My annual post of sorrow
It's Valentine's Day. I don't want to talk about it. Stupid V al en ti ne's Day.
As always, happy Valentine's Day to the couples out there. And to the rest of us singletons, I hope you had a good day.
Back during an undisclosed semester while I was living at SPUC, I walked into the cafeteria while Valentine Grams (or was it Halloween-o-Grams?) were being sold. I walked past a group of girls talking, among them Meredith. (You know what it's like - there's a group of girls together, but they all stop talking and look at you the second you walk up to them.)
Meredith looks at me with that Smouldering Temptress look in her eyes. I knew what was up. She had asked me a question earlier that week, but I hadn't given her an answer. I knew I should have taken the long way around the cafeteria to return my tray.
"So, Rodney!" You know it's going to be embarrassing when you can actually hear the italics in their voice. "Have you bought a Valentine Gram yet?"
"Yes," I retorted, "I bought some for my friends."
"But did you buy one for her?" Again, with the italics.
"Her?" "Really? Who?" "Oh, Rodney!" Those girls were really nosey.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no use hiding it. I explained, "No, I think I'd be coming on too strong. I mean, I barely know her. I don't want to rush things." The girls surrounding Meredith had become very intrigued and were leaning in closer and closer. "Besides," I added, "the people who are working the Valentine Grams desk will see who I'm writing the card for. The gossip will be all over the college before I even get back to my room."
Meredith looked at me indignantly like I had been born yesterday. "Well, DUH! I'll fill one out for you. That way it'll be anonymous and she'll never know it was you."
"But doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of sending a Valentine Gram?" I enquired.
"Do you want to send one to the girl or not?"
I looked around at the group of girls, and I knew that I couldn't talk about it with them. "Meredith, can we talk in the servery?" I walked into the servery and refilled the glass in my hand with milk. Meredith took all of about 2.6 seconds to join me.
"I'm not going to force you to do it," she said, "but please don't back out just because you're scared." I could tell she would never forgive me if I didn't do it. And, to be honest, as much as I had butterflies in my stomach, I felt that I should give it a shot and send one. What's the worst that could happen - a restraining order?
"Fine," I acquiesced, "you can send one. But all it can say is 'Happy Valentine's Day, signed Anonymous'. Nothing more."
I don't think I've ever seen Meredith so excited (well, not counting the time that I discussed this romantic encounter with her the night that it happened). She agreed to submit the anonymous Valentine Gram on my behalf. She even sacrificed 50 cents of her own money to pay for it - to quote her, "the thrill of playing matchmaker is payment enough."
As she returned to the table to continue her conversation with her friends, I chugged my milk in the servery, walked over to the return window, put my glass down, and left the cafeteria as quickly as possible, avoiding eye contact with everyone at that table.
Meredith stopped by later that night to let me know that she had submitted the card on my behalf.
A few days later, Meredith and I were having one of our talks and she raised the issue again. She said that she hadn't heard anything through the SPUC grapevine about the Valentine Gram (thank goodness), and I informed her that the girl still hadn't talked to me, nor had I approached her. Meredith never asked me about her again.
Oh, and one more detail. Did I mention that the girl I had the crush on, the girl whom I anonymously sent a Valentine Gram to - she was sitting at that table with Meredith?
Man, that Meredith really has guts.
As always, happy Valentine's Day to the couples out there. And to the rest of us singletons, I hope you had a good day.
Back during an undisclosed semester while I was living at SPUC, I walked into the cafeteria while Valentine Grams (or was it Halloween-o-Grams?) were being sold. I walked past a group of girls talking, among them Meredith. (You know what it's like - there's a group of girls together, but they all stop talking and look at you the second you walk up to them.)
Meredith looks at me with that Smouldering Temptress look in her eyes. I knew what was up. She had asked me a question earlier that week, but I hadn't given her an answer. I knew I should have taken the long way around the cafeteria to return my tray.
"So, Rodney!" You know it's going to be embarrassing when you can actually hear the italics in their voice. "Have you bought a Valentine Gram yet?"
"Yes," I retorted, "I bought some for my friends."
"But did you buy one for her?" Again, with the italics.
"Her?" "Really? Who?" "Oh, Rodney!" Those girls were really nosey.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no use hiding it. I explained, "No, I think I'd be coming on too strong. I mean, I barely know her. I don't want to rush things." The girls surrounding Meredith had become very intrigued and were leaning in closer and closer. "Besides," I added, "the people who are working the Valentine Grams desk will see who I'm writing the card for. The gossip will be all over the college before I even get back to my room."
Meredith looked at me indignantly like I had been born yesterday. "Well, DUH! I'll fill one out for you. That way it'll be anonymous and she'll never know it was you."
"But doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of sending a Valentine Gram?" I enquired.
"Do you want to send one to the girl or not?"
I looked around at the group of girls, and I knew that I couldn't talk about it with them. "Meredith, can we talk in the servery?" I walked into the servery and refilled the glass in my hand with milk. Meredith took all of about 2.6 seconds to join me.
"I'm not going to force you to do it," she said, "but please don't back out just because you're scared." I could tell she would never forgive me if I didn't do it. And, to be honest, as much as I had butterflies in my stomach, I felt that I should give it a shot and send one. What's the worst that could happen - a restraining order?
"Fine," I acquiesced, "you can send one. But all it can say is 'Happy Valentine's Day, signed Anonymous'. Nothing more."
I don't think I've ever seen Meredith so excited (well, not counting the time that I discussed this romantic encounter with her the night that it happened). She agreed to submit the anonymous Valentine Gram on my behalf. She even sacrificed 50 cents of her own money to pay for it - to quote her, "the thrill of playing matchmaker is payment enough."
As she returned to the table to continue her conversation with her friends, I chugged my milk in the servery, walked over to the return window, put my glass down, and left the cafeteria as quickly as possible, avoiding eye contact with everyone at that table.
Meredith stopped by later that night to let me know that she had submitted the card on my behalf.
A few days later, Meredith and I were having one of our talks and she raised the issue again. She said that she hadn't heard anything through the SPUC grapevine about the Valentine Gram (thank goodness), and I informed her that the girl still hadn't talked to me, nor had I approached her. Meredith never asked me about her again.
Oh, and one more detail. Did I mention that the girl I had the crush on, the girl whom I anonymously sent a Valentine Gram to - she was sitting at that table with Meredith?
Man, that Meredith really has guts.