Confusion

This had been a long week, and it was time to relax. I finally worked up the nerve to ask Victoria out on a date. She was cute and approachable. We had always shared lunches at the cafeteria and seemed to get along well. She never seemed to study and was always asking me for help with math or help proofreading a paper. I picked her up at her apartment. She was wearing a very reveling skirt, a shear shirt and was 3 sheets to the wind. She mentioned she had been down by the pool day drinking all day. There were like 10 other people at her place.   

When we got to the restaurant, they had a dance floor and bar. She made for the bar, ordered a drink, and handed me her purse.   

She handed me her purse and then sashayed to the dance floor with all the attitude of an angry... My grandma raised me to know that if I do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything at all. It became apparent dinner was not happening, I handed the purse to the bartender, told her which dancer it belonged to, ordered a drink- Old Fashioned- drank it slow, paid for mine and her drinks. I wandered out to the strip to hit the next joint.  

Easy come, easy go. That gal was never going to get introduced to Momma anyhow. It was hard to believe that a grown woman could be so careless, inconsiderate, downright rude. My emotional state was infuriated.  I felt better the further away I got, and the more time passed. I just needed to breathe. I vowed at once to mix with a better class. 

I needed to breathe and the park bench across the street was good for people watching, so I sat and thought about chemical equations and calmed down. That is when I saw “better class.” A beautiful woman was heading into the vegetarian restaurant and after-hours spot. She was with a group and these women looked less likely to put away whiskey sours and more like the hot tea, mocha latte crowd. Dinner was happening, and a healthy meal had not been the plan, but why not? I went in and ordered a spinach wrap and listened to the jazz band play. I tried to fit in but was out of my element, a fish out of water.  

As I listened to the jazz a member of the group that the beautiful woman was with approached me. She introduced herself, “My name is Juliet. What is your name?” I responded, “Scott.” She said, “You don’t remember me, do you?” I had to say, “No, I would remember you if we had met before.” She was more beautiful than the woman that caught my attention. Her voice was even sultry. She said, “It does not surprise me that you do not remember me, it was a while ago. We were in Chemistry class together last fall. I was surprised she would remember me. That was a first-year class, and the seminar portion was in a room with 100 other people. She said, “It was a morning class. I looked different than I do during normal people's hours. Half the time I showed up in sweats.” 

This girl would be beautiful in a burlap sack. Today she wore blue jeans that fit snug with a blouse that was my favorite shade of blue. Her hair was long but pulled back and she had the prettiest hazel eyes. She had on heels that made her look even more beautiful. How could I not notice her. Even more unlikely, what did I do for her to notice me. She asked, “Scott, would you like to join us.” Words did not come so easily just at that moment. Finally, after what seemed a millennium, my composure returned, and a nod was managed. My hope was that the red cheeks that came from embarrassment and excitement would clear before we got to her friend's table.  Juliet introduced me to all five girlfriends. When this group caught my attention, I was attracted to the one she introduced as Stacey, but none of these girls seemed interesting to me after having met Juliet.  

30 Minutes passed and we were having a wonderful time. Then the drunk purse girl sashayed in and spotted me. She yelled loud enough for everyone to hear, “Scott, what are you doing here, we were having a good time.” Juliet looked at the girl as she continued to holler at me and said to purse girl, “Come in here yelling like that and you do not even know who you are talking to. What are you high on? This is Tim. We have been together for 3 years, and he has been with me all-night.” She said this with such conviction that she had me convinced and confused.” I looked at Victoria (purse girl) and asked, “Are you all right? You seem lost.”  

The band had stopped playing and everybody was looking, Juliet just stared at her with those pretty eyes, and did not blink. The purse girl said, “Oh, well, just...” and turned and ran out of the place. She did have her purse.  

Juliet and I dated for the next three years. Juliet double majored in theatre and psychology with a minor in criminal justice. She graduated as valedictorian. She applied for and was accepted to Vanderbilt University Law School, where she also graduated valedictorian. Overachiever all the way through school, putting my record to shame.  

I majored in chemical engineering, and continued school to complete an MS degree. I was not a valedictorian. I now hold a job at Raytheon, working in textiles and paints. She works for the DA’s office putting away perps. We both love our jobs and the three kids we have keep us more than busy.  

She has still not told me how or why she noticed me in that chemistry class.  

When we tell the story of how we met, people always say, “That poor girl. Bless her heart.”