The Second Best Love Story EVER ~ Part 6

Four years ago today, I started a series that I never finished.  Our love story... from four years before that.

Well, 8 years ago today I met My Beloved... in honor of that, I thought I'd share another installment of that sweet story that still brings little butterflies, a bright smile and day after day of happiness.

Haven't read it before?  Or need a refresher???  Start here with part 1.


_______________


I was thrilled to see My Beloved that night at the evening session and even more excited when our group filed into a row and he was right beside me.  Being a through and through California girl, I slipped off my sandals during worship and slid them beneath my chair.  At one point I caught My Beloved reaching down to do something.  I thought he was going to hide them, but as it turns out, he simply wanted to switch them around so I'd have trouble putting them back on.

I remember the room being crowded, with people close on both sides.  Months later, I heard it told from a friend of his who had been sitting behind us up in the bleachers with her [then] fiance.  She leaned over and whispered to him, "You couldn't fit a piece of paper between those two."  Apparently, as much as I was trying to hide my feelings for him, he'd been pretty open around the office.  We were sitting close... both of us... and all in the name of it being crowded.  Funny, though, how we weren't pressed up close to the people on the other side of us.  And funny how neither of us noticed anything funny about what was going on.

After the session, a group of singles planned to play games in the lobby of the lady's dorm and My Beloved had been invited to join us.  I was sticking around to practice a song with a couple guys who'd volunteered to play for me, so I was going to meet them there when I was done.

I knew My Beloved didn't know where he was going.  He lived locally and didn't know where the dorms were and was supposed to walk over with the others.  I noticed, while working on my song up front, that he was still talking in the back, and that the others were gone.  I smiled inside.  Now I was the only person who could help him.  He'd have to wait for me.  Little did I know he'd done that on purpose too.

When I was finished, I stopped by and asked him if he knew where he was going.  Shockingly, he said no and I offered to take him over.  I remember thinking how fun it would be to do this walk across campus in the dark, with fireflies blinking all around.  When we got outside, it was raining.  Not a firefly to be seen.  Still we walked, just as slowly as possible, through the rain to the dorm.  I wished the campus was bigger so we could just keep walking.

Upon arriving, we settled, him on one side of the table, and me on the other.  The only two remaining seats.  We played some board game involving passports and travel.  Appropriate for a group of missionaries.  When that game was through and all put away, I put it up and grabbed the next game... Cranium.  A team game.

While I was across the room getting the game, another guy joined us... right in my chair, the only chair available at the moment.  That worked out great for me.  When I returned with the game, I grabbed a chair and pulled in a little spot made for me... by My Beloved.  When pairs were made, we were a team.

I was paying special attention during those games, especially after we ended up as a team.  I love to play games, and although I can be pretty competitive, I don’t care if I lose.  We played hard, laughed lots, and lost miserably.  It was great.  I had so much fun that I forgot I was trying to keep others from knowing I was interested.  

That night in the elevator, one of the girls looked over at me.  "So," she started.  I looked at her and told her not to finish her question.  She ignored me.  "What do you think of [insert My Beloved's name here]?"  I took the next minute to lie through my teeth.  I don't remember what I said exactly, but it was denial and an outright lie.

When I got back to my room that night, I spent an hour or more sitting on my bed with journal and pen in hand working through why I'd lied to her.  What was wrong with feeling the way I did?  What was wrong with people knowing it?  I determined that it came down to two things: fear of man and pride.  A fear of what others would think... truly, who cared?  And a fear that he'd find out and I'd feel foolish... again, truly, what could possibly happen if he found out and didn't feel the same way?  If he was worth my interest, then it really shouldn't matter.  The next morning when we all loaded into the elevator, I confessed my lie to my new friend and answered her truthfully.

It was official.  I was interested!


To be continued...

Labels: A love story

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 8:56 PM