I hated it. One of my Saturday football-watching group, Phillip, was getting married, and I was expected to attend. Among his 3 buddies, Jay had to care for his sick daughter, and Leo was abroad on a trip to Italy. This meant that during the ceremony, I'd be there with nobody I knew, and nobody to talk to. I felt miserable but than decided that sacrificing one evening for a friend wasn't so bad. I shaved, dressed, and left the house praying for a short wedding night.
I arrived half an hour after the starting time. The large yard where the event took place had about 50 people of all ages. I moved toward Phillip. He was surrounded by a large group of relatives, chatting happily. I passed in front of him, showing I was there, and then strolled to one of the corners to sit on a chair. One of the large tables had only 5 people at one end, so I moved to the other end, poured a glass of white wine, and sat down, watching the crowd and the other tables.
About 10 minutes later, I noticed a young blonde girl sitting among a group of older folks. She was staring into a tiny mirror, trying to fix her lipstick. She was by far the most interesting sight around, and while I continued surveying the other tables, my gaze returned to her frequently. When she was happy with her lips, she looked around and our eyes met. I smiled at her. She smiled back and then turned to the man close to her and started chatting with him. I continued ogling her, trying to do it in a subtle, non offending way. For the next 20 minutes, she didn't glance in my direction. Then she stood up and walked to a dark corner of the yard. I wasn't sure what she was doing. Did she plan to smoke? Had a private phone call? I watched her for 5 minutes but she was just standing by herself, doing nothing.
I had no idea what made me do it, but I found myself writing my phone number on a piece of paper and walking in her direction. When I was close to her, I stopped and said, "Lady, I have no idea who you are, whether you are married or have a boyfriend. I was impressed by your look and walk, and I think you are the most attractive girl I've seen in my life. I am unattached and would love to meet you for a coffee at your convenience. It may sound clichΓ©, yet I have never used this line in my life. This is my phone number. If you're interested, please call me, my name is Nathan. Enjoy the rest of the evening." And then I turned back and mingled with the crowd, occasionally gazing in her direction.
She continued standing in her corner. In the next 10 minutes, I saw two other young guys approaching and talking to her. After half an hour I went to Phillip, apologized for interrupting, and said, "Congratulations. It was a great wedding ceremony. Talk to you soon." I left shortly afterward.
I hadn't gotten a phone call for 3 days, and it was clear the blonde girl forgot about me or was not interested. I started preparing for my upcoming exam, spending much of my time at home or the library.
Thursday evening my cell rang. On the screen was an unfamiliar number. Probably a mistake, but I answered anyway, "Hello?"
A cheerful voice answered, "Hi, this is Faith."
"Sorry ma'am, I don't know any faith. Are you sure you dialed the right number?"
"Are you Nathan?"
"Yes."
She hesitated, "I am the woman you talked to at Phillip's wedding."
"Oh, I am sorry. I haven't heard your voice before, and you didn't tell me your name so I didn't recognize you. Thank you for calling. It took you a long time, I thought you weren't interested."
She had a throaty laugh, "I would never meet a guy just because he decided to introduce himself. I waited 2 days, and called Phillip to ask him about you. He said you were a nice guy, despite being awful at choosing your favorite football team."
I giggled, "That's Phillip. Look, I do not know where you live, but I'll be happy to meet you at a coffee place near your house."
"Sounds good. How about tomorrow, Friday evening, at 6:30 in Starbucks on Lincoln Street?"
"Faith, I'll be there. And again, thank you for agreeing to see me."
...
I was nervous. I've dated 3 other girls before, but Faith was the first one I didn't know anything about. I wondered if I shouldn't have called Phillip and learn more about her. Well, it was too late now.
I arrived 5 minutes early, sat at a table for 2 near the large window, and waited. She arrived 10 minutes later. I saw her walking on the half-empty street. Did I say walking? She was gliding! Her stroll was very sensual. She wore a midi-style skirt and a summery blouse. Faith was tall, I'd say 5'8", 140 pounds, blonde, straight hair, and a nice figure.
She approached me and I stood up. She extended her hand, "Nathan, according to Phillip you are a catch, are you?"
I smiled, "I don't care what Phillip says, I never trusted the jerk. The only reason I stick around is to keep an eye on him and prevent him from getting into trouble."
She grinned, "By the way you two talk about each other, I can tell you are good friends."
"Lady, I'll never admit it in a court of law!"
"Nathan, tell me about yourself."
"I am 22, senior year at UCLA, and planning to become an architect. I love to travel with friends and photography. I watch football but never played it. Occasionally I play tennis with people I meet at LA Fitness. But enough about me. I'd like to hear about your life."
"I am 20 years old, Study in USC, and want to become a lawyer. I am a vegan, love old movies and would like to travel, but I was too busy until now to travel much. I haven't been outside California yet."
"Faith, you are a classic Californian - Blonde, in good shape, vegan. Are you and your parents 'pure American' or come from a country in Scandinavia?"
"I recall asking my mother the same question years ago. She said we are Americans, but at least one of the grandmothers immigrated from England."
"If you had a week's vacation, where would you go to?"
Her eyes glistened, "I always dreamed of going to exotic places - Japan, Morocco, Galapagos Islands. However, if the question is about places in the USA, I'd visit some of the national parks, or farther, to Hawaii and Alaska."
"Interesting. I feel the same way. My friends, including Phillip, dream about Italy, France, Spain, but my preferred destinations would be your choices."
We continued talking, and I found her to be easy to talk to, pleasant, and... extremely good looking.
She must have felt the same way because the next time I looked at my watch it was around 10 pm. I stood up, smiled, and blurted, "Faith, I wasted too much of your time. It was a pleasure talking to you. I'd love to see you again, but I don't want to be pushy. So if you are interested, please text me. I really want to date you if I have a chance."
She stood up too, came toward me, kissed my cheek, and said, "Nathan, I like you. I don't see a reason to postpone something we can agree on right now. When would you like to see me again?"