A Story. In Parts. (II) in Open Diary 2001-2018 (Pre-Prosebox)

(Part 2 in a continuing series)

Cindy, my friend and counterpart at work, asked me a few weeks ago if I’d like to go see a show at a venue close to my place. Might as well, I thought…much better than sitting home feeling sorry for myself. Plus, I LOVE going to concerts and shows, and it had been a while since I’d gone with anyone other than EXMS (besides the fluke Tom Waits show with TMG—what an unbelievable treat that was!).

Anyway. Saturday night rolled around, and I hadn’t heard from Cindy. It was starting to get dark, and she finally called and said that she’d tried to find tickets online, but the only ones she could find were approaching $100, and she said she’d much rather use the cash for shoes!!

I thought, eh…I could take the show or leave it, since I didn’t know much about the band in the first place. But I told her to come over anyway (the venue is a block from my loft), we’d go to the box office, and if the tickets were sold out and we couldn’t find any scalps, we could go to something else anyway. Lots of things to do close by, and I just didn’t want to be alone.

Cindy tends to run late, and I was still pretty “eh” about the whole thing, but she finally showed up and we sort of trudged over to the venue, half expecting not to get in.

But, SURPRISE! There were tickets available at the box office, and we made our way into the line of people. While waiting, we both checked out the crowd. I was actually quite pleased with this particular group…lots of tall, cool-looking guys and super-hip girls.

And as I was checking out our fellow folks in line, I suddenly found myself being chatted up by this pretty handsome, very talkative guy standing right next to me in line. He was definitely flirting, and Cindy was nudging me in his direction! We talked the whole way into the place (about a 30-minute wait), and we even got in beer/drink lines right next to each other.

But something happened. And I’m not sure what it was. He suddenly just stopped talking to me. Perhaps I offended him by turning from time to time to talk to Cindy. I don’t know. But the air became strangely tense (whatever!), and I finally just decided to give up and focus on the tasks at hand: get beer/drinks and find a good place to watch the show.

Finally got drinks, the show started, and we found a place to stand kind of close to the back. I’d told Cindy that I didn’t want to get myself squished in the crowd because I’m a wee bit claustrophobic, but Cindy would have nothing to do with that (actually, she was very respectful of my wishes, she just led me to a better location). A MUCH better location)…

A great vantage point, not squished, and wouldn’t you know? Cindy immediately pointed out the HOTTTT guy who I ended up standing beside. And just as she was doing so, this handsome stranger turned to me and clinked his drink with mine and flashed an amazing smile.

Not only that, but every time the music got quiet enough for a quick bit of conversation, he’d turn to me and we’d yammer on about the music and other shows we’d been to at that particular venue, and bands we like and on and on…

The show just got better and better!

And then, this handsome stranger told me about how he’d just moved into the neighborhood. And I asked him where he moved. Guess what? My building! And guess what else he said when I told him that I lived there too??

He looked at me hard and long and quizzically (is that a word?). And finally he asked, “Wait a second…do you happen to drive a blue convertible [my car]?”

**blink**

“Ummmm, yeah, why??”

“Okay, please don’t think I’m weird or that I’m a stalker or anything, but I was going to put a note on your car…”

**blink**

“Do you remember a couple weeks ago…you opened the door for me and my kids. And I wondered who you were. I wanted to find out, so I was either going to put a note on your car, which would have been creepy and strange, OR I was going to ask the concierge, but I didn’t think that he’d give me any information about you… Anyway, I’ve been trying to figure out who you are for weeks now!”

GOOD GOD, IT WAS THE HOTTTT DAD!!

We just looked at each other with our mouths kind of gaping open in amazement! Or something (???). Who cares? How cool was that? We ended up standing right next to each other in a sea of hundreds and hundreds of people!

You see, I told you I was having a hard time focusing on the details of everyday life! I didn’t even recognize him without his kids. And I guess he didn’t recognize me without bags of cat food! It was sooooooo crazy and cool and really quite exciting (and tingly if I might add).

I was so excited, and I tried to explain the whole thing to Cindy above all the music and the amazing lights and OHHHH, what a SHOWWWW (honestly, the show was phenomenal, with or without the serendipity)!!

But I knew I wasn’t going to be able to explain clearly, so we all just went back to enjoying the atmosphere, the sights, the sounds, the crowd, and (for me) the tingly sensation…oh yeah.

And when it was all over, it really wasn’t all over! Because Hot New Neighbor Dad and his friend walked Cindy and me back to OUR place where we all said goodnight to Cindy (after hugs and winks between the two of us!), and then HNND (who will get a new name eventually during this story, I’m sure), his friend and I all walked into the building together.

Turns out, he lives on the 5th floor (I live on the 8th). When the elevator stopped on 5, HNND handed his keys to his friend and said he’d be there shortly.

And there we were, alone on the elevator…this handsome not-so-stranger and me. In a flash of fantasy, I could actually see myself kissing him right then and there. Like, for hours if I needed to (and I really needed to). You know, one of those spontaneous all-night sessions where your lips get all chapped and raw and he works his way down your neck and you melt and melt and melt..

Instead, he rode up the elevator with me, and when we stopped on 8, he calmly asked for my number (while I gushed like an idiot), and told me that he’d really like to see me again—soon.

I walked out and the elevator doors closed. And I did one of those insanely ridiculous dances alllll the way down the hall and into my loft and I think I just tore my clothes off and leapt into bed with the most awesome feeling of having a fantastic evening with a million great surprises rolled up in one giant, bursting package of WOW!!

Yes, it was that good for me. I think I needed that night to happen exactly like it did more than I’ve needed just about anything else in my life. I kid you NOT. As low as my ego has fallen in the past few months, that buoyed it back so that I at least had a heartbeat.

I do believe in small, strange miracles.

(to be continued)