Y Dating, Part 2

Time to continue my post from yesterday about one of my less-than-successful dating experiences at BYU.

Remember how I said Todd was very good-looking and a return missionary and slightly (*cough*) more mature than me? And how I had some trouble functioning around him? Well, that trouble "functioning" was due to the fact that I had a huge crush on the boy and that I became ridiculously eager to please him whenever he was around. I literally watched from my living room window and swooned if I just got a glance of him walking to his apartment. I got hammered by the butterflies in my stomach every time the guy said hi to me. Getting asked on a date by him was my absolute heart's desire during this crazy little infatuation of mine.

Everyone around me knew it. At least every girl I lived with or was friends with knew it. And at least one of the guys I was friends with was candid enough to tell me it was rather obvious who I liked. Probably Todd knew it quite well himself. (What a boost to his ego I must have been!) Anyway, I did have one guy friend who was clueless about the crush. His name was Dave and there was no hint of any romantic interest between us (no, he was not my "Casey"). At least, I didn't feel anything like that for him, and if he had any non-platonic interest, he kept it very carefully hidden. But Dave and I enjoyed spending time together, and one night he invited me to eat at his apartment and watch a movie with him, just the two of us. I didn't have anything else going on that Friday night, and it sounded like fun, so I took him up on the offer.

Enter Todd. Friday afternoon, only a few hours before my planned "hanging out" with Dave, Todd appeared out of nowhere at my apartment door and asked me if I wanted to go get some ice cream with him. My reaction was elation so intense you'd have thought the boy had asked me to marry him right then and there! Anyway, I completely forgot about Dave and eagerly joined Todd for ice cream. It was just at McDonald's-- nothing big (we were both rather poor college students, after all) but I think I was floating around in the clouds the whole time. Until I remembered that I was supposed to meet Dave in just 30 more minutes.

Oh. Right.

Hey, nothing to worry about though, right? We were nearly done with our ice cream and we weren't far from our apartment. I had plenty of time to still make it to Dave's. But remember how I said I was ridiculously eager to please (and infatuated with) Todd? Just as we were walking back into the apartment complex, he asked me if I wanted to go sit in the Jacuzzi with him for a while. And what was my response? Did I maturely, though regretfully, explain that I already had plans?????

Yeah, right.

Nope, I enthusiastically told Todd I would join him in just a few minutes and then pathetically ogled him as he walked back to his apartment. Then, and only then, the panic set in. What on earth was I going to do? I was supposed to be in Dave's apartment watching a movie at the same time I was supposed to be in the jacuzzi with Todd.

So I made one of my most ridiculous dating decisions ever. I figured I could manage to do both. Dave's apartment was right across from the jacuzzi so I just hurried up his steps and knocked on his door. He was pleased to see me and just getting everything set up for us. We chatted for a bit, and then I cowardly told him I had to go back to my apartment for a few minutes because I had "forgotten to do something." Dave was puzzled, but he agreed.

I dashed out of his apartment and down the stairs to find Todd already waiting for me in the jacuzzi. No time for a swimsuit, so I just headed to the side of the water and sat down on the edge, sticking my legs in. Todd was surprised, of course, and wanted to know why I wasn't planning to actually get in the jacuzzi, but I made some lame excuse about it being too hot for my taste or something like that. Then I chatted with Todd, but I couldn't really enjoy it. I kept glancing up at Dave's apartment, wondering if Dave was getting impatient, or if heaven forbid, he would look out of his window and see me sitting at the jacuzzi with Todd. I think I sweat so much that my shirt was just plastered to my chest from the stress of it all. Todd was in no hurry to leave, either. I couldn't understand why-- the water was near boiling, in my opinion (since I was sweating up a storm anyway) and surely he would have to get tired of it soon?

Eventually, he did. When he finally climbed out and wrapped in a towel, I hastily said good night, and sprinted up the stairs to my own apartment. Then I hid in my living room until Todd had disappeared back into his apartment. Only then did I race back down to Dave's apartment. Poor Dave was understandably grumpy and wanted to know what the heck had taken me so long. I felt so bad for lying to him that I couldn't enjoy the movie with him either.

Moral of the story: Dates with two separate guys at the same time are not a good idea. Yep, I actually had to learn that one from experience.