My New Jacket

About 4-5 years ago my roommate, Andrew, and I went to a snowsports expo. The kind of thing where they put a tent up in a parking lot and tout "Super Savings!" on snow gear. I didn't really need anything, but decided I would go.

He found this jacket and tried it on. I laughed at him. It had comic book characters in the lining and studs on the back. I tried it on to show him how ridiculous he looked and a "Super Cute" girl coyly swam by and said "That jacket looks really good on you." After some playful banter back and forth I figured out that she was a sales girl there, but she informed me that shouldn't take anything away from her compliment. I looked good.

I told her I was just busting my roommate's chops for even thinking about that jacket, I mean comic book character lining and studs on the back? How ridiculous. Well I guess I didn't know that comic book characters were cool and studs were tough. I am sure you all can see where this is going... to Andrew's irritation I ended up buying the jacket .

As we were leaving, Andrew was shaking his head in disbelief that I stole the very jacket from him he was interested in and bought it for myself and I was kicking myself for not asking for her number. We were in the car ready to leave and I was trying to talk myself into going back into that tent for another assault. Andrew fed my delusion by encouraging me (I am convinced that he did not have my best interest at heart, and was still irked about losing the jacket to me.) I marched back in, walked up to the register where she was having a conversation with somebody and tried to hop back into that groove that we were in minutes ago. It is difficult to try to recreate lightning striking, but I gave it a good try. When I could see that the border between sweet and creepy was being tested, I threw out my last grenade from my belt, "So do you want to come over and watch some Saved by the Bell sometime?" (I had just gotten 4 seasons on DVD) I realized this was an all or nothing kind of move. I knew the risk I was taking. Well bunkered safely behind her "No Returns. All sales are final." sign she let out one loud "Ha" and said "No thanks" and turned back to her convo.

I still have that jacket and it is one of my favorites to this day.

Hugs

Using nature as the ultimate professor, I have developed a theory on why hugs are such an intimate expression between 2 humans.

If you think that we all evolved from animals and then link that to bellies being the most vulnerable spot on most animals (cats, turtles, porcupines) then it makes sense that 2 animals trusting each other enough to touch each other’s bellies is a special moment.

XXXX!