, I had plenty of opportunities to test that commitment, but I kept it.

So, we went to the fireside together and had a nice time. Wayne did most of the talking but right before he left I gathered the courage to explain why I wouldn’t kiss him, and he said he respected that which made me feel a lot better. He also mentioned that once in high school he told a girl he was dating that he loved her, and then she spurned him badly, so that he made the commitment never to say “I love you” until he was ready to be engaged. (Remember this – it’s important.)

That week was an emotional roller coaster for me. I had recently received a disturbing letter from the missionary I was not waiting for (although he was still hoping I’d change my mind). I was stressed over schoolwork and I wasn’t sleeping very well. Sunday Wayne and I made plans for a study date on Tuesday. Monday he came over to say he’d have a surprise for me then. I had just awoken from a nap and looked terrible, which of course made me feel even worse. My roommates were positive the “surprise” was a diamond ring which didn’t make sense since I had only known Wayne even existed for a week.

We spent a few hours at the library on Tuesday. The surprise was an invitation to the Valentine’s Dance that Saturday. We went to the library again on Wednesday and on Friday we went to a recital. (Part of my “homework” required attending 14 recitals a semester – very good inexpensive dates even if you aren’t a music major.) When we weren’t together we were talking on the phone. Once during this week I mentioned that he was taking a lot of my time and his response was “That’s what happens when you like someone a lot.” We definitely liked each other a lot and were both really looking forward to the Valentine’s Dance. In fact, the occasion even called for a new dress, so my roommate and I went to the mall Saturday morning.

It was a busy week!

Comments

Delirious said…
You know, there is a writer's strike out here in Los Angeles. You should apply for a job writing for tv drama. You would be great at writing the season finale cliff hanger. ;)
Rennie said…
I'm thoroughly enjoying this story. What year is this all occurring? Do you think there are still girls out there who won't kiss a boy until they're engaged or boys that won't say "I love you" until they really mean it and want to marry the girl? The 80's....it was an age of "innocence" in so many ways...who would have ever thought we'd be saying that?
Tara said…
Okay...I'm going to have to go back and ready the beginning...what a great story and just jumped in the middle of it!