This happened when I was just out of college and working for an advertising agency in Manhattan. It began as a ground floor level job, but I am very convincing when making presentations to clients, so I was rising fast. I was also working on my masters in marketing which the company liked to see.
It was February and I was working on a presentation and couldn't leave work early that day. Many of my coworkers did because of the blizzard that was bearing down on the city. I made a call to a hotel that we have a business relationship with and was able to book one of the last rooms available for that night.
Apparently everyone was expecting the worse and didn't want to have to sit at their desks all night or make what could be a treacherous trip home to the suburbs, which is where I lived.
I worked until about 7pm, not concerned about the weather once I knew I had a room, the hotel was only a block away.
One block seemed like a mile with the wind and snow blowing, but I made it without too much trouble. My plan was to go to the pub off the main lobby grab a bite to eat then go to my room.
The lobby was packed with people trying to find a room and a few lucky ones like me that had reservations. While standing in line to check in I noticed a woman sitting in one of the lobby chairs that looked so familiar to me. When she turned and I saw her full face I knew instantly it was Mrs. Graham my high school English teacher and senior class advisor.
As soon as I checked in I walked over to her and said "Mrs. Graham is that you?"
She looked up from her chair and gave me a big smile "Gloria what a wonderful surprise," she said while standing to give me a hug.
We exchange some compliments and she asked about my brother whom she also taught, but two years after me.
"So Mrs. Graham what brings you here on such an awful day," I asked
"I was in town meeting some friends for lunch and a show. With the storm warnings we had lunch and skipped the show. They live north of the city and went home. I figured since I was here I would get a hotel room and spend the night, I need a little vacation. However, every place is full and I'm at a loss as what to do now. I was just sitting here thinking about that when you walked up."
"Not to worry, you can stay with me, I have a room here," I said.
"I don't want to put you out," she said.
"You won't be putting me out at all. I'd love it, we can grab a quick bite to eat in the pub then go to our room," I said
"As long as you don't mind Gloria it sounds like a plan to me," she said giving me another hug.
You know how kids have a crush on a teacher when in high school, well Mrs. Graham was the one I had a crush on. I discovered I liked girls when I was just starting high school, actually I thought I might be gay even though I like boys, the whole thing had me confused, but I know I had the hots for Mrs. Graham. I tried to let her know how I felt when she was my teacher, but she didn't react at all, so I never knew if she didn't hear me, didn't care or didn't know what to say.
We waited to be seated in the pub, the bar was jammed and you couldn't hold a conversation so we waited for a table. We were lucky enough to be seated at a table for two in a quiet corner.
She told me about her husband and her children and I told her about my fiancé and how we met.
I must have called her Mrs. Graham a dozen times when she said "Gloria, I'm not your teacher any longer call me Marge."
"Hello Marge I'm Gloria," I said laughing.
