Soap Opera Sunday – College Four

You can catch up with this story here, here and here.

And the kiss was good.

Not sloppy, not aggressive and not a peck, either.

I was happy.

More dancing and kissing ensued. Then the dinner dance was over and we went back to the chalet. Everyone took turns changing into sweats – I suppose to make it easier to imbibe copious amounts of alcohol. Which they did. Okay, we did.

There was some goodnight kissing and then much needed sleep. The next day we headed back to Dartmouth, then John drove me back to Boston. More kissing.

Then back to real life. John and I talked on the phone every few days (this was before cell phones, kids – John shared the frat phone with twenty other guys and I had to pay extra for long distance). I think we had one more date (a museum, dinner, much kissing) before we declared that we were boyfriend and girlfriend. Which didn’t really change how (not) often we saw each other.

After about two months, it was my birthday. I was 21. John was sailing in some big regatta and thus unavailable the entire weekend. Not that I let that bother me. My birthday is July 2nd (I stayed in Boston that summer to work as a camp counselor and take a class. . ..and party with my best friend), so I went out with my best friend on the first (because cool bars would let me in). I don’t remember much, though I do remember thinking it would be cool to stand on Commonwealth Avenue and show my friend the dance I was teaching my campers. At midnight. While singing off-key.

The next day we drove to New Jersey for the huge party my mom was throwing for my dad and me (his birthday is also the 2nd and he was turning 50). The party was fun, though there was some teasing from (male) friends about my apparently imaginary boyfriend. The next night my friend Todd took me on my first trip to a gay bar, thus ensuring a lifetime of faghagdom. On the fourth, a bunch of us went to Hoboken (like partying in NYC, but cheaper and less intimidating) to see the fireworks. And drink.

(What stamina I had back in the day!)

And while drinking and looking at cute boys with Todd it occurred to me that even if one of the cute boys approached me, I couldn’t do anything about it. Because I had a boyfriend. Who I never saw.

Soon after getting back to Boston, I broke up with John. We agreed that our timing was off and left things open. I was a bit sad, but mostly I felt free again. And I really thought I’d hear from John if he wound up moving to Boston (he had just graduated and didn’t know what he wanted to do).

When school started again, I nearly fell over when I saw him at the huge (seriously, football field sized huge) club recruitment fest. You know the one, where all the upperclassmen try to recruit the freshmen for their clubs and intramural teams?

What the hell was he doing on my campus and why hadn’t he called me?

Please go to Abish’s blog for my soapy goodness, and check out founders Brillig’s and Kate’s blogs!