Bob Thomas Writes

They lights came down. The movie started. I leaned towards her. I touched her arm. She smelled of the most wonderful fragrance. My senses, and my imagination, were running wild with a myriad of smells, emotions and prospects of an imagined love affair.

She was watching the movie and ignoring me.

 We were sitting in the auditorium ofAlexanderHigh Schoolin Union Mills, NC. It was a Saturday night in 1961 and the entire student body was in attendance at the weekly movie shown by the school because there was no local theater.

 Her name was Barbara and she was a senior. I was 18 years old and bubbling with hormones and rampant teenage desire. I was pretty sure I was God’s gift to women, and I was equally sure she agreed with me! (O.K., maybe I was a little too confident!)

 I patiently waited my chance and casually put my arm around her – she didn’t flinch or threaten me. I slowly leaned a little closer. She didn’t pull away. I tuned my face towards hers. She didn’t move towards me at all.  I kissed her. She kissed me back. I smoldered? No, I seethed with passion? No, I was dumb stuck!

 In my extensive experience as a kisser of some experience, I had never felt anything like that kiss before. Her lips were soft. Not just soft, but soft and inviting. The kiss was perfect. Not too wet. Not too dry. Not too much upper or lower lip. Perfect. Gentle. Memorable.

 It took my brain a few minutes to stop reeling and for my hormones to return to their respective storage containers, I felt like I had to have another one. Another perfect kiss. I leaned towards her again, puckering as I leaned. My hormones kicked into gear and started dispersing to the appropriate places. My alter ego, (the little devil in me) was busily massaging my shoulders and saying things like, “You can do it”, “She’ll just melt with passion on this one”, “Come on Dude, knock her dead with this one”!

 At that moment the lights came on. The teacher running the movie came through the door and said, “Alright, everybody out.”

 She got up and left. I just sat there with my lips hanging out.

 We weren’t boy friend/girl friend. We didn’t date. I couldn’t think of a reason to just grab her and kiss her in the hall at school. She managed to not sit by me at the next few movies.

She graduated that year.

 She went on to live her life and I mine. But – I never forgot that kiss.

 Forty years later I found out where she lives. She’s happily married, and I’m sure has no idea that this even happened – probably doesn’t remember it at all. But the next time I see her, husband or not, I’m getting that next kiss!

(As it turns out, it was 50 years later at our 50^th High School reunion. I got my kiss! Oh, and her husband wasn’t there! )

(Written for Barbara – it’s no fun if only one of us knows!)