I'd like to thank Kenjisato again for editing and my friend Ashley for input.
Two of a Kind
The month of June
It was June and I was leaning against the half-wall off the atrium; it had a fountain, and a botanical garden in the inner courtyard of the College of Education at ASU, my university. Many people liked to gather there and enjoyed the sounds of the fountain and the coolness it supplied; after all, this is Arizona.
I had just this summer semester and the fall semester to finish, then I could start teaching somewhere I was looking in earnest for, and this was the first down time I had had in months. Because I had transferred two years ago from a school in upstate New York, when my parents retired to Arizona from Long Island, I had lost a few credits. For the fall, my final semester, all I had to do was student teaching; I took an elective, early in the morning, as I needed just one more semester hour, and this was two.
Bonnie
Back to the fountain. It was always packed, and there just happened to be a space next to me because the dude who was there, saw a girl he wanted to connect with, had taken off. That space was filled with a beautiful redhead, about five-foot nothing, long hair in a ponytail, sparking green eyes, and just a small sprinkling of freckles. I was tongue tied for a moment.
I mentally shook myself back to reality, and said, "Hello, nice spot to relax."
She said, "You can say that again."
So in my suave and debonair style, I said,"Nice spot to relax." I thought, you fucking asshole, couldn't you do better? Since, I had already put one foot in my mouth, before I could stop myself, I then said, "I'm not trying to come on to you, but I have to be honest. You are the most beautiful girl that has walked in here today."
She rolled her eyes, but I guess she saw the truth in my eyes and that I was serious (thank God for good facial expressions). She said, "If you're going to say things like that, you need to know my name, it's Bonnie Campbell."
I said, "Now, that is an Irish name!"
"Yep, one-quarter Irish and it shows," she said, pointing to her hair.
"My name is 'Fin', short for Finlay, Finlay Sinclair. I am half Irish."
"That sounds Scottish to me," she said with a grin.
"Yep, but I AM fifty percent Irish."
It was almost time for our classes, so we both said, "Goodbye."
I added, "I hope to see you again."
Two days later
I greeted her with, "There's that lovely Irish lass." I thought I was smooth and not coming on too strong.
She replied, "There's that hot Scottish bullshitter," but saying it in the manner of the terrier dog breed.
All I heard was the word 'hot'... shit, she thought I was hot! I'd address the Scottish remark sometime, er... later.
That day, we had more time, so we chatted about this and that. We found out we both were education majors and were going to graduate next year, myself in January, she in June. She was going to do her student teaching next spring semester. Bonnie told me her sister was going to be a teacher, too; never saying she went to ASU also.
I decided to take a chance; after all, she had called me 'hot' and seeing no ring, I asked if she had a boyfriend.
She said, "No, not now."
I immediately said, "Would you like to go out Friday?" I thought, in for a penny, in for a pound. "There are some good movies at the Centerpoint 11. If you want, we could meet there. That way, if I start bullshitting you, you can leave me high and dry," I said, with a grin.
She said, "Hmmmm, okay. Pick me up. Here's my apartment address and phone number, just call me and I'll come out."
Before the weekend, I saw Bonnie a couple of times walking on campus, but was too far away to catch up, before I had to head out to the middle school I was student teaching at. It was funny, I would see her near one building and then see her near another building. Some were farther away, she must have been taking the shortcuts around campus, so she could miss the always congested Cady Mall or Palm Walk.
Friday night
I drove up and called her like she wanted. When she came out, she was wearing a beautiful, deep-turquoise sundress. I was speechless... again. My mind went into overdrive telling me not to fuck up! We went to the Centerpoint, and I let her pick from the eleven showing. She picked 'The Fantasticks'. Wow, I never thought she'd be a fan of musicals. I thought it would be some romantic movie like'Pretty Woman' or 'Ghost'. I was happy because I do like musicals, right along with space operas, action flicks, police dramas, and John Wayne movies. (Really, okay.)
I must have scored points when I sang a couple of bars of 'Try To Remember' on the way home. I had been in choir all through junior high and high school. I was even in a band, where I sang and played guitar, while in high school; just 'gigs' like birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, or irritating tweenager parties. We made a little money, but broke up at graduation; all the members went to different colleges, or into 'the world of work'.
Bella
For the next couple of months, Bonnie and I started dating exclusively and regularly. We became intimate in September; we made love and treated each other to many a happy night and, or day, as we learned about each other's likes and dislikes -personally, romantically, and sexually.