I met a geek part I

It was January, the winter of 1987. I was working at a community college here in Texas where I attended, and before the next semester started we were having a staff in-service to go over a few things. My office was to merge with the computer lab from upstairs.

Along with that merge, came new staff members. Just a few computer geeks, I am thinking. Over the course of the next few weeks, I learned one of them was named “Scott”. He stood out because he wanted to. He came up to me wearing his shoes on the opposite feet. Dear Lord, I thought. Over time, however, we started to develop an odd friendship. I had a boyfriend at the time and he clearly wasn’t interested in any romantic relationships. He told me everything about girls and I told him everything about boys.

He told me once that he never wanted to get married or have children. He wanted to be single and do whatever he felt like whenever he felt like. One day he wanted to have his own successful company and the freedom that came with that.

I explained to him that I was a true romantic. I wanted to get married one day after being swept off of my feet and then have about 10 kids. I was in love with being in love and all of my boyfriends in my life had been serious, of course. Keep in mind I was only 18 at the time.

He asked me questions about girl students and I used him to vent about my boyfriend problems. I learned that I could tell him anything and he was completely objective. He questioned what I believed in life because that was his manner. He challenged absolutely everything. If you told him something to be a fact, you had better be prepared to back it up with proof. It made me start to think for myself. Why did I believe what I believed? Some things I just accepted to do a certain way because that’s the way they were supposed to be done. Especially at my young impressionable age, I began to think about what I wanted for myself.

One night we went on a break and he pulled me through a passageway and up some stairs. We went to the roof of the building! It was VERY high up and I wasn’t sure what we were doing up there to be honest with you. It was dark and we could see the stars. It was beautiful. He explained to me that he used to bring girls up there to kiss them. We both looked at each other and laughed running all the way back to the office!

Over the course of our friendship we even took some classes together. There was a particular girl he was interested in that was in our Biology class. Of course, Scott and I were lab partners, and he always pointed her out to me. She seemed real snooty to me. After some time Scott talked to her and went out with her a few times and explained to me that she was jealous of me. ME?? What did she have to be jealous of? And besides that, we were just friends! I thought the whole thing strange.

My boyfriend at the time moved away to go to college. I was heartbroken! We were trying to maintain our long-distance romance and I missed him so much! I pined over him day and night. I couldn’t eat or sleep. Scott picked up on this and we occasionally went to see a movie, comedy show, or dinner.

In the spring, we even signed up for a softball team for the college. I probably don’t have to tell you here that I am a very girly-girl and wasn’t the sort to be good at softball. I met him at practice where they put me as catcher! Well that was no good, I was afraid of the ball! So, I got moved to right field.

Our first game came and I apparently really stood out as the weakest link because everyone that came to bat was told to hit it out to right field. Scott, being short stop, started running and catching the balls headed in my direction. I was so mortified I really questioned if I “had the time” for this sport. Scott said he understood so I quit the team. My Dad often said in those days that I needed to be careful because Scott cared about me and I tended to lead him on without thinking about it. WHAT? NO way!!! I told him he was so far off-base and that Scott and I were only ever going to be friends. My Dad just shook his head.

One weekend my boyfriend came back in town and we had a “misunderstanding” of sorts. We couldn’t seem to see eye to eye on some things and so we were considering calling the whole thing quits. He was stubborn and so was I. (That could probably have gone without saying?) I refused to call him and he did the same. It was a true stand-off.

I talked to Scott about this and told him how I truly felt and that I wasn’t sure what to do about my aching heart. Scott just listened and nodded. Out of the blue my boyfriend called me and said we needed to talk. He came over and we talked and smoothed things over. I was puzzled as to his sudden change of heart but accepted it and moved on.

Time passed and we were very comfortable with each other. We made up fun games and things to do at the office when we were bored. Once, I even printed out a list of “Qualities of my Ideal Mate” and he saved it to disk. I thought it was hilarious. I told him to do one as well and he said he couldn’t. He reminded me that he was never getting married. However, he told me that if he ever did get married he would want to marry someone just like me. I took this as a compliment and tucked it away.

Scott never forgot occasions like Valentine’s or Christmas. Sometimes I would be rather embarrassed because I hadn’t thought to get him a gift in return and times were tough back then.

Time came for Scott to get a “real job”. He would be continuing his education at a university in Texas and go to work in the computer industry. This meant leaving his job with me. We said our goodbyes and said we would keep in touch, and for a while we did but it became hard with our busy schedules. A great deal of our sharing and socializing must have come from work hours and school.

The relationship with my long-distance boyfriend diminished. As we were both getting closure and saying our good-byes, he asked me if I remembered the difference of opinion we had that one home visit where we didn’t talk for a while. Of course I remembered and said so. Well, he begins to tell me, you know I really wanted you to call me first but after talking to Scott I understood that I needed to make the initiative. HUH? I didn’t understand. He told me that Scott got his phone number somehow and called him up and had a long conversation with him. I couldn’t believe it! I learned that I would have never received that phone call had it not been for Scott….

Comments

[Scott Miller]

Wow, this is good stuff -- can't wait to hear what happened next! ;-)

[Chana/Bunny]

Shhhh...!!!!!

[50 and who is counting]

Spoken from TWO romantics! One just admits it and the other doesn't. LOL

[Always a Bridesmaid never a BRIDE]

Ok... SO I think you need to post "the rest of the story". You have us all interested

[Chana/Bunny]

Oh dear! I am assuming you are a bridesmaid then? Yes, there are other "parts", hence the "part I".. ;)

[Always the Maid of Honor never a BRIDE]

There... I made the correction! :)

[The Bride]

Who said she was in the wedding? lol! Cute story we want more!...!...!

[Always a Maid of Honor never a BRIDE]

HEY! Don't be mean now!

[Kennedy's daddy]

I need a tissue...........*sniff*

[J V]

I can't wait to hear the rest of the story.
I think it was the Base Ball game.
or was it the looking at the Stars?
I take it that you didn't get a full
scholership from a major university.
J V

[Scott Miller]

Okay, I've read this four times already -- who's the geek?! Do I have to wait until the next part to find out???

[Chana/Bunny]

Hmm, one really has to wonder...

[Always the Maid of Honor never a BRIDE]

O.k. I think we have waited LONG enough... Update the story!!!!