That first party

Jim and I were friendly when we started working at Dick's Sporting Goods. That's how I met him, you know. He worked in Bikes, I worked in Clothing. His friend Mark and I were friends. Mark and I used to stand at the edges of our areas (we weren't allowed outside our "area", be it Bikes or Clothing or Shoes or whatever...) and chit chat. Mark would tell me about his girlfriend and I would blather on about some stupid plan that I'd probably been thinking about at the time...like backpacking through Europe for six months. So anyway, Mark and I were friends, but I really didn't know Jim. We were just friendly.

So one night, a guy that was working with us decided to have a party. Jim and his buddies walked through the store and asked everyone if they were going. At the time, one of the other girls in clothing really liked Jim. So when he came by and asked if I was going, I said "Sure!" Well one thing led to another and Jim told me to go to his house first. We would meet up with Mark, and we'd all go together.

So the minute Jim left I called this girl that liked Jim and said "Here's your big chance! Let's go to the party with them!" And she whined that she didn't want to drive that far back into town. Hm. So I was stuck (it was stuck in my mind...) going to this party with two guys. There was ANOTHER guy I liked that was working with us, and I hoped he'd be there.

So I ran home, and explained the situation to my brother Tom. I wore a carefully planned outfit of Tom's awesome plaid shirt bloused over cutoff shorts. Braided belt. Tevas. It was a total summer-I-look-cute-like-this-all-the-time-no-this-wasn't-planned outfit. And cut me some slack. It was the early 90s.

So I went to Jim's parents house to meet him and Mark. Just to let you know how young I was: I actually wondered where his parents were, if they would be okay with us drinking a beer in their basement, and if my mom would be mad if she knew I was at a boy's house without his parents at home. I was in COLLEGE! Anyway, we only stayed there for one beer and left.

We went to the party. The guy I liked wasn't there. The girl that liked Jim never did show. I ended up sitting with Jim, Mark and their friends Sean and Eric. Oh my goodness were they fun guys. Jim especially. I remember he made me laugh so hard that night. Who knows what he was saying. I just know I thought he was hilarious.

Things wrapped up at the party and the guys were going out to a bar. I wasn't 21 and I didn't have a fake ID. I rrrrreeeeaaaaallllllyyyyyyy wanted Jim to ask me out. So I sort of lingered by my car with him and Mark. And he didn't ask me out. So I kept chatting. Still. Nothing. Finally we started talking about getting together as a group and he said "I'm not going out with that girl from work. I'm not interested in her, and you can't make me." Um, DUH. I don't want you to go out with HER! So I finally said "No, Jim, with me." He kind of looked dubious like I was going to trick him into going out with her. And finally said "Oh, well ok!" I don't know what Mark was doing or saying or thinking at the time - he was standing there to witness the whole fiasco. I just remember being so nervous.

So that's the first party we went to. The night I asked him out. The first time I realized he was totally awesome. I was 20 years old. Here I am 16 years later. I really won the lotto that night. What if that girl from work had decided to come out!? What if the guy I liked had been there? But those scenarios weren't meant to be. I was meant to see Jim for the wonderful funny guy that he was. My life was so much richer for his gentle demeanor and his wonderful sense of humor.