Grand Canyon rafting trip
I had met someone who seemed like the love of my life a couple of years earlier, and it hadn’t worked out (although it would when the time was right). On the rebound from him, I started dating the handsomest guy in the entire Attorney General’s Office, who had already slept with every other attractive single woman who worked there. He was smart, he was smooth, and he was definitely a playuh! And did I mention that he was handsome? He looked as if he had just stepped out of the pages of Esquire Magazine. My friend Janet knew he was no good for me, and tried to get me to break up with him, to no avail. She realized that her only recourse was to introduce me to somebody else who was more appealing.
She called me up one day and said that she was having drinks after work with this guy named Barry. “You two have so much in common,” she said. “You’re both lawyers, you’re both tall, and you both sing. Why don’t you just happen to come by the bar where I am meeting him, and I’ll invite you to join us.” So I did. He had just come back from a Grand Canyon rafting trip, and was showing her the pictures. In some of them nobody had clothes on, so I got to check out his bod. I was intrigued. It turned out we both had sportscar convertibles, his was a Sunbeam Tiger, mine was an Alfa Romeo Spider. Also, he played the guitar. I thought this guy was interesting.
He apparently thought I was interesting too, but he was so gullible that he really believed I had just shown up at the bar by chance. Since he didn’t know it was a setup, it never occurred to him to call me. Janet urged me to call him up and invite him to lunch. I was hesitant. Finally I did, and we made plans for the following week. Between the day of the phone call and the day of the lunch, I had the first meeting of the year for a choral group I had just auditioned for and joined, the Sacramento Symphony Chorus. Much to my astonishment, when I got to the Lutheran Church where the rehearsal was held, there was Barry among the tenors. At the break I went over and talked to him, and we laughed about the amazing coincidence.
One thing led to another, and we eventually got married (Nice Day for a White Wedding). Whenever people asked us where we met, I said we met in a bar and he said we met in church.
Suzy
I like that you got to check out his bod and you both had sports cars. So much in common, even singing in the same choral group. Nice that your friend cared enough to warn you off Mr. Esquire Magazine.
Thanks for your comment, Betsy. You’re right, Janet was a great friend. She was my only other bridesmaid besides my sisters when Barry and I got married.
Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe Janet called him up and told him you were auditioning for the chorus and he should too. Setups work both ways, you know. Great story, thanks for sharing.
That’s a romantic idea, John, and I like it a lot. But I think if Janet had done that, I would have heard about it at some point in the 10 years Barry and I were together.
I really enjoyed the story, and the irony involved, as well. I have only one place where I was confused at first about the resolution of the story. It wasn’t clear to me whether the man you met in the bar was the man you would marry, or the one you dated in between. I reread it and still felt that the introduction was a little confusing for someone who doesn’t know you well.
Rosie, thanks for your comments, I’m glad you enjoyed my story. However, I’m confused about your confusion. You weren’t sure if I married Mr. Esquire Magazine or the guy in the bar? The guy in the bar was Barry, the only one I gave a name to in the story. Mr. Esquire was pretty clearly bad news. I’m just not sure how I could have made it any clearer. Especially since, in the very last sentence, I said we met in a bar.
Bar or church? I love how guys and gals see specific points from different perspectives.
Speaking for myself, a bar IS my church.
Love it, Reg! Thanks for that!!
Since I am the only one who had the problem or confusion about who was who, let us just forget about it, the story was fun, and since everyone got it right off just consider it my problem. I still really loved the story.
Love it, Suzy, particularly the close: well-done.
Perhaps Rosie’s confusion comes from the “though it would when the time was right” tease at the top (which I assumed meant you and the love of your life had reunited after your relationship with Barry was over).
Thanks, Nick, I decided to write the story because I knew I had that close. Your assumption about the tease is correct, we did reunite when the relationship with Barry ended — and we are still together.
You say he drove a Tiger? I would have thrown myself at his feet right then. I too invited my now-husband out on our first date. Hope the younger generation of women hasn’t lost that boldness we early feminists staked out.
Great story, Suzy! I loved the combination of fact and your inner thoughts, feelings; your descriptions of attraction seemed so personal and authentic. Let’s hear it for full disclosure.
A saying among musicians: You learn how to sing either in a church or a bar! Sounds like you guys hit ’em both! A pleasure to read!
Really terrific story and, as Charles beat me to the punch on, it had a great combination of fact and inner thoughts (you scheming women and your “coincidences”!). I also caught on that the only guy worth being named in the story was, properly, Barry. And love the “disagreement” as to where you two met.
Not really a disagreement, of course. Which you realize, and that’s why you put it in quotes. Just a matter of how we each wanted to slant the story.