Boy #2, is actually how Gordon and I got together.  I met Stuart and Gordon at my brother's then girlfriend, Vicky's, 16th birthday.  I was about the only uncoupled person at the party.  I actually didn't even know Vicky really.  I met her on a couple of occasions, but didn't really know her.  Michael begged me to go to the party, because Vicky wanted to break up with him, and he was devastated.  He thought I could talk to her, and keep things good between them.  I truly didn't want to go.  Mum intervened and said the only way Michael was getting the car that night, was if I went too.  Off I went.

So, I sat there at my first teen party, watching with interest all the others filtering in.  I didn't really know most of them, as I was 16 and in grade 10, and they were all (or I thought) 17/18 and in grades 11 and 12.  Trust me, grade 10 and 11/12 didn't mix.  We wanted too, but we generally didn't.  I loved watching people, still do, and so was sitting in a corner chair, close to the door, watching everyone filter in.  Michael duly introduced me to most of the people.  I had met some of them on a previous rollerskating outing (the old roller skates, with the 2 sets of wheels on them), which Michael dragged me kicking and screaming to.

Let's see, the couples: Nancy and David, Conor and Bonnie, Celine and Peter, Michael and Vicky, Andrew and Carol ... umm, I think that was it.  

Just about everyone was there, when the last two 'single' guy prospects walked in the door.  Oh boy, talk about slim pickins, if you were looking for the gorgeous department.  Both these poor souls got left behind the door, when looks were handed out - at least I was sure they were.  Hitherto, I had not realised I had such a callous disregard for character, and only honed in on looks.  

Stuart:  Tall, beanpole thin, beak-like nose, thin angular face, soft hands (eewww), sad eyes which almost looked long - rarely seemed to smile. Frizzy blond wiry hair. He acted like one of those geeky dudes out of place in any kind of group.

Gordon:  Faired only barely better than Stuart.  About the same height at beak-boy, coke bottles for glasses, long hair just past his shoulders, shy - way shy.  His outfit is what scared me the most.  We met in 1981 - he was wearing HUGE bell-bottom jeans, so tight you could snap peas on them.  I swear NOTHING was left to the imagination - except, at this point I had not imagination in that direction, so I wouldn't have known what I was suppose to be imagining .  He was wearing a purple and white , 1970's style too-small-for-him knit shirt, with a large pointed collar, unbuttoned to almost the base of his chest. It had this mind-numbing pattern on it ... wavy like rows and rows of wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww .  Topping this extraordinarily out of date outfit, was the ultimate in jackets.  It was a dark purple knit jean jacket look, with dark yellow stitching. It - he - was an assault to the eyes.

I decided right then and there - I didn't need a boyfriend.  Indeed I didn't want a boyfriend, if these were the only two blokes I had to chose from.  I was content to just be single - forever.

Stuart had other plans.  See Michael and I were very dear friends, for most of our lives, and at this point, the teenage years had not changed that.  Michael felt it was his brotherly duty to get me up and on my feet, make sure I had a good time.  So, he and I were doing a modified jitterbug dance, with the dips, swirls and twirls all that entailed, to the 'modern' music of our time.  Stuart thought I was beautiful - no surprise his Dad was one of the two town optometrists .  He asked me to dance.  I and said "yeah, I guess."  Michael was not pleased, but relinquished me to Stuart.  So we start to dance.  Problem #1 ... Stuart can't dance.  Problem #2 ... He thought he could.  Problem #3... Stuart had soft (ewww) puffy (double eww) sweaty (triple ewww) palms.  Problem #4 .... he lost his grip on me, after a particularly undignified spin.  Michael, to his credit, did try to catch me, but it was too late .. I went spinning, like some screwball B grade comedy routine, across the room.  I landed - KNEE DOWN - on Gordon.  Yep, down THERE, on Gordon.  I was mortified, apologising all over the place.  He, Gordon, took the opportunity to cop a hug - which sent Michael's blood pressure into the stratosphere!  Michael came and bodily picked me up away from the lecherous male.

A few days after the party, Stuart arrived at my house, to apologise for his oops.  He arrived the next day and the next day ... and well, you get the picture.  I thought he was nice, but I had zero interest in him, in that way.  He kept coming around.  One day, he came by on a Sunday and asked me if I'd like to go to a dog show.  I'd never seen one in my life, and was intrigued.  However, I didn't want to make him think I liked him as more than a friend, so I said no.  He asked me again, and said he didn't expect anything, liked me as a friend only, and just wanted to spend time with me.  I still felt wrong about it, but my mother was in heaven.  Her daughter was seeing the rich optometrists son - she urged me to go ... it was a great way to get to know each other better.  I was still reluctant, but I went.   It was an okay day, he was a nice person, just not the one for me, and I knew it.  Also, Wade had made me feel I only had one purpose for guys, and well, I didn't like that one purpose, so I was leery of all male interest now.  We got to the dog show, and he told me he didn't have any money, and would we like to go for a drive instead.  I suggested it would be nice to drop in on Gordon.  He and Gordon were good friends, and at this point I didn't have an interest in either boy, but I didn't want to be alone with Stuart.  So we went off and spent the afternoon with Gordon.  It was pleasant, but no earthshaking happened.  Though Gordon was definitely improving in my estimation.  He was quiet, unassuming, gentlemanly ... and sweet.  He was also improving in looks, in my eyes - not sure why, I didn't analyze it too closely.

Stuart drove me home that day, in his parents caddy.  We got to my yard, and as I went to get out of the car, he power locked all the doors.  He asked me if I'd go to his prom with him.  He said it was his graduating prom, and he didn't have a girlfriend, and I was about as close as it got.  I said I didn't think it was right, because, I didn't think of him as a boyfriend - at all.  He informed me he wasn't going to open the doors until I said yes.  Now, I have to admit, being a freshman (gr10) and being asked to the Seniors Prom, was definitely exciting.  I reluctantly agreed, but said if, between now - end of April, and the Prom date, if he found someone he really wanted to take, besides me, I would understand and we'd be fine.

So my first experience with preparing for Prom began.  Mum loved it.  The boy, the family, the prestige, the prom .. everything.  I wasn't too terribly thrilled, but off we went a galloping on the prom train.

Meanwhile, Gordon and I had been hitting it off more and more. I was always careful to keep it all very proper, and he always came out with Stuart, at Stuart's behest too.  However, I knew I was definitely having heady heart moments about Gordon, and feeling rather sad and awful about having zero for Stuart.  Finally, because of my feelings which were growing in leaps and bounds for Gordon, I finally had 'the talk' with Stuart.  I explained that I felt bad about only feeling friendship for him, and that I wanted us to 'break up'.  We had never formally started going together, but I knew he felt we were.  He agreed it was a good plan. I told him again, I'd still go to the prom with him, but if he found anyone else he really wanted to go with, just let me know.  I was honest with him, and did say I was growing feelings for another boy, and just didn't feel right about him thinking (Stuart) things could deepen, given time – which was something he had mentioned at some point, between us.  He was a bit sad.  So was I.  Stuart was a nice boy, and wound up marrying a lovely woman, with two children.  They are happy, and I see them whenever I get the chance – when I visit Halifax, N.S.


continued ...

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