I walked into the malt shop not surprised to find it pretty empty. It was early evening and things wouldn't really pick up until later, after the drive-in let out. Despite driving what I thought was a pretty cool van, I didn't have a date that night so I figured I'd check out the malt shop to see if there were any other losers like me. I was surprised to see a familiar, if dejected-looking, face in a booth near the back. As my heart went pitter-pat, I debated whether to approach her, maybe offer an ear or, better yet, a shoulder, if she needed one. I hesitated only because I didn't want to bother her if she wanted to be alone. Then I realized that if she had wanted to be alone, she wouldn't be at the malt shop.
She didn't look up as I approached, but I was relieved that she smiled up at me when I said "Hello." I'd known Velma all through high school; we were almost always in the same classes. I'd had a crush on her for a pretty long time, too; she was so smart and funny and sweet and her body...oh my God! Facially, maybe she was nothing special, sort of plain, and she was actually kind of nerdy, not unlike me. I don't know how many stories I'd heard about her losing her glasses. But I honestly don't know how she didn't have every guy in school lusting after that body of hers. She always seemed to wear tight sweaters that showed of her incredible rack, and the shortest skirts possible. Oh, how I dreamed of seeing what was under that sweater and under that skirt!
She invited me to sit, which I did, and after ordering a root beer float I asked her if she was all right. She let out an exasperated sigh then started to tell me how she was finally fed up. She'd been going out of her way for years trying to get Fred's attention, hoping that if her intelligence didn't spark his interest, maybe her tight sweaters would. She was finally facing the fact that he was never going to think of her "in that way." She could not have imagined the exhilaration I was experiencing at that moment. I let her vent for a little while, getting her frustrations off of her impressive chest, then, when she appeared to have it all out, I put my two cents in.
I told her that her revelation came as a relief to me and that I was sure I wouldn't be the only one. When she looked at me inquisitively, I let her know that there were a lot of us out there who were interested in her and who definitely thought of her "in that way." She seemed a bit incredulous, so I assured her that if she was truly sincere about taking her blinders off, she would surely notice how infatuated so many of us were. She smiled her beautiful smile and I honestly believe at that moment she saw me in an entirely different light.
"You say 'we' and 'us,' but I get the feeling you would prefer I just notice you," she said, reaching out to take my hand, "I don't know how I never saw it before. You've always been there for me and I've totally taken you for granted."
The bitterness she'd been feeling when I'd arrived had suddenly evaporated. We just sat there staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. I felt much bolder than I had when I'd first approached the table, so I asked my next question with confidence.
"Its still early, would you like to go to the drive-in?" Her eyes lit up.
"You know," she said, "I have been to the drive-in with groups of friends a bunch of times but I have never actually been there on a date. I'd be honored to go with you for my first."