The Tops Part 2 – Survived by Sarah

WHO: The Tops part 2, three years later

WHAT: Another date that may or may not have been an actual date.

WHEN: 2012? 2013? One of those.

WHERE: Nevada City, CA

WHY: That stupid lingering high school crush never went away

THE DATE
So The Tops and I had been on approximately one date, and then he got a girlfriend and nothing happened between us for three more years. But I really liked his girlfriend (see the M party story where I take off my pants), and he and I were friends and hung out a lot. And in his defense, I had told him he was the tops, so I wouldn’t have gone out with me again either. Who says that? Me apparently. I say that. I have pretty much no control over basically any part of my awkward body or brain.

So anyway, they broke up finally. And here was my chance finally. But I was too nervous and I didn’t want to do anything too soon, so instead I waited like 6 months. I got overly excited every time I saw him and we hung out a lot and everyone kinda thought he might be into me too but nothing ever happened.

And then one day I just did it. I felt like I’d waited a respectable amount of time after his breakup, and I was getting nervous again about that window closing. So I psyched myself up and called him and paced around my kitchen until he answered. When I’m on the phone I often don’t know what to do with my body. It’s a lot like Alec Baldwin in that episode of 30 Rock where he is filming a commercial and doesn’t know what to do with his hands so he holds two mugs. Except I pace around and will walk to different rooms for no reason and I’m pretty sure during this conversation I walked outside and then back in several times. Sometimes I move stuff around with no rhyme or reason, or I’ll start stress cleaning.

I really am a piece of awkward work sometimes.

Anyway, he answered the phone. I suddenly wished he hadn’t as we exchanged hellos and pleasantries. I felt like I was gagging on nerves. And I’m pretty sure he said something like, “What’s up?” to which I replied, “Do you want to go have dinner with me sometime?” I should have asked if he wanted to go on a DATE with me, but despite my two English degrees I suck at speaking. Maybe I should have written him a letter. I’m better at that.

But regardless, he said yes. We picked a day and a place, and then I pretty promptly made an excuse to get off the phone as soon as possible. He’s awkward too and the two of us trying to communicate sometimes is like a super power level of awkward.

He checked in with me day of and texted, “Still on for tonight?” I told him yes and he said something to the effect of “Great, looking forward to it!”

He was looking forward to our date! That was good news, right? I called my friend in a panic and pretty much demanded that she not mind me coming over immediately to show her my date outfit. She approved the outfit and tried hard to get me to stop spazzing out, but inevitably failed because I am a spaz.

So I headed to the pub we were meeting at in Nevada City with all my nerves in my throat again. He showed up and I swooned a little. We were really going on a date! It only took us three years to go on a second first date and I was sure things would finally progress from here this time.

Wrong.

Fairly soon after we sat down and ordered beers, just take a wild guess who walked in. No, not my friend and her husband who jokingly threatened to come eat there as well and spy on us. His ex-girlfriend. The one I had been friends with too while they were dating. The one who had an M party where I took off my pants. The one he’d broken up with pretty recently and then I had tried to wait to wait a respectful amount of time between then and this date. Yep, her.
I saw her and got quiet. The Tops had his back to the door and I had to subtly whisper to him who had just arrived. He got quiet. She saw us and walked over with a sort of puzzled look on her face.

“Um hi guys, what’s up?”

Ulghhhhh insert awkward small talk.

And then.

Her dad walked up next to her.

And it was so painful.

The Tops tried to be friendly and polite because that’s how he is, but the whole thing was so uncomfortable. For everyone I’m pretty sure.

She and her dad left and were seated at a table outside because it was early summer and a nice evening. The Tops and I were sitting in a corner table by a window. Fun trivia question: guess who I could totally see outside the whole time we were on a date?

Somehow we managed to recover and have a really nice time. I eventually saw her and her dad leave behind The Tops as we were chatting, but I didn’t mention it. I’m not THAT terrible at life.
We stayed until the place closed.

I can’t remember now if we went somewhere after, but aside from the awkward ex encounter it was a lovely evening. But we hugged goodbye again because I’m chicken shit.

And then nothing happened.

Two months later a friend got married out of town and The Tops and I were both at the wedding. I had been confused that we hadn’t been on another date, but it was a busy summer and time just kept passing quickly. But at this wedding, things seemed to be veering into “something is going to happen” territory.

He stuck by my side most of the night. We took photos together (which were supposed to be for the guest book but which I totally stole…Friend will totally understand), we danced together, he volunteered to stay at the wedding site with me to babysit for an hour or two while some people went out. We all got drunk and he told my friend that he was “totally going to make a move” on me. It was a really fun evening and we all went back to newly married couple’s house to drink leftover wedding wine at the end of the night.

A bunch of us were staying at said house and we all assumed The Tops would too since he was with us, but at some point he muttered something about leaving and walked outside. Everyone looked at me and yelled at me to go get him. I got up and ran outside and yelled his name. I asked why he was leaving and mentioned how much room we had for him to stay and I flat out said, “I think you should stay.”

He told me he had already told his friend he was coming to stay. We chatted for a minute and I don’t really remember what about. At some point I said, “Hey, just so you know, I thought those dates we went on were actual dates and not friend dates. I wasn’t sure how you felt, but I thought they were dates.” He responded with, “Oh yeah, ok, I wasn’t sure.” We kinda mumbled about doing it again and got awkward and hugged goodbye.

And that was the end of that. Two maybe friend dates in three years. We stayed friends and he has another awesome girlfriend. And I still think he’s the tops.