LJ Idol Season 8, Week 14: "Twitterpated"
"You and Me"
"What are we doing here?" Jesse asked, looking pleadingly across the table at Peggy. Just get me out of here. This isn't my scene: I don't know anyone, it's too crowded, and it's way too loud in here.
"Look, we've got to at least get you meeting people, whether it works out or not. You miss all of the shots you never take, right?" Peggy hoped quoting Wayne Gretzky would resonate with her sports-fan coworker.
"In my case, you also miss 100% of the shots you do take."
"All, what, three of them? Look, I know this is a little uncomfortable for you..."
That's putting it mildly, Jesse thought to himself as he sipped his drink and looked out toward the dance floor. Peggy kept talking, but the blue eyes on the other side of the room drowned her out.
What day is it, and in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
Fingers snapping in front of his face brought Jesse back. "Ground control to Major Tom..."
"Sorry. Look over there," he said, shyly pointing across the room toward the blonde.
Peggy craned her neck to see. "Okay, yeah, she's cute. So's most of the room. Why her? You were staring at her like she was the only woman in the world!"
"She was," Jesse whispered back. "When she looked at me, I felt...something. All of a sudden, there was nobody else in the room--heck, there was no room."
It's you, and me, and all other people
"Then do something about it," Peggy implored. "Go talk to her."
"But what if she doesn't--"
Peggy knew this defensive attitude all too well, having watched him ogle the receptionist from afar for years. "And what if she does?"
Jesse pondered her words. He'd been through this before with Peggy--being pushed into awkward conversations, only to get shot down. "But how do I approach her? She's totally out of my league."
"Just be you, Jesse. Those kind of time-stopping moments aren't usually one-sided, so clearly she felt something too." Peggy racked her brain for a new spin on old advice. "If who you are isn't good enough for her, then she isn't what you wanted anyway."
Bolstered by a combination of Peggy's words, blue eyes, and a Tequila Sunrise, Jesse finally stood up. "Alright, but you owe me lunch if I get slapped in the face," he said as he wormed his way over to the bar.
All of the things I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
Sheila had noticed him in the booth across the way, talking to someone she couldn't see. The longer she looked, the more intrigued she was--but she couldn't figure out why. Was it his sloppy-cute getup? The animated way he talked with his hands? The way his eyes locked with hers? Or something else?
Turning away after a few seconds, Sheila returned her attention to dismissing the good-looking but trying-too-hard man who'd been unsuccessfully making conversation with himself for the last twenty minutes. After he'd finally left, she considered doing the same. Guys like that are a dime a dozen, anyway. I need something...different.
That's when she saw him, standing five feet away. Tall and lanky, with long fingers and a mop of brown hair tucked into a pageboy cap, he definitely looked cuter up close. Maybe not what every girl would want...but since when does that matter, anyway?
Jesse, meanwhile, was realizing that his eyes had not deceived him; she was just as beautiful in person as she had been in vision. Perfectly-shaped lips, a black dress that revealed only what was necessary, and a smile that fixed him in place, even as all his instincts told him to run.
After a minute of staring at each other, Jesse finally croaked out a "Hi."
"Hello yourself," she said, extending her hand. "Sheila." The shy type, eh? He certainly didn't seem to be when he was over there. Maybe I can coax it out of him.
"Je--Jesse," he whispered, taking it and shaking perhaps a little too vigorously. Noticing the empty stool next to her, he summoned all his courage. "May I join you?"
"By all means."
There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
The next thing they knew, it was last call.
As they walked out toward the parking lot, hands loosely joined, they reflected on the past four hours. Sheila had led the conversation, working past Jesse's nerves and getting both of them talking freely.
How did she do that? Jesse wondered. I've never been able to talk to any woman like that before.
"I definitely want to see you again," Sheila said, snapping him out of his reverie as they stopped at her car. That was the best conversation I've had in years.
"I...me too."
"You want to see you again?" she said with a laugh, twisting his words for humor yet again. Jesse bit his lip to keep from laughing too loudly, turning his face red in the process.
Seeing this, Sheila stopped and took both his hands in hers. "There's no need to be embarrassed...I've really enjoyed your company tonight." Leaning up, she gave him a gentle peck on the cheek, causing it to redden further.
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
With a smile, she looked deep into his eyes. "You act like you've never had a girl do that before."
Jesse was still recovering from the shock of it all, but finally found his voice. "Who said I was acting?"
A look of surprise, and also of joy, broke across Sheila's face. This should be fun. "Then let's make the first one memorable," she whispered, pulling him down and giving him a deep, loving kiss.
As they broke apart, Jesse knew the shot had gone in. And he owed Peggy lunches for the rest of the year.
