Halloween

After much deliberation, my apartment decided we would all go to the ward Halloween party/dance as jukebox girls. We made our poodle skirts the week before, tediously hand appliqueing on the poodles and sequin leashes. That night I spent an outrageous amount of time straightening my hair and trying on 14 different shirts and shoes before I came up with the final ensemble.


We went to dinner with some friends and then made our way to the stake center that would host the dance. We arrived early because my roommate was chair of the activities committee and we had been volunteered to help decorate. As we hung streamers and laid out refreshments, I kept a watch on the door, waiting for someone of interest to arrive.

Just as the lights dimmed and the music started playing, I saw boy #2 walk in. I waved and he waved back. Pretending I didn't care one way or another whether he came my way, I turned back to the dance floor and tried to look as coordinated as possible. A few minutes later, the first slow song came through the speakers and I heard his voice behind me. My hands felt clammy and I hoped he wouldn't notice my face starting to glisten as we picked a spot near the center of the cultural hall.

Awkward small talk ensued as we slowly paced back and forth to some cheesy ballad. I studied his movements, trying to tell if he was being nice to me out of friendship, sympathy, or real interest. It was difficult to say, especially since I didn't even know my own feelings towards him. Was I really interested in him as a person? Or was I merely falling prey to the attention? Before I knew it, the song was over and I was left alone on the dance floor with only my mixed up emotions as company.

I scanned the crowd for a familiar face. I hated standing alone in the middle of couples dancing. It seemed everyone I knew was partnered up, so I began the long walk towards the chairs lining the wall. I took a seat and tried not to look like the pathetic, lonely wall flower that I was. It was then, in this state of self-conscious anxiety, that I saw him. He was dressed in tight jeans, a striped button-down shirt, a black ten-gallon hat, and a large, shiny, brass belt buckle. Yep, Jeff was a cowboy.


His two roommates were also decked out in Western garb. They stood just beside him across the room from me. I started to smile but ended up scowling instead as I noticed the fourth member of their group. Did he really bring a girl with him? The nerve! He can't possibly be dating anyone since he just took me out LAST WEEK. Which means she is either just a friend or his new interest, both of which are entirely inappropriate to bring to OUR ward party. My doubts from earlier that week resurfaced as I watched Jeff interact with the new girl. He grabbed her hand and they began dancing even though the song was halfway over. I closed my eyes and prayed this DJ was one of those who never played more than two slow songs back to back.

The song ended and I watched as Jeff and his friend walked my way.

Oh heavens, please spare me.

"Hi Carly. I didn't see you sitting over here."

Sure you didn't.

"Hey Jeff. Yup, I've just been waiting for these lame slow songs to end so we can really get this party started."

I can't believe I just said that. He's going to see straight through me. I'm going to go crawl in a hole now.

As if things couldn't get worse, Jeff then introduced his friend to me. The girl. Turns out he knew her from high school. I put on my sweetest sugary smile.

"Hi! It's nice to meet one of Jeff's old friends. He hasn't told me much about what he was like before his mission. Maybe you can fill me in..."

That's right. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

The girl and I ended up spending a good fifteen minutes sitting against the wall, getting to know one another. If she hadn't been the competition, I probably would have liked her. She was friendly and personable. I could see why Jeff was friends with her. And why he maybe wanted her to be something more.

As we were sitting there, I spotted Jeff coming back towards us. I felt my stomach do a belly flop and goosebumps run up and down my arms.

"Hey girls. Having fun?"
"You betcha!" I replied, a little too enthusiastically.
"Good. Well, I think it's time you take a break from sitting." He put his hands out and I waited for the other girl to take them. She stared back at me and suddenly I realized he was reaching towards me. For once, I didn't stop to analyze what every gesture meant as I took his hands. My victorious grin melted into a smile of blissful happiness as we approached the floor and had our very first dance together.

In contrast to the earlier dance with boy #2, the conversation was not awkward at all. We were able to both talk comfortably and be silent comfortably. It had been a long time since I hadn't felt like every word I spoke was being weighed and judged. The song was over much too soon, but Jeff held my hand and we continued through the next song. I said my second prayer of the night, this time that the DJ would ONLY play slow songs the rest of the night.

To my dismay, the next song had a quicker beat so I reluctantly let go of Jeff's hand. The rest of the night we ebbed and flowed towards and away from each other. As the night began to wind down, I found myself dancing with him again. All thoughts of boy #2 were gone. I let my head rest on his shoulder, letting him know that I was ready to give us a shot.

All he had to do was take the bait.