I've just left the "Eagle's Club" where I have spent the last four hours drinking two for one draft beers and watching the NFL draft with my brother and a couple of friends. It has been pouring down rain for the last few hours. My girlfriend is at a wedding reception just down the road, so I had my brother drop me off at the front door of the Knights of Columbus building.
I am getting ready to go inside. It is thundering and lightning behind me. Needless to say, I am pretty drunk and should have really went home to crash. In my intoxicated state, I ignore common sense. I pull on the door handle and take a step inside. Having been outside for just a few seconds, I am drenched with water. My clothes are wet. I am not really dressed for a wedding either, wearing jeans and a football jersey. None the less, I look around until I find my much younger girlfriend, Lydia.
She is dancing with her sisters and a friend, in the middle of the dance floor. She sees me standing in the doorway. I big smile lights up her face and she rushes over to me. My girlfriend looks absolutely gorgeous in her bridesmaid dress. I want to push her onto a table and do her right here in front of everyone, but I won't. She runs up and gives me a big hug. I hug her back, holding onto her for a little bit of support as my head spins from all the movement around me and the loud music.
Lydia says, "I didn't think you were coming to the wedding."
"Surprise." I blurt into her ear.
I am sure she can tell how drunk I am. She takes me by the hand and leads me over to her table. We sit down and chat for a few moments before a slow song starts to play.
"This is the last slow song. Come dance with me." she says, looking into my eyes with her irresistible puppy dog eyes.
How could I say no? "Okay" I say, trying to speak as little as possible.
She takes me by the hand and drags me onto the dance floor. I pull her in tight and wrap my arms around her waist. She puts her arms around my shoulders and gives me a long kiss. I pull her body tight against mine and press her hips against my body. I push my hips against her, thinking I am being funny.
Lydia pulls her hips back a few inches and whispers, "My family is watching, quit."
Here is where I need to stop and give you a little bit of background. Lydia just turned 18 just a few months ago. I am 26 years old. I have known her since she was 13 years old. She is the sister in law of my best friend. She was hitting on me throughout her high school years, but I ignored her because she was not of age. She put on full court press the day she turned 18. She is gorgeous and sexy as hell. I cannot lie. I had no choice, but to give in and date her now that she is legal age. We have not done anything more than kiss and pet up until now. As far as I know, she is still a virgin. I cannot say the same.
"I am sorry." I say to Lydia.
I do my best to keep in step with her as we turn in circles slowly. Not the best situation for someone who has had a lot to drink. My feet feel like they are buried in concrete. The song seems like it is 10 minutes long. Finally, the song ends. I wonder towards the restroom to get rid of a few of the many ounces of alcohol I have consumed. On my way back out, I grab a plastic cup full of pretzels. The pretzels taste so delicious. I devour them as I make my way through the crowd of people.
The next thing I know, the lights come on and the music ends. Everyone is moving so fast around me in several different directions. All the talking seems to blur into one big mess of sounds. Lydia grabs my arm and says, "Come on. My sister is going to take us back to my house."
That is fine with me, because I live just a block away from her. I stand up and do my best to follow her. We walk all around the dance hall looking for her sister, but cannot find her. The crowd has quickly dwindled down to less than 20 people. Her sister is nowhere to be found.
Lydia decides to stick her head outside and see if she can see her sister's car. Her sister rushes in and says, "We are going to the bar. You guys are going to have to find another ride. We don't have any more room."
"What the fuck?" Lydia says, pissed that we are being left behind.
Her sister immediately does a 180 and heads back outside.
"How are we going to get home?" I ask with slurred words. "Can anyone else take us home?"
"I don't know anyone else." she says with anger in her voice.
"What are we going to do then?" I ask, in no condition to make decisions.
"I guess we are going to have to walk home." she says.
"Okay." I answer.
Luckily, we live in a small farm town and walking across town is only about a mile at most. We live in the central part of town, just south of the main street. A set of railroad tracks runs from the Knights of Columbus building toward our houses. The train tracks are only a block from our house, so we decided to venture out into the pouring rain, lightning and thunder, and walk along the tracks. I give Lydia my football jersey in an attempt to keep her warm.
So here she is walking in a bridesmaid dress, a football jersey and heels along a set of railroad tracks. I am walking beside her wearing only a white tee shirt and jeans. A cool wind is blowing the rain into our faces as we walk along the wood planks on the railroad.