Jenny, Jenny, Who Can I Turn To?
I’d love to say that the first time I saw her since my conversation with Matt was when I asked her out on a date, but I wasn’t that brave. It wasn’t the right time I kept telling myself. When I finally did muster the courage it was the week the department store was doing its annual inventory count. At the end of our shift George and I were leaving and as we were getting off the elevator to go home she was getting on. George instantly saw how nervous I became when I saw her and kind of nudged me along after we were alone. By the time we got out of the building I decided to go back and ask her on a date. George was my ride home so he waited.
I ran back up to the third floor and I caught her before she went down to start her shift. I really don’t remember exactly what I said. I didn’t remember what I said after I said them. I probably mumbled and muttered, but essentially I asked her to hang out sometime and she said yes. I was in shock. I was in heaven. I was numb. This was a full-fledged crush.
Within a few days, we went on our “date.” We hung out, drove around and got some food. She showed me some of her favorite hang outs including a water tower by her home town and a burnt out factory they used to shoot a movie. I know we talked about ourselves but the funniest thing is, I don’t remember anything I said at all but remember every word that she said. She asked me a lot of questions. About my opinion on things and how things made me feel. When she asked you things, not only did you feel she had a sincere interest in what you had to say, they would be questions that made you think. She was impulsive, outgoing and just fun to be around. She was the kind of girl that kept you on your toes because you really didn’t know where her mind would go to next, but in a good way.
We talked about past relationships. She had recently got out of a long term relationship with a guy from her church. She said she was Jehovah Witness and her father actually spoke at their meetings, so their family was highly regarded. This became an issue after she broke up with her boyfriend and he ‘confessed’ to her father that they had sex before marriage. This embarrassed her family and put a big wedge between her and her father. Because of this she was excommunicated or the equivalent from the church.
Over all I thought we hit it off really well so imagine my surprise when we talked a few days later and she told me she was getting back together with her ex-boyfriend. Outwardly, I supported her decision. Having made the same mistake with Dena. I told her, it was something she had to do. You didn’t want to have any “What if’s” and if you have unresolved issues with another person the question will always be there. On the inside I was crushed. I had gotten my hopes up that this really awesome girl liked me too. I came to the crushing reality that she WAS out of my league, like I had always suspected and that friends was all we would be, which to me was acceptable. Because I needed her in my life one way or another and if that was all I was going to get, I’d take it.
Jay was having a similar issue with his girlfriend Cathy. She ran into her ex-boyfriend in college and they talked. She told Jay she had unresolved feelings. Jay told her to resolve them and get back to him if and when she does. We drank our sorrows away that weekend.
A few weeks later Jen and I talked at work and at one point I asked her how things with her boyfriend were working out? She said they didn’t. I wasn’t about to put my heart out there and played it cool. I just wanted her to know I was still interested without saying I was interested. She rejected me and I felt I should accept that until she told me otherwise.
A few days later they announced Rod Stewart was coming to town and although I cared little for him, my mother was a big fan. Her birthday was this week and thought it was a great gift. The concert was going to be next month around Priscilla’s birthday so I reasoned I’d get her a ticket for her birthday. And of course, if I had to go, I really wanted to go with Jen. She wasn’t a fan either, I reckoned, but it didn’t matter. I wanted to go with her.
Back then, you still had to call Ticketmaster over the phone and always got the dreaded busy signal. Worse yet, I kept trying from the payphone at work on my breaks. After may attempts I got through and the only tickets available were $75.00 each. Back then, a shocking price, but after all the effort I went through, I couldn’t say no now. I didn’t even like Rod Stewart all that much.
I asked Jen to come and she said yes.
The week of the concert came and Jen called me to tell me she wouldn’t be able to go to the concert. Her father volunteered her to serve food at a soup kitchen that night. Disappointed, I told her I understood, but felt dejected all over again. Maybe she didn’t like me. The up and down rollercoaster was painful. I was trying to read into everything and kept getting mixed signals. More immediately, I needed to find someone to take this ticket. After several calls, I finally resorted to calling Kelly, who has since broken up with Todd and was now dating Denver long distance. She wouldn’t be able to go, but I should call her friend Jill. She’d love to go. I knew Jill. Not well, she was another one of those high school girls that Denver and Matt had b
rought around. I really only got to know one of them well, and she wasn’t able to go. But I was getting desperate. I called Jill and invited her. She said yes and that was that. So I thought. The day of the concert, viral laryngitis forced Rod Stewart to cancel his two concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden, only to be postponed until the summer. When I talked to Jill after I found out the rescheduled date, she asked me if I still wanted her to go because I should ask Jen. I hadn’t thought that appropriate, but with Jill’s blessing, I did. Jen was ecstatic! Wow, she wanted to go…
The day of the concert came and the original plan was to make a day of it in the city, but Jen had to work in the morning. So I dropped Priscilla and my mom off at the train station to take my dad’s train into NYC (he drove trains). It was awkward dropping my friend and my mom off to hang out together (and a little scary). But in my mind, Jen was my priority.
Jen was running late and ended up driving us to the train station. We talked on the train the entire way into the city. She was single still, but never said anything about wanting to get together with me. The only thing she did say, was that it was her dad who didn’t want her dating someone who was not a Jehovah Witness and she was trying so hard to get back into his good graces.
When we got to Madison Square Garden we found our seat and there was Priscilla and my mother laughing and drinking beers together. In front of Jen, I was embarrassed. To this day Priscilla teases me about my reaction “MmoOOooommm!?!?”
Because Jen made no hint of being interested in me as more than friends I figured I’d make the best of the overpriced concert and almost as if Rod Stewart knew he had to sell me on him, he opened with the Beatles “Get Back” and he put on one great concert. I became a fan ever since. Sometime during the concert Rod kicked soccer balls into the audience and one came right at Jen. She ducked and my mom reminds us to this day that she ducked when she could have caught it.
We caught my father’s train back as well. As we got to the end, my father was called back for a quick trip back for ‘double overtime.” He was going to be our ride from the train station, but Jen said she would drive us home. It was a great plan until we got to her car and she realized she had lost her keys. She ended up calling her dad to come bring an extra set, and for the first time I met face to face the man that I had feared the most. This was a man I would need to win over if Jen was ever going to date me. I doubt I made a good first impression.