Defining Moments

The smoke filled air was as stale as the story Art was telling about a school yard fight he had won. He always told that story when he had too much to drink. His friends paid deference to his inebriation by enduring the tale in silence. Julia walked over to the refrigerator to get another beer. She was not a woman of great physical beauty, but she was attractive. Her eyes sparkled with good humor and her smile was contagious. Rod always found her charming. He sat alone, admiring her from across the crowded room.

Rod was just under six feet tall. He had weighed one hundred and eighty pounds when he played baseball in high school. Not having the talent to make the college baseball team was one of the major disappointments in his life. Since he had not been in training for years his weight had risen to two hundred pounds. Although most people would not describe him as fat, the extra pounds had added the love handles he was self-conscious about. He was frequently gregarious and entertaining, but there were times when large gatherings of people seemed overwhelming to him. Tonight was one of those nights when he did not feel like competing to be heard over the cacophony of inebriated voices. He did what he always did under those circumstances. He faded into the background. He rose from his chair and walked out on the deck. He had just settled into a chair when the door opened and Julia stepped out on the deck.

“Getting some fresh air?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s pretty stuffy in there.”

“And Artie is telling his battle tale again.”

“It’s one of his defining moments.”

“That’s his defining moment?”

“Yes and your reaction to it is understandable. That’s one of the sad things about defining moments. Since other people are not emotionally invested in those events they can’t hear your imaginary crowds cheering the touch down you scored in gym class or the school yard fight you won.”

“I’m afraid I wasn’t impressed with it a hundred tellings ago.”

Rod smiled. “Odd, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“How we can attach so much importance to something others see as mundane.”

“And that we can forget how often we’ve told it to the same people. What’s your defining moment?”

“You must be awfully generous to invite a boring story about my uneventful childhood and adolescence.”

She favored him with a dimpled smile. “Are you saying you don’t have a defining moment?”

“Cold fish that I am, I haven’t become that emotional about anything. I usually bore people with same joke instead.”

“The ‘fucking chocolate’ joke.”

“The fact that you know that confirms my suspicion that I tell it far too often.”

She laughed. “Maybe, but you do show some restraint. You rarely tell it unless someone new joins us.”

“I suppose that’s some consolation. What’s your defining moment?”

“It’s going to sound silly. I’m not sure that a man would understand it.” She paused as if considering whether or not to tell him.

“Try me.”

“It’s when I received my first bra.”

“Ah, recognition that you were entering the sorority of womanhood.”

“That and more. Girls are more competitive than you might think. Boobs say you’re becoming more attractive and desirable. Believe me, the girls who lag behind aren’t happy about it.”

“I can understand that,” he said.

He gulped the last of his beer, and she drank the last of hers. She held her hand out to him.

“Give me your can, I’ll get us some more.”

“Thank you.”

He handed her the can. Her walk was the deliberate walk of someone who is feeling the effects of the alcohol but has not quite reached the staggering stage. Art had his back facing the refrigerator. Furthermore, he was so focused on the audience in front of him that he did not bother to find out who might be behind him.

“It’s the average guys like me who have a hard time picking up women,” he said. “The pretty boys latch onto the beautiful women early, and the ugly guys soon settle for what they can get. Guys like me always think they can do better. So we continue to compete for women who are out of our league until it’s too late to hook up with anyone. I’ve settled for Julia for now, but I have to admit that I’m still competing for something better.”

Julia took two cans of beer out of the refrigerator, and quietly walked away. What Art said hurt her, but she was not about to make a scene over it. She walked out to the deck.

“Here,” she said, handing Rod a beer. “Let’s take a walk.”

Rod took the beer and said okay. The party was in a large condominium complex. They walked the length of the quad to the club house and swimming pool. It was now two in the morning on the fifth of July, and all of the revelers were either asleep or partying in one of the units. The clubhouse was dark. They walked through it to the swimming pool. The fact that she had not said anything during the walk told Rod something was wrong.

“Are you okay?”

“I just heard Artie say he settled for me, but he’s still looking for someone better.”

“He’s drunk and stupid.”

“Yes, but he’s also right. We grew up together. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know him. I guess I settled for what I knew, and he decided to content himself with me until he found the girl of his dreams. Well, neither one of us should settle!”

Rod pulled two chairs close to each other and sat in one of them. “No, you shouldn’t. And any man who thinks of you as a consolation prize is out of his mind.”

“Thank you for saying that, Rod. I know I’m not a raving beauty, but I’m not exactly dog meat.” She sat in the chair next to his and sighed. “I guess I should lose some weight.”

“I don’t think you need too. You may not be a super model, but you’re very attractive.”

She took a sip of beer and touched Rods arm. “I’m buzzed.”

“Me too.”

“I better stop drinking now or I might give in to the temptation to go skinny dipping.”

“Finish your beer!”

This made her laugh. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“A swim would feel good.”

“It would be awfully bold.”

“There’s no one here, and its dark enough. We should be okay if we’re quiet.”

“Ah, what the hell.”

She stood up and started taking off her clothes. Rod followed suit. He was expecting her to ease her way into the water, but she had something else in mind.

“Last one to the other end is a rotten egg!” she said. She performed a shallow dive, which took him by surprise. She had a large lead. He rapidly closed the distance between them, but she touched the wall before he did.

“I guess I’m a rotten egg.”

“If you beat me to the other end, I’ll take it back.”

Although he held back a bit to make the race look competitive, he easily touched the wall first.

“So you’re not a rotten egg. I also think you were right when you said I’m attractive rather than beautiful.”

“I didn’t say rather than beautiful. You’re what a lady should be. You make the people around you smile, and you move that lovely body of yours with a grace that makes me want to watch you. Believe me, you are beautiful!”

