Several Wrong's Don't Make Mr. Right- Part 1

This is a series of short stories about the fictional character Ginger and her dating experiences post her promise from Richard who is her childhood best friend. This story is written from first person point of view. Enjoy!

I met Richard at the age of eight while riding my bike down the sidewalk stretch of the four-house minimum I was allowed to travel without supervision. I was so crazy about Richard the moment we locked eyes. He was the youngest of three siblings, however seemed more like the only child because of the age gap. Although he was a boy, we shared many common interests such as video games, basketball and bike riding. We also shared the same carpool to school and during summers, we were inseparable. My mom and dad, being new to the neighborhood, were extremely glad that I had met such a good friend early on. There only concern was that he was a boy and that I preferred playing basketball and other physical sports with Richard as opposed to playing Barbie’s and teatime.

 Many years passed before Richard started to see me differently. I knew things had changed because he began to act awkward in my presence as if he really liked me. His interaction mirrored more of a relational driven one as opposed to friendship based, but he still honored and respected my boundaries. One day while eating dinner with my parents, I asked if I could go on an actual date with Richard. There response in unison was, “Heck No”! I was upset because I was a senior and had already been given the speech from my parents when I was twelve and exposed to things that would make them blush, at school, via the internet and on television. I had also witnessed many of my classmates fall into the traps of unprotected sex and having to deal with the stress associated with the consequences of growing up too fast. In that, I had made a decision early on to stay focused and not put myself in these kinds of predicaments…but the answer was still “No!”

By that time, I had traded in my basketball for pom-poms and Nike’s for stilettos. I had blossomed into a beautiful young woman and I knew it too. My parents, especially my dad, were very protective and monitored where and whom I associated. They often said, “It was not me that they did not trust, but the world we live in”. What a bummer! Although I was graduating in June and capable of making my own decisions, I still could not date Richard outside of us going to Prom. I could not understand why because I had grown up with Richard as my best friend and he frequented the house many times growing up as if he was family. However, my dad still made it a point to ask 21-questions and walk around the house with his gun holstered on his hip. I was so embarrassed, but in the back of my mind knew it would soon be over because I would be leaving for college in the fall.

It seemed as if the last semester of high school flew by and I was standing in the mirror admiring how my prom dress fit like a glove. I was so happy to be in that moment and most importantly glad to share it with the one I loved…Richard! Richard always treated me with respect and displayed similar character likened to my dad. My dad was my hero, so Richard was special to me. After I took one last look in the mirror, my dad walked into my room and looked at me with a look of approval. He peered into my eyes and told me how stunning I looked and to remember who and whose I am? I hugged him as he escorted me downstairs where my date stood waiting in the foyer. Richard looked as handsome as I imagined he would look in his tuxedo. I walked toward Richard as he looked toward my dad. My dad grinned as he closed his jacket hiding his gun. Richard let out a sigh of relief and seemed more relaxed. At that moment, he reached for my hand to place the corsage on my wrist. My mom snapped a picture and continued to take more as we drove off in the limo.

We walked into the prom looking as if we were royalty. All eyes were on the two of us as we parted the crowd to take our seats. We looked around the packed room until we spotted our group of friends already on the dance floor. We excused ourselves from the table and went to join them on the floor. Richard was a great dancer while I was rhythmically challenged. He had tried to teach me to dance on a few occasions, but I could only manage to stumble over my two left feet. That did not stop Richard. He just smiled and pulled me closer while he continued to lead.

After we both broke a light sweat on the dance floor, he escorted me unto a beautiful balcony just off the ballroom. As we stood looking at the moon and then at one another, I thought to myself how in the fall we would be separated by different colleges on opposite ends of the country. Richard hesitated but then started to speak and a single tear fell from my eye. He gently wiped the tear from my cheek, got down on one knee, and pulled a velvet box from his pocket. I looked at him and said, “What are you doing?” Richard responded and said, “Something I have wanted to do forever Ginger”. I started to cry as he opened the box and placed a heart shaped Amethyst and diamond encrusted necklace around my neck promising that we would marry after we finished college. Richard got off his knee and we embraced one another and sealed it with a kiss. 

To Be Continued...