It’s Sunday so that means I have a very specific Sunday routine. I go to church, either make or go to brunch, and then head to one of two spots to do homework with my best friend. Where we go depends on how much work we have to do. After an hour of pushing our meet up time back, we finally make it. We order food and head back to our table. Upon walking back my heart drops. I see this familiar face looking back at me. It’s this guy I used to have the biggest crush on in undergrad. This wasn’t an ordinary crush; birds were chirping, bells ringing, heart pounding, so on and so forth.
Did I mention I’m looking three kinds of ugly right now? Sunday is also laundry day and wash day (wash day: the day to wash my hair for those who don’t speak natural). I missed wash day last Sunday, so it’s imperative I do it today. Okay, back to the story. Seeing him brought all those feelings back. He liked me, I liked him, but he had a girlfriend and since I’m no homewrecker, we left it at that.
Since then, three years ago, we have random run-ins. I started volunteering as a big sister, so I would spend my work break reading to this little girl. Guess who the little girl’s teach is? I’m at a friend’s art show opening, guess who’s the emcee? I mentioned my best friend and I switch between the places we meet up. Granted it’s been about two weeks since we met up, of all the places to meet up, why here? We’re in the middle of Hapeville, GA at some random coffee shop. Basically in the middle of nowhere.
Usually my friend and I are totally in sync, but she somehow managed to miss all of this and there’s no way to get her attention without being seen. I muster up enough nerve to finally say, “ Hey, how are you?” He replies and I see his mouth moving, words are coming out and everything, but of course I can’t focus on anything except how good he looks. Somehow the conversation ends and I’m at my seat. Now, I don’t know what to do. He’s sitting directly behind me. Great. I can’t get up because I don’t want to seem like I’m trying to be seen despite being thirsty, ha, and needed to get a book out of my car. “Everything alright? You look like you’re up to something” my best friend finally says. FINALLY! Do you realize the mini heart attack I’ve been having because you’ve missed this entire scene?! I tell her I’ll fill her in later. I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason and if I were to ever randomly run into him again, I’d tell him how I feel.
So he gets up to take a phone call outside. Now’s my chance. Write your number on a sticky note and leave it on his pile of books. Yeah, that’s it. Cool. I have a plan. Mind you, I’ve drafted this cute note five times now until I finally decide not to do it. Not too long afterward, he gathers his belongings and heads toward the door. As he’s leaving, he turns and waves at me; I smile and wave back.
Best Friend: Oh you know him? Why didn’t you speak to him?
Really? So I give my friend a brief recap of our history and refresher on us. “You should’ve said something. What am I going to do with you?”. Ya’ll, in short, my dating life is a disaster, mostly because I’m clueless and have awful timing.
Now I’m uneasy. What do I do? Do I attempt to go after him? Text him? Nah, I’ll send him a DM. I go on Facebook to send him the cure five-time rewritten cute sticky note message from earlier. I’m using Facebook because he’s not that active on instagram and doesn’t have Snapchat, btw. Okay, so boom. I’m about to message him until I see it. As of January of this year, he’s in a relationship. Remember when I said I have awful timing? All of this to say, if you like someone, and they’re single, shoot your shot.