The Meeting
One of the best parts of life is the unexpected. This is a story of the unplanned, unforeseen and unanticipated.
Let's skip the formalities and cut to the chase. I'm not the monogamous type of guy. I like having sex. I want to get laid early and often with as many different girls as possible. The idea of "variety is the spice of life" is appealing to me, but it's not as simple as picking up a loaf of bread at the grocery store.
The sad truth is, my aspirations were more fantasy than reality until the day I met Nicole.
Nicole was a perky girl and nothing about her said, 'sex'. She was a doll, somewhere between cute and adorable. Nicole's face was a ten for those keeping score. Her body was petite. She stood five feet two and like in the song, "But, oh, what those five foot could do." What she 'could do' was something that would be realized later.
When we first met, I mistook her for a girl younger than her eighteen years. Even her personality was giddy, like that of a schoolgirl who would rather play hide-and-seek than have sex. It turned out to be a false impression. As is often said, "You can't tell a book by the cover."
We met at a church bazaar. I was not among the faithful. My summer job was an environmental engineer, a custodian, in other words, a janitor. I was supposed to be available at the bazaar whenever an 'engineer' was needed. A lot of time was just hanging around doing nothing. Doing nothing at twenty dollars an hour was just fine with me.
Nicole was at a table with her mom selling some kind of craft. She was talking to a kid that looked to be high school age. He was asking her about college.
I listened more closely because it didn't make sense for her to be discussing college at her age. College for her appeared to be light years away. Apparently not because Nicole told the boy she had been accepted at several schools. She couldn't make up her mind whether to choose Duke or Stanford.
Duke or Stanford? Hey, less than 5% get accepted to Stanford, and you need at least a 4.0 GPA. It's easier to get into Harvard! Anyway, I had to find out more about this darling of a girl.
It might have been too impulsive, but I introduced myself after the boy left. I told her I was a senior at Duke and would be glad to answer her questions if she was still undecided. There was no need to ask her name because her mom said, "Nicole, enough socializing. I need your help here."
Nicole smiled and said, "Actually, I'm still undecided and have a couple of questions. Could we talk later. The bazaar ends in an hour. We could meet then.
"Well, I'll working here until six, so maybe we can catch up later."
"Fine," she said. "Text me when you are available." Then she gave me her number.
The next day I sent her a text message suggesting we go out for pizza at eight that night. She said that would work for her and to meet her at the church. We went to Uncle Jake's Pizza, a local joint where high school kids meet, more to socialize than eat the mediocre food. This was summer and the place was unusually quiet. The kids were either away on vacation or at the beach.
We were the only ones at Jake's except for a scowling high school girl pretending to be our waitress. The owner, Jake, was in the back making pizzas for several carry-out orders. The atmosphere was perfect for a conversation.
We ordered a thin crust pepperoni with double cheese and mushrooms. I had a beer. She had Coke Zero. The conversation went like this:
"Kurt, how is it that you chose Duke?"
"It was a pretty easy choice, Nicole. My dad went there, and I got a sports scholarship. I'm on the Lacrosse team."
"Were you on the team when some of your players were arrested for gang banging a girl on campus?"
"Oh come on Nicole. First of all, she wasn't just any college coed. She was a stripper and a prostitute."
"So you think it was alright because she was a prostitute."
I didn't say that. The woman made it all up. Her story was totally fake. They were completey innocent and the judge dropped the charges. Anyway, that was ten years ago, five years before I got there."
"I see. So Duke players don't want sex."
"Wait, now you are making up stories. Look, I came here to answer your questions, not get into an argument about the past."
"Well, Kurt, the past is important to me. I want to go to a safe school. The dorms are coed, right? That makes it risky for a girl when guys get drunk and horny."
"Nicole, Duke is safe. Let's say we start all over again. How soon will you be going to college?"
"After graduation at the end of my senior year."
"Of course. When is that?"
"I'll be a senior this fall, so it's less than a year away."
Our conversation continued in a more casual way with no more clashes or recriminations. I found her to be charming and incredibly smart. There was no doubt in my mind that Nicole would do well at either Duke or Stanford. I told her that she would be such a terrific addition to the student body at Duke, and wished she would choose to wear the Blue Devil colors.
After finishing the pizza, we shook hands and went our separate ways.
That could have been the end of it. It wasn't. An idea surfaced as I was vacuuming the sanctuary at church. I thought, why not give her a Blue Devil sweatshirt as a little incentive? I had one in my drawer that was bought for my sister, but she decided to go to North Carolina. The sweatshirt would not be welcome in Tar Heel country.
My text to Nicole was simple. It read, "Got something you might like. Let's meet."
She didn't text back right away. I just assumed she had decided on Stanford, or I had offended her. Three days later she sent a reply. "Been busy, sorry. What is it?"
"Can't say. It's a surprise. I'll meet you at the church on Tuesday at four."
She suggested meeting at her home and gave me the time and address. The time seemed odd. I didn't ask.
The Lockout
I pulled up to the address around ten thirty Tuesday night. There were four cars parked in the driveway. Either her family was very fond of cars, or better yet, a party was in progress. That would account for the later time.
I rang the doorbell and eventually a girl decorated with tattoos and a nose ring answered the door. "I'm here to see Nicole," I said.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Appointment? You're kidding. I just wanted to give her this," and I pointed to the package I held.
"What's your name?"
"George Washington"
"That's not funny. Are you a cop?"
"I'm not a cop. Tell Nicole that Kurt is here."
"Wait here. I'll see if Nicole is available."
As I waited, it was obvious there was no party. In fact, the place didn't exactly look like someone permanently lived there. I'd say it resembled a rental, even a bit spooky. The room that I could see from the doorway was sparsely furnished with a minimum of furniture. The lighting was muted and the shades were pulled. Music played softly in the background along with indistinct voices coming from the upper floor.
Nicole arrived several minutes later dressed in short shorts and an oversize t-shirt. She wore no shoes, little or no make-up and her hair was tied into a ponytail. Nicole looked like a different girl from the one I had met the other day. She now looked provocative, radiating sex. This was not the Nicole from church.
"Oh hi," she said. "It's Kurt from Duke, right?"
"Yes and you are Rey from Jakku," in an effort to be humorous.
"Are you one of those Star Wars crazies, or what?" As I mentioned, Nicole is smart. She had quickly caught onto my Star Wars reference. She wasn't amused.
"I'm here to bring you this," and handed her the box.
"What's this?" she asked with a touch of sarcasm.
"It's for you."
"Oh, so you brought me a present. How sweet." More sarcasm.
"Look Kurt, my girlfriends and I are having an overnight. Maybe you can come back another time."
"Sure," I replied amiably, covering up my disappointment. "Let me know what you think of the souvenir I brought."
"I suppose it's a Hans Solo blaster," she quipped. Apparently, that was her attempt at being funny.
I chuckled and said, "No, Nicole. It's safe."
At that, I turned and walked to my car thinking, Boy, that was strange. I'm not going to hear from that bitch again.
That assumption turned out to be too pessimistic. At times, serendipity intervenes in a person's life, and that is what came next.
The Setup
Thursday afternoon, five days after the lockout at Nicole's, she showed up at church. Nicole said she was there to pick up some materials for her mom's bible study group. Maybe that was true although Nicole had to go out of her way to find me hiding in the janitor's closet.
"Hi," she said with a smile. She was back to her girlish disposition. "I had to tell you that sweatshirt is really great. Thanks. Maybe I can return the favor tomorrow night. Are your free? I want to show you something."
"Look, I don't think that would be a good idea."
"Why not?" She had noticed the scowl on my face.