I saw her at a private party. She was tall and as gorgeous as I have ever seen a woman in my life: Long blonde hair, sea-blue eyes one can drown in, a pretty face, and a model-like figure. At that moment I knew I had to have her. She hardly spoke with the people who surrounded her, but her presence was felt throughout the room. Every man ogled her, though her cold demeanor made people hesitate to approach her.
I wasn't like the others. I was 26, 6'1", 190 pounds, a former quarterback in college, and was told on multiple occasions I was handsome. In the past, I had too many affairs to count and never got a rejection. I was convinced I'd succeed this time as well.
I approached her and said, "Lady, we don't know each other. I think that you are the prettiest girl I've ever seen, and I'd like to learn more about you. My name is Ben Grossman, and this is my phone number."
Her eyes inspected me, and with a smile, she blurted, "Thank you for the compliment, but I am not interested."
If she mentioned she had a boyfriend or was lesbian, I would have accepted it. However, 'not interested' was the first rejection I ever gotten. I was embarrassed, humiliated, and furious...
...
A year has passed. One day, I walked on Main Street and saw her strolling with another gal. I approached them and said, "Hi, remember me?"
She hesitated for a moment and then grinned, "You are Ben, right?"
I smiled, "If you remembered my name, it's a good sign. By the way, my offer still stands."
She chuckled, "I'll consider it."
We separated, and I still didn't find out her name.
A week later, I got a call from an unfamiliar number. Usually, I wouldn't answer, but something made me pick up the phone, "It's Ben. How can I help you?"
I heard her soft voice, and my heart skipped a beat, "It's me, Eva. I thought I'd give it a try."
"Eva, it's wonderful to hear from you. May I ask what made you change your mind?"
"Remember the party a year ago? Two days after the party, I met Robert, the host. He wanted to know if I had good time at the party. I mentioned that Ben approached me. He smiled and said you were a great football player and loved partying, but you were also a good friend and a great guy. I thought of calling you, but I misplaced your number and thought it was a sign from god that I shouldn't call. A week ago, I met you again. I was too shy to ask your phone number again. But when you left, my girlfriend stared at me and said, "Eva, I think you are nuts. This guy is a real stud. Unless he is a murderer or a known rapist, I'd date him in a second." I behaved nonchalantly, but I became curious. I asked Robert for your last name and phone number. The rest is history."
"I am happy you phoned. Can we go somewhere together where we can talk?"
"There is a nice park I like to stroll in. It has beautiful old trees, a small handmade lake, and colorful flowers. We can talk there."
"When are you available?"
"How about tomorrow at 6 pm? We'll meet at the parking lot at the entrance."
"See you there."
...
It took me less time than I thought to reach the park, so I arrived a little early. I sat in my Toyota Camry, waiting for Eva. I saw her BMW slowly entering the parking spot in front of me. She exited the car and looked terrific: She wore a short sleeve blouse, a midi style skirt, and comfortable shoes. Her hair was flowing freely in the breeze...
I got out of the car and smiled at her, "Thank you for accepting my offer. Would you like to eat or drink something before we enter the park?"
"No. I ate a sandwich at 5."
As we started strolling, I asked her, "Eva, tell me a little about you."
Her million-dollar smile appeared, "I am 25, a single child, in first year of medical school, following my father's footsteps. I love photography. I'd like to travel abroad but didn't have time to do it yet."
"I am an amateur photographer myself. Most of my traveling I did in this country, but I've also visited the Canadian Rockies, Paris, and Iceland."
"I am jealous. Obviously, you have more time than me. When I graduate, I hope to go on vacations to faraway places like Japan, New Zealand, and Chile."
Slowly, the initial tension dissipated, and we felt comfortable talking. The time passed fast. Suddenly, we realized the sun was setting.
I gazed at her, "Eva, I liked talking to you and would love us to meet again. What do you think?"
"I agree. I feel the same way."
We started dating officially 10 days later, and that was the first time I kissed her on the lips. We fondled, but she refused to have sex until we got engaged, which happened to be the first time I was invited to dinner with her parents.
I was anxious about meeting them but Eva said they were nice and I shouldn't worry. I brought a bouquet of pink and white roses to her mother and a bottle of good wine for her father.
Eva opened the door and looked smashing in her short white dress. She saw the flowers and joked I was trying to bribe her mother. I grinned, "If I knew it might work, I'd buy a more impressive bouquet."
Her father showed up first. He was almost my height and looked distinguished. He extended his hand to me, gave me a stern look, and said, "It's a pleasure to meet the guy my daughter found good enough to date."
I smiled, "I hope I can meet her expectations."
He said, "My name is Doctor Dean Miller, but you can call me Dean. My wife, Heidi, is taking her time in the bedroom, but she'll be out shortly." And then he left.
Eva's mother exited the bedroom 5 minutes later. She looked very different than Eva: She was shorter and much more voluptuous. Her hair was shoulder length, light brown and her face was cute and smiley. She had on a tight, short dress that hugged her like a glove, but unlike her daughter's, it was black. She came toward me and kissed my cheek, "Hi, Ben. I heard a lot about you. Eva doesn't talk much about her private life, but I know her well enough to notice that she is fond of you.
Eva blushed, "Mom!..."