At Least We Have Good Weather: A Life of Love and Loss

Chapter 48

One of the girls I began talking to about my Hot Train Girl #2 heartache was Juanita. She knew nothing of the email that tore my heart out, but only that I couldn't stop thinking about this girl and needed to address the situation.

Juanita, bless her heart, was always quick with advice, but when it came to me, she never really took the time to find out the facts. I guess she rather left that for her job as a journalist, but it had led to more that one falling out between the two of us over the years.

I'd like to think that she would probably agree that our friendship took a lot of work, and when one of us didn't have the strength to keep it going, it fell apart. In fact, that's exactly how it all started when I first met her back in 2007.

I met Juanita by pure chance, as it happened when I went to go drop off some DVDs for someone who had bought them from me. As he brought me up to the office for a chat, there was this girl sitting next to him who caught my attention immediately. It didn't take long before the three of us were having a conversation and I felt myself attracted to everything about her. I, being smart, gave her my business card and said: "Hey, if there's ever a CD you're looking for I can try to get it for you." (Working for a record label was still the best pick-up line I've ever managed to have in my life).

The next day or so she mailed me, and asked if I was serious, which of course I was. This opened the door at least and we began emailing each other regularly to the point where my "Hey let's have coffee" line eventually came out. She accepted.

We met up a few nights later, and had a pleasant evening together; sharing some of our personal lives, and got to know each other as best we could in a single evening. There was always a weird underlying tension though, which made it feel like we were always just one wrong line away from an argument. It was also strangely appealing.

Over the weeks that followed we eventually did have an argument because of our strong, yet very different opinions on things (for once, I forget what the actual topic was), but just like that we stopped communicating cold turkey.

Months later, we came into contact again, and just decided we had wasted so much not talking that it was just stupid.

She invited me over to her place for lunch and a swim. I went, and yet again we had a great time. In the swimming pool of the complex she stayed at, we engaged in the usual "splashing fun" two people have in water, had a conversation with a drunken biker about the rules of the road, and genuinely had an enjoyable time. I don't know if it was because she was soaking wet (I have a thing for women glistening with water), or if it was just coincidence, but it was that moment when I knew I had genuine feelings for this girl. I didn't know if she felt the same, because I saw no signs of it.

We went back to her place and changed, I had a shower (and secretly hoped she would walk in on me and shower too. Damn those pornos!).

Then the afternoon seemed to come to an abrupt end.

Once again a long while passed before we could actually see each other. Knowing my living situation, she invited me to her place for dinner. She treated me to some chicken, and we sat together upstairs and watched a Bollywood movie. It was simply a moment of pure bliss. We shared stories, joked and teased each other. As usual I didn't know if I should make a move, but I didn't want to ruin the evening, so didn't even second guess not making move.

Then the night came to a close, and I left feeling that this could be the start of something pretty great.

Instead that was the last time I saw her in person. There were many excuses why we didn't meet up again, which left me ultimately hurt and confused. But since hurt and confused are my middle names, I didn't give up.