The minute I met him I knew he was someone special, the man who I should wake up next to every day, who should infiltrate my dreams and fantasies, and be the one to excite my body as I had always felt it deserved. However, the platinum band on my left hand reminded me of the fact that I already had someone to wake up to each day. But the day I met Ryan, oh I’ll never forget.
I was sitting on a park bench outside the mall, sneakily devouring the burger, fries and milkshake that would ruin my “healthy lifestyle.” My husband, Edward, and I had a daily routine that was very organized, very regimented, and very safe. Plenty of exercise, healthy food, intellectual discussion and boring sex; that was marriage to Edward. Once a week, on Thursdays, I had a date with myself to do something that broke my strict diet and the tedium that was my life. Little did I know that today a cheeseburger and fries were not the only things that would shake the boredom from me.
I almost missed him. I was sitting, poking the last bites of my burger into my mouth and digging into the container to find the last crumbles of fries I could reach. I looked around and sensing that the coast was clear reached to lick the last bit of grease from my fingers.
He walked up to the bench and asked, “Mind if I sit down?” I looked up at him, my pointer finger still within my lips.
“Not at all,” I replied feeling embarrassed at my ravenous appearance upon first sight.
Ryan was not the male model type of guy but for some reason I couldn’t get the thought of his piercing gray eyes, his plump kissable lips, or his knowing, intelligent smile out of my mind.
He was that kind of guy who could run his fingers through his wavy dark hair in a way that made you feel like you were in a movie and that all of the sudden his voice was on mute and your eyes focused on his hand moving in slow motion through his hair.
I sat on the bench wanting to turn to look at him again, to say something but I couldn’t so I pulled out my Cosmo and began to read. I had no real reason to stay there, but for some reason I found myself glued to the bench.
“Any good sex tips in there?” he broke the silence and I almost swallowed my tongue.
“Be cool.” I thought while trying desperately to come up with something fabulous to say. What came out was, “I don’t know.” Feeling sure I had blown it, I turned back to the article I’d been reading.
“So, can’t a guy ask a girl about sex tips? It’s 2004 you know.” he said as my heart danced and I began to tingle in areas I didn’t know were still intact.
“Well, of course you can. What would you like to know?”
“I’d like to know how a beautiful woman like you is sitting here all alone on a day like today?” his charm pulling me in.
“It’s just a line,” I thought. At the same time I wondered if he could sense the nervousness in my stomach and the aching between my legs. But as we talked I recognized in him all the characteristics I had been hoping he wouldn’t have, a great sense of humor, intelligence and a bit of sarcasm.
“Damn,” I pondered this wonder sitting in front of me, “I was hoping he’d just be another jerk I could blow off without thought.” Not today, and definitely not Ryan.
After nearly 45 minutes of conversation I was hooked. But I knew that soon I would have to leave him to head home to join my life, the one that would tick right along whether I joined in or not.
Then Ryan interrupted my thoughts. “Hey, do you like music?”
“Of course,” I responded.