“Let’s just get this over with, Sean. She’s right there.”
The thought looped in between my ears infinitely. It soon took on the personality of a nagging mosquito on a humid, sticky, SoCal summer day when my main goal is to get somewhere with air conditioning. After 124 seconds of agonizing whether to strike up a conversation, my shoes turned to steel prohibiting my forward progress. No longer was I simply giving myself a heart-to-heart reasoning, I was convinced that I wasn’t sure what I wanted in that moment. Did I truly know?
This isn’t normal behavior from me at all. Those close to me, please, raise your hand for everybody else in attendance. I appreciate your kindness in snitching on me.
I’ve got a crush and it bewilders me.
Close to one year ago….
I was craving pizza after going through a packed day that had no sunset on the horizon. Fueled only by a bowl of cereal for breakfast and an uncomfortable number of granola bars - and their foil wrapper graveyard growing on my passenger seat - it was time to stop. There was an abundance of empty calories and I clearly wasn’t satiated by the endless snacking.
It was squarely in the afternoon. From what I recall, it was near 4 p.m. Too early to stuff my face too much before dinner. What? No, it wasn’t. I usually have lots of space to attack food. I consume what I need to. My body has to figure the rest out. Three slices, each with its own topping, barely fits below the cost of a full pie. Full pie it shall be so I put in the order and was told to return in 20 minutes.
There. She. Was. To my right. Four people between her and where I stood. I didn’t have words. They would fail to honor her.
I didn’t stare. However, I wanted to propose. Pizza can substitute for an engagement bauble, right? It’s round, people smile in its presence, and it births joy. Outside, I lounged on the empty eating deck. I stole the idle time to respond to a text or four before she strolled to her car after three minutes.
Opportunity.
No trepidation. “Excuse me. I’m sorry to stop you. Hello, my name is Sean…”
Her grin almost rendered me into millions of those heart-shaped chalk candies that are everywhere for Valentine’s Day. The ones with the writing on their face. You know them. I patted down my torso to make sure my physical from was indeed intact.
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