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
*****
Inspiration and lyrics: Lifehouse - You and Me
"What are we doing here?" Jesse asked, looking pleadingly across the table at Peggy. Just get me out of here. This isn't my scene: I don't know anyone, it's too crowded, and it's way too loud in here.
"Look, we've got to at least get you meeting people, whether it works out or not. You miss all of the shots you never take, right?" Peggy hoped quoting Wayne Gretzky would resonate with her sports-fan coworker.
"In my case, you also miss 100% of the shots you do take."
"All, what, three of them? Look, I know this is a little uncomfortable for you..."
That's putting it mildly, Jesse thought to himself as he sipped his drink and looked out toward the dance floor. Peggy kept talking, but the blue eyes on the other side of the room drowned her out.
What day is it, and in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
Fingers snapping in front of his face brought Jesse back. "Ground control to Major Tom..."
"Sorry. Look over there," he said, shyly pointing across the room toward the blonde.
Peggy craned her neck to see. "Okay, yeah, she's cute. So's most of the room. Why her? You were staring at her like she was the only woman in the world!"
"She was," Jesse whispered back. "When she looked at me, I felt...something. All of a sudden, there was nobody else in the room--heck, there was no room."
It's you, and me, and all other people
"Then do something about it," Peggy implored. "Go talk to her."
"But what if she doesn't--"
Peggy knew this defensive attitude all too well, having watched him ogle the receptionist from afar for years. "And what if she does?"
Jesse pondered her words. He'd been through this before with Peggy--being pushed into awkward conversations, only to get shot down. "But how do I approach her? She's totally out of my league."
"Just be you, Jesse. Those kind of time-stopping moments aren't usually one-sided, so clearly she felt something too." Peggy racked her brain for a new spin on old advice. "If who you are isn't good enough for her, then she isn't what you wanted anyway."
Bolstered by a combination of Peggy's words, blue eyes, and a Tequila Sunrise, Jesse finally stood up. "Alright, but you owe me lunch if I get slapped in the face," he said as he wormed his way over to the bar.
All of the things I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
Sheila had noticed him in the booth across the way, talking to someone she couldn't see. The longer she looked, the more intrigued she was--but she couldn't figure out why. Was it his sloppy-cute getup? The animated way he talked with his hands? The way his eyes locked with hers? Or something else?
Turning away after a few seconds, Sheila returned her attention to dismissing the good-looking but trying-too-hard man who'd been unsuccessfully making conversation with himself for the last twenty minutes. After he'd finally left, she considered doing the same. Guys like that are a dime a dozen, anyway. I need something...different.
That's when she saw him, standing five feet away. Tall and lanky, with long fingers and a mop of brown hair tucked into a pageboy cap, he definitely looked cuter up close. Maybe not what every girl would want...but since when does that matter, anyway?
Jesse, meanwhile, was realizing that his eyes had not deceived him; she was just as beautiful in person as she had been in vision. Perfectly-shaped lips, a black dress that revealed only what was necessary, and a smile that fixed him in place, even as all his instincts told him to run.
After a minute of staring at each other, Jesse finally croaked out a "Hi."
"Hello yourself," she said, extending her hand. "Sheila." The shy type, eh? He certainly didn't seem to be when he was over there. Maybe I can coax it out of him.
"Je--Jesse," he whispered, taking it and shaking perhaps a little too vigorously. Noticing the empty stool next to her, he summoned all his courage. "May I join you?"
"By all means."
There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
The next thing they knew, it was last call.
As they walked out toward the parking lot, hands loosely joined, they reflected on the past four hours. Sheila had led the conversation, working past Jesse's nerves and getting both of them talking freely.
How did she do that? Jesse wondered. I've never been able to talk to any woman like that before.
"I definitely want to see you again," Sheila said, snapping him out of his reverie as they stopped at her car. That was the best conversation I've had in years.
"I...me too."
"You want to see you again?" she said with a laugh, twisting his words for humor yet again. Jesse bit his lip to keep from laughing too loudly, turning his face red in the process.
Seeing this, Sheila stopped and took both his hands in hers. "There's no need to be embarrassed...I've really enjoyed your company tonight." Leaning up, she gave him a gentle peck on the cheek, causing it to redden further.
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
With a smile, she looked deep into his eyes. "You act like you've never had a girl do that before."
Jesse was still recovering from the shock of it all, but finally found his voice. "Who said I was acting?"
A look of surprise, and also of joy, broke across Sheila's face. This should be fun. "Then let's make the first one memorable," she whispered, pulling him down and giving him a deep, loving kiss.
As they broke apart, Jesse knew the shot had gone in. And he owed Peggy lunches for the rest of the year.
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
*****
Inspiration and lyrics: Lifehouse - You and Me