Note: As a wedding gift to my wife, I wrote this story and the story of my proposal to her. Months earlier, I had surreptitiously asked her to write the same two stories from her perspective. The wedding gift was a compilation of the four stories. Sorry, buy you'll only be getting my version of events here!
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It all started during the United States Air Force Academy Second Basic Cadet Training for entering Class of 1997. Ah, the sight and smell of dirty smacks (freshman) in the morning out at Jack's Valley. The first thing I remember about my future wife was during a morning formation; I was taking stock of the smacks that would soon be entering into CS-36. Quite a motley group. Of course, five-minute cold showers with about 100 other people at the same time doesn't do much for appearances. Not a bad bunch of smacks, all in all. Except for that one there. Why does he have his finger so far up his nose during formation? Digging for gold? Hmmm... Who is that blonde one with the BCGs? What is it about her? She's handling herself better here than most guys. That must be it.
Little did I know...
A year later, it was the first semester of my last year on the hill. Despite the daunting course load, life was good. A little way into the semester, I fell into the typical firsty (senior) rut of hitting the squadron assembly room (SAR) after intramurals for some mindless TV-watching. After a few weeks, most of the people that came into the SAR at that time were regulars. We always watched the same shows. At first, it was Battlestar Galactica. That was replaced by Buck Rogers. Finally, Quantum Leap was the show to watch every day.
Among the four or five firsties haunting the SAR, there were a couple of underclassmen -- mostly 3-degrees (sophomores). One of these happened to be that blonde.
After Buck Rogers was replaced by Quantum Leap, I wasn't planning on hanging out in the SAR. I mean, come on, Buck Rogers was so disco, it had incredible entertainment value in making fun of it. But that's about the time she started lingering in the SAR. I found myself thinking again, there was something about her.
I stayed and "watched" Quantum Leap. Over the next few weeks, I'd make all kinds of excuses to sit by her, talk to her, etc... I must say that I impressed even myself in the lameness of some of the excuses I conjured up.
Near the end of the semester, I started driving 3-degrees out to dinner and movies since they didn't have cars of their own. They also knew that if they asked, I'd usually say yes. I always made a point to make sure she knew about it and was invited along. She always came, and we somehow managed to sit by each other at restaurants and movies.
It wasn't long before just the two of us were going out. Ostensibly, it was to run errands and such, and we'd go to a restaurant or a movie as an afterthought.
Yeah, right.
One of these "errand runs" stands out in my mind with particular clarity. She needed to go out to the Springs to buy a new coat. We shopped around a few stores and then got something to eat at Bennigan's. We talked about what new movies were out, and much to our mutual amazement, we both wanted to go see a movie that was playing.
I can't believe we didn't acknowledge the noses on our faces.
We went to the movie -- as friends, of course. Afterward, driving back to the Academy, I noticed that it was a clear night. I recalled that there was an incredible view of the city at night from one of the roadside lots near the cadet area. So, without saying anything about it, I drove to the spot and pulled off the road. I can't remember what I said exactly, but it had something to do with how I could sit and watch the city lights for hours.
Suddenly, it hit me that she might be thinking that I wanted to "park" and was making a pass at her. It must have seemed to her that I tore out of that lot like a bat out of hell. All that kept running through my mind was that she thought I was a pervert and she must hate me. I could not believe how stupid I was to not anticipate how that would seem to her.
Well, duh!
Much to my relief, she didn't hold it against me.
Despite all this time we had been spending together and the obvious way that we liked each other, we were nothing more than friends. At the end of the semester, I went home on Christmas leave thinking of nothing but her (and those damn birthday bagels that we got stiffed on).
Several weeks into my last semester at the Academy, I came up with an idea. And let me tell you, I thought I was quite the clever guy for coming up with it, too. I got my uncle's condo up in Winter Park for a weekend, and decided to ask her if she'd like to go skiing. As I was getting ready to ask her, a strange sensation came over me. Extreme nervousness. Little did I know that this sensation would revisit me months later in Mississippi, and it would be on steroids.
I asked her if she'd like to go up to Winter Park for the weekend to go skiing. Incredibly, she said that she would. Later that day, after pondering the situation for a while, I came to the conclusion that she must think others would be going, too. Better get this straightened out. I told her that no one else was going, and she didn't seem to mind that we would be the only two there.
Hot damn!
Things were a bit awkward at first. You know, we're all alone and far from anyone else -- what the hell were we supposed to do? She set up camp in the bedroom and I planted myself on a fold-out bed in the living room.
The next day we went skiing, and when we got back we were ready to just sit and relax through the following day. Of course, that didn't happen. After a day of talking, snowball fights, something about ice cubes, and watching TV, the inevitable wrestling/tickling match took place.
What better excuse to get really close when you're not officially dating? It was just like the cheese in all those chick-flicks: we eventually ended up face to face. Close. It was the most natural thing in the world for it to lead into a kiss.
The moment I longed for had finally arrived. I can still feel the way her lips pressed to mine, the touch of her hand on my neck, and how warm and soft she felt as I held her close.
Our first kiss. I will never forget it.
Comments:
peahayes (May 4, 2008. 10:59pm)
sniffle...
intrepideddie (May 5, 2008. 03:51am)
I know... I didn't develop my potty-mouth style of writing until later. Of course, receiving stories with a bunch of 4-letter words in them as a wedding present may have been a bit off-putting.
peahayes (May 5, 2008. 05:02am)
Well, yes, it would be. But your stories are one thing and your love life is another, although sometimes they may overlap. Are you still a romantic? Or at least, occasionally?
intrepideddie (May 5, 2008. 11:59am)
Occasionally. But not anywhere near as often as I should. I find it amazing that she still tolerates me.
PandoraBox (May 5, 2008. 03:24pm)
Sniffle again...people are going to wonder what I sniff about...