Richard Gere
It has been perhaps five years, since I reluctantly put his number into my phone one night at the bar. I thought it was clever, at the time, to put people in with celebrity names, so that when or if they ever called, it would seem as though someone famous was calling me.
“Richard Gere!” I exclaimed tonight when I saw him. His blue eyes unmistakeable. The same salt and pepper beard, closely trimmed framing the adorable face I never should have walked away from.
“I wondered if you would remember” he said.
“How are your boys?” I asked. Wanted to ask so much more than just that. Where has the time gone? Would he still ask me out with such persistence today? Would I still decline as I did back then? Back when being single was too new, too fresh, too unfamiliar for me to make sense of it.
“Good,” he replied. “How is Jacob?”
Points for remembering my son’s name after all this time.
I asked what he had been up to.
‘They’ were supposed to go four-wheeling this weekend but it had been canceled. He had asked me to go, all those years ago, in his Wrangler. With his two sons and his awesome dog. I had declined. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t look into blue eyes like those and say yes. I wasn’t ready to say I was single. Even with the divorce long since over, I was too new at dating, too scared of what it meant, too afraid to commit to even a date with that amazing smile.
He asked about my dog, my cats, my life. He remembered all the names, all the details. He remembered me. I couldn’t forget that face. Those eyes. My decline. My mistake.
I took his left hand and laughed when I said, “not married, yet, huh?”
“Engaged, actually,” was the devastating reply.
I wished him great joy. Unbelievable happiness. All the best.
And I walked away wondering. All that might have been different.
If that night, five years before. When he so innocently and so tenaciously asked me out. Just for the day. To go for a drive. To go four-wheeling. To have some fun. To laugh. To let go. Could I? Wouldn’t I?
But I said no.
And now, she has said yes.
“Richard Gere!” I exclaimed tonight when I saw him. His blue eyes unmistakeable. The same salt and pepper beard, closely trimmed framing the adorable face I never should have walked away from.
“I wondered if you would remember” he said.
“How are your boys?” I asked. Wanted to ask so much more than just that. Where has the time gone? Would he still ask me out with such persistence today? Would I still decline as I did back then? Back when being single was too new, too fresh, too unfamiliar for me to make sense of it.
“Good,” he replied. “How is Jacob?”
Points for remembering my son’s name after all this time.
I asked what he had been up to.
‘They’ were supposed to go four-wheeling this weekend but it had been canceled. He had asked me to go, all those years ago, in his Wrangler. With his two sons and his awesome dog. I had declined. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t look into blue eyes like those and say yes. I wasn’t ready to say I was single. Even with the divorce long since over, I was too new at dating, too scared of what it meant, too afraid to commit to even a date with that amazing smile.
He asked about my dog, my cats, my life. He remembered all the names, all the details. He remembered me. I couldn’t forget that face. Those eyes. My decline. My mistake.
I took his left hand and laughed when I said, “not married, yet, huh?”
“Engaged, actually,” was the devastating reply.
I wished him great joy. Unbelievable happiness. All the best.
And I walked away wondering. All that might have been different.
If that night, five years before. When he so innocently and so tenaciously asked me out. Just for the day. To go for a drive. To go four-wheeling. To have some fun. To laugh. To let go. Could I? Wouldn’t I?
But I said no.
And now, she has said yes.
Comments
Just means he wasn't your fish, that's all.
Somewhere there is a guy for you. Just waiting to be met.
And this time, you will say yes!
Happy Easter!!!!
And as far as Richard goes? I second SP.
And now? At least you know you are ready to say yes.