Friday, January 24, 2014

Bathroom Monologue: Twenty Years

They were the high school sweethearts who didn’t know they were in love. They ran the school blog, spending long nights figuring out HTML and never so much as touching each other’s hands. They were each other’s default guest at parties.

They were running jokes for all their friends, through college and into work places. No one spent that long on the phone with somebody they weren’t screwing – except they weren’t. They were starting up a company that was going to revolutionize non-invasive ads, a topic that was only exciting for the two of them, and an excitement that everyone else understood differently from the two of them.

Too broke to buy houses, they pitched in for rent on one apartment from which to launch their venture. They did each other’s laundry, drove each other home from surgery, and patiently faced down accusations from each other’s parents about the location of sin and their proximity to living in it.

It was almost twenty years before a college intern shoved one of them on New Years Eve and demanded they kiss. And they might have been drunk, and they might have been hiding things, but they did and it lasted an eternal seven seconds – they both knew because it made them so nervous they couldn’t focus on anything but their watches.

Then they were quiet.

Then one of them said, “We should do that more often.”

So they did. They spent another twenty years together starting the next morning, and another twenty after that.

17 comments:

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    1. I win! Ironically the tweet I just scheduled for the morning dedicates this to you and Danni.

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    2. I'd say this is the least dubious yet ;)

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  2. A sweet revelation with a happily-ever-after. A solid build-up to a satisfying end, John. Well done.

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  3. Aww, super cute. A love story that unfolded without either of them knowing or noticing it. I like the happily ever after... which surprised me, because I was expecting one of your usual twists... LOL

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  4. It's the ones that build slowly that last the longest. Although twenty years is a long time to remain clueless.

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  5. At least the intern had the presence of mind to force the issue! They were what, 37? Loved how it ended up.

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  6. I like this love story. It sounds sweet. Although, I imagine I'd be doing what the intern did and saying "Get on with it!" ;)

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  7. I think they were most definitely made for each other, let's hope their kisses are long and numerous. :)

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  8. Like Jenelle I was waiting for that twist...ed ending, but you really surprised me John, and a great surprise it was. You should do romance more often.

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  9. The very definition of geek love in my opinion lol. Good thing they had each other though or they might have died single.

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  10. Now that's a solid relationship - friendship, shared goals, and an ease with one another. Sometimes the love of your life is right under your nose. :-) Hope they sent flowers to the person who pushed them into a kiss!

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  11. Great version! I've seen this happen in real life (not over twenty years), but I've seen the opposite too, where the intern shows up and it's absolute Disaster Fun Time. The former is a much happier outcome, of course.

    And now I want to watch When Harry Met Sally again.

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  12. I agree, I didn't expect this from you. Made me smile.

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  13. All a bit like life - like someone near and dear to me saying - quite seriously - " ... what about it, then?"

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  14. That is the most beautiful romantic story you have ever written. I am so proud!

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