Like all of you, I had some fairly awkward dating experiences in my search for Mr. Right (or in my case, Mr. Turney). I was reminded of one the other day when a friend of mine posted a picture on Instagram of his three year old daughter eating popcorn at a movie theater. The caption read, "First Daddy/Daughter date!"
This particular friend took me to that same theater many years ago so I commented, "You didn't leave her there and make her walk home did you?" I honestly couldn't resist. Here is the story of the date that ditched me.
I was a 19 year old college student going to BYU-Idaho. My boyfriend (who I was extremely devoted to at the time) had just left that week for a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was pretty brokenhearted. A mutual friend of ours called or texted (who can remember the finite details) and asked me if he could take me to a movie. I wasn't really up for much but he was a good friend and I knew I could confide in him about my boyfriend because they were good friends. He asked me what movie I wanted to see and I requested The Notebook (which happened to be the movie I saw on my first date with said boyfriend). He agreed and picked me up for the movie.
Here is where I believe I made a mistake. He picked me up and asked me how my missionary was. And then I talked and talked and talked about him for the short drive to the theater, in line at the theater, and while we were sitting down for the movie. I admit it was pretty rude of me. Here was this nice guy taking me out and all I could talk about was the boy I was pining for. Also, my intentions weren't even pure. My missionary had always suspected that this friend of ours sort of liked me, so he told me that as soon as he left this friend was going to pounce. I wasn't so sure about that, but just in case I wanted to make it clear I wasn't interested.
So the theater goes dark and previews begin and he leans over and whispers "Be right back." The previews end, and the movie begins and he's still not back. After about 15 minutes I start to feel extremely uncomfortable. After about 30 minutes I realize that I've been ditched. Completely. I was extremely distracted the whole movie (which I didn't leave because, free movie). I felt myself go red and I honestly didn't know how to react. So I watched the entire movie by myself.
When the movie was over I stood outside of the theater hoping for a familiar face to come along. I finally decided to walk home by myself in the creepy dark. It was Rexburg Idaho so the chances I was in danger were slim to none but I was still a little scared to walk all the way to my apartment alone.
The date wasn't terrible because this was a guy I really liked and I got ditched (thank goodness) but it was embarrassing to be left by a friend without an explanation. I've always assumed it was because I was talking non stop about my boyfriend. The weirdest thing was we've NEVER talked about it. He never called to explain, I never investigated, but somehow we still went on to be good friends and even 8 years later we still keep in contact online. He and his wife even stayed with my husband and I when they were coming through Las Vegas a couple years ago.
His version of the story was that he didn't want to see The Notebook so he left to see another movie in a different theater (Shrek 2). He also insists it wasn't a date, and I sort of agree. It had the makings of a date (he drove me, payed for me, we were by ourselves instead of with our usual friends) but we were such good friends at that point that becoming involved romantically would have felt sort of bizarre.
Awkward.
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