545 – Smitten? (Neil’s Word, Not Mine!)

On Sunday night, I decided, “what the heck?” and E-mailed Mike Keller about coming with me to see Jason.  He wrote back saying that he wasn’t free, and why did Jason want to meet him anyway?  Well, I didn’t write the actual truth, I just said Jason was a new-ish Magic player who heard that Mike Keller was a card game ambasador.  So, I didn’t bother to check my E-mail this morning, and just went up to Kean, cuz he’d already said he was busy.  (But, yeah, like I’m gonna post the honest truth to him.  “Um, yeah, see, I’ve told him that your mental defenses are about ten times his, and he wants to pick your brain and see if I’m accurate.”  No!!!)

When I came back, I was obviously depressed, (read the prevous entry if you want the whole story,) and I just wanted to talk to someone.  So, oddly enough, the only one I could think of, who I actually wanted to talk to, was Mike Keller.  And I kept reminding myself of Defying Gravity.  “Some things I cannot change, but till I try, I’ll never know.”  So, I actually drove to his house.  Actually, I just passed by the street.  I decided if his car was there, I’d stop by, and ask if he wanted to take a drive with me, that I could use the company.  Well, his car wasn’t there, and that confused me for a bit until I figured, “Wait.  He must be at Game Factory.”  That maybe he was promo-ing or demo-ing or something-ing another game.  So, I came home, and walked over there.  I saw his car, and knew my guess was right.  I went in, stayed up front for a bit, and saw him and someone else in the back.  I realized that it was him and Matt, and couldn’t help thinking, “Matt, you genius!”  (‘Nother thing.)  So anyway, I finally got up the courage, and went to the room in the back.  I said hi and pulled up a chair near their table.  Matt talked to me a bit, asked how things were going, etc., but then went back to the game.  So I watched for a bit, then glanced over to Mike Keller.  He was wearing the same red shirt, and tan pants!!!  But oddly enough, has switched from the blue overshirt to a gray-black jacket.  So, I had to get up and out of there before I started laughing.  I did, and watched this guy play a video game for a bit.  Then I grabbed one of the Boneville comic books and sat down at another table in the back, right at the door, and started reading.  I always liked those stories, and there’s some pretty funny parts in there, so I figured see if I could cheer myself up.  About ten minutes later, Matt and Mike Keller finished their game, and Matt left first.  Then Mike Keller passed me, and I looked up and said, “See ya.”  He sort of gave a half-wave as he walked by, but then he stopped.  He turned around, looked at me, and said, “You were here?”  “Yeah,” I said.  “I’ve been here for the last fifteen minutes or so.”  So he says, “Well, thanks for saying hi!”  I grinned, and said that I had, and he has this odd grin on his face and says that I did not.

So, he left, and I’m just there, shaking my head, smiling.  He’d actually cheered me up, and hadn’t even realized I needed it.

When I got home, I checked my E-mail, and there was a reply from him.  So I sent him one that started out, “Well, since you say I missed it tonight, I’m officially saying hi.  Hi!!  :-P”  I told him I didn;t know why, but that that had cheered me up a bit, and thanked him for it.  He gave me another laugh with the reply he sent to something I said later in the E-mail, so that was cool.  And because of what he’ said at Game Factory, the fact that he did tease me like that, it’s given me new confidence over this party for him.  Somehow, this thing’ll be a success.  Somhow, it’ll be pulled off, and he’ll have a good time.

Oh, by the way, I’m actually finishing typing this on October 14th.  I finally opened that fortune cookie Jason handed me.  You know what it said?  “Tonight will be a lucky night.”

It was right.