“Why haven’t you asked me out?”

“Art’s a friend.”

“You certainly don’t have to worry about spoiling anything for him now.”

Rod leaned forward, gently pressing his lips against hers. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

“If we don’t stop now, we’re gong to have to find a room,” he said.

“The changing room’s open.”

He picked her up and carried her there. He gently set her down and opened the door. She entered the room and he followed her, closing the door behind them. The light was off. It was so dark they had to feel around for each other. They made love as quietly as they could. When they exited the room they discovered that their clothes were missing.

“Oh, shit! What are we going to do now?” she asked.

“Do you think we can cover ourselves with the bunting in the club house?”

“I think we have to. We can’t return to the party naked.”

There was light filtering into the room from the high windows of the wall facing the parking lot. The light was dim but it allowed them to see the outline of objects in the room. Luckily, they found some scotch tape. The bunting decorating the lower part of the wall was made of paper. Rod carefully tore off a large sheet of it. Julia draped it around her self like a toga, and Rod taped it into place.

“Now you.”

“No sense in getting fancy about this. A kilt will do.”

“I agree.”

She taped the bunting around him like a kilt.

“Okay, Rod Roy. I guess we’re as ready as we’re going to get.”

“After you, lassie.”

They started walking back to the party.

“As embarrassing as it is to think of one of our friends watching us skinny dipping, I hope one of them took our clothes as a joke.”

“I’m guessing your keys and wallet were in your pants.”

“They are.”

“Then I hope so too. It can’t get much more embarrassing.”

“Unless the paper rips or falls off.”

“I wish you hadn’t said that.”

“Sorry.”

The hostess, Margie, let out a little shriek when she saw them entering. “How patriotic! Where are your clothes?”

“Someone took them while we were skinny dipping,” Rod said. “I’m hoping it was someone here.”

The guests were laughing and shaking their heads to indicate it was not any of them. The host, Jack, walked over to Julia and Rod.

“I’m afraid it was Art.”

Julia looked concerned. “Artie?”

“Yeah, he went looking for you, and he hasn’t returned.”

“I was going to break up with him anyhow, but I didn’t want to rub his nose in it. This is going to make it even more awkward.”

“Everyone’s too drunk to drive home,” Margie said. “Let’s see if we can find something for you to wear.”

Jack looked at Rod. “You can probably squeeze into a pair of my sweats.”

The sweats Margie loaned to Julia fit fine. Rod was not as fortunate as Julia.

“Sexy,” Margie said when she how tightly Jack’s sweats fit Rod.

Julia giggled. “Now you know why he was able to talk me into skinny dipping with him.”

Most of the guests slept on the floor. Their slumber was interrupted at five in morning by a collect telephone call from the jail. The caller was Art. He had been arrested for drunk driving.

“It serves him right for taking our clothes,” Julia said, “but I guess we should bail him out.”

“I’d help you with that, but he has my identification.”

“It’s my debt anyhow.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

She gave Rod a ride to his place. “I’ll come back with your keys and wallet,” she said.

The manager used the spare key to open the door of Rod’s apartment. Julia bailed out Art and took him to the impound lot to pick up his car.

“I thought you were loyal!” Art felt free to pick that fight now that he was out of jail and near his car.

“And I was foolish enough to think you actually loved me. I’m sorry, but I don’t think either of us should settle.”

“What?”

“That’s what you said. You said you settled for me, but you were still looking for someone better.”

“I was drunk.”

“That’s no excuse. The worst part is that you were right.”

“So it’s over?”

“Yes.”

He smiled but it was a forced smile. “Then I guess you found someone before I did.”

Fortunately, Art had put their clothes in his car rather than throwing them away. He gave them to Julia.

“Taking them was a pretty dirty trick,” she said.

“What would you have done if you had seem me naked with another woman?”

Julia smiled. “I guess I have to give you that one.”

She kissed Art on the cheek. “Good luck, Artie. I hope you’re able to find that woman of your dreams.”

When Rod answered the door he was wearing his usual blue jeans and polo shirt.

“Better than bunting, don’t you think?”

“Yes. Are you ready to get your car.”

“Are you ready for our first dinner date.”

“A little early for dinner.”

“I think we can find something to do until it’s time to eat.”

“Let’s go get your car.”

Her response was less than encouraging. He waited until they were on their way to the scene of the party before asking her.

“Are you regretting what we did last night?”

“I can’t help thinking about Artie. I’m sorry if I hurt him. You’re not settling, are you?”

“Not by a long shot. I’m looking forward to learning everything about you.”

She smiled. “The discovery phase, it’s always the most exciting time.”

“Spoken like a true legal secretary.”

“And as such I can tell you that what follows is often a trial.”

“No risk, no gain. Who knows, that swim just might be my defining moment.”

“If it is, I’ll thank you not to talk about it.”

He laughed. “Too many people know about it already.”

She glanced over at him with a slight smile on her face. “The last thing I ever wanted to become was a party legend.”

“I know what you mean, but look at what we gained.”

“I have to admit that I like that part of the story.”

“Then that’s the part I’ll tell. I’ll describe it as the night I finally won the heart of the girl of my dreams.”

“And you can say it as often as you want. It’ll bore the hell out of our friends, but I’ll never get tired of hearing it.”

She almost asked if she really was the girl of his dreams, but she was afraid such an expression of doubt might spoil it. She told herself that they had just begun. There was no reason to bother him with her insecurity. She would simply enjoy the moment and let the relationship develop as she thought it would.

First published in macsbackporch.foxtail-farms.com on Jun 8, 2010