Treasure in the Sand
I think the way we are introduced to something really affects our appreciation of it. I can use music as an example. Months ago I was sitting in my living room with Lindsay having wine and catching up. KCRW, public radio out of Santa Monica with the most bitchin, progressive, eclectic music programming, was on in the back ground. The first few keys of a song came on and I stopped mid-sentence to listen. We sat in silence taking in the sound. I was moved. I grabbed my laptop and logged onto the station website to find out what it was I was falling in love with. Within minutes I was downloading it to my ipod. It was love at first sound.
From time to time I have happened upon music in this way- be it hearing the lyrics of a really great song in the back ground of a commercial or scanning the radio and coming across something that made me stop suddenly and listen. Discovering music in this way makes it feel like finding a treasure in the sand at the beach. I stumble upon it while I'm not even looking. Love is a lot like this.
A few years back I was working for a different doctor, in a different building, on a different street in Beverly Hills. My time with him was brief by career standards, a mere year spent together. I joined him as he opened the doors to his practice and was beside him during his cataclysmic failure to get the business off the ground. As the months wore on and it became abundantly clear success would allude him, depression washed over and he spent less and less time at the office. His absence meant I had a long leash of freedom and began showing up a little later than nine each morning. On a morning in January I pulled into my parking spot, the clock on my dash blinked numbers nearing ten.
I jumped out of my car just as a man two spots over from mine got out too. I saw him and stopped. He had a cool, wool hat on his head and he was beautiful.
Before I could stop myself the words rushed out of my mouth, "I like your hat." I was smiling and I felt a flush creep over my cheeks.
"Thanks!" he said. I tried to discreetly take him in. I could tell he was older but he didn't look like the men that filled the halls and elevators of the lawyer-friendly building. He wasn't round or bald or wearing those tacky striped button down shirts with the white collars. He dressed with style, looked athletic and had this beautiful, straight, white smile.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. We got in together and alone.
"Do you work in the building?" I asked.
"Yes, tenth floor," he responded.
"Ah... lawyer. Of course. Are you the gross kind?" I asked.
He laughed this rich, deep laugh that made me feel like I was the first person he ever found funny in his entire life. "I don't think so. Employment," he said.
"That doesn't sound too bad," I said. We were approaching his floor. I stuck my hand out to shake. "I'm Meghan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
His hand was warm and soft and when he told me his name I thought how lovely it sounded, like the name a famous person might have.
After I was delivered to my floor, two above his, I floated into the office. In retrospect it seems like I was on some drug induced high- what I did next still kind of shocks me.
I went to my desk and opened up Google. Yes, my friends I was going to Google this handsome stranger from the parking garage. I knew the name of his law firm and he had given me his full name. I'm not really sure what I hoped to find by Googling but I think I was searching for his age and if he was married.
I found him quickly on his firm's website. He was a partner which meant he had a long bio about his education and his career. This helped in guessing his age but told me nothing about if he had a wife at home. I sat back in my chair and pondered. This guy was very handsome and I wanted to know more about him- in fact I wanted to go out with him if he was available. I felt like I had to do something, I couldn't let the chance pass me by without some effort.
There was a place on his bio to email him. I thought about that but then realized my message might go to an assistant or secretary and that was the last thing I wanted. I bit my lower lip and considered my options. Finally I decided the only thing I could do is leave a note on his car. It sat down in the garage two spots over from mine. I decided I would let fate play a part too. If when I left for the day his car was still there I would put the note on his door. If he was gone then I would accept that the moment had passed and I would let it go.
I took a heavy piece of stationary paper out of my desk and tore it in half, so as to seem more casual of course. I wrote:
Kelly,
You're beautiful. Married? If so, she's lucky. If not, I'd love to see you again... outside of the elevator.
Meghan
My heart was pounding as I folded it in half. I remember feeling this way as a girl in high school but it had been a long time since I'd been sweaty-palmed about a guy. I wasn't usually this bold either but a nagging voice in my head kept telling me that if I did nothing I was guaranteed to never see this handsome stranger again- I had to at least try.
As the day came to a close the electric feeling of my blood rushing around my body returned. My stomach was twisted in knots as the elevator made it's descent into the parking garage. I pushed through the heavy metal doors and saw his shiny car the color of deep water sitting safely near mine. I looked around the lot to make sure no one was watching, leaving a note on a car feels a little juvenile at twenty six after all. I was alone. I slipped the note between the window and the door on the driver's side and jumped in my car to leave. I slammed the door and was encased in silence. I stared ahead for a moment thinking about what I had just done then shook my head and laughed to myself. What was I thinking? I pulled out of the spot and sped away before I could lose my nerve and take it back.
He called that night.
From time to time I have happened upon music in this way- be it hearing the lyrics of a really great song in the back ground of a commercial or scanning the radio and coming across something that made me stop suddenly and listen. Discovering music in this way makes it feel like finding a treasure in the sand at the beach. I stumble upon it while I'm not even looking. Love is a lot like this.
A few years back I was working for a different doctor, in a different building, on a different street in Beverly Hills. My time with him was brief by career standards, a mere year spent together. I joined him as he opened the doors to his practice and was beside him during his cataclysmic failure to get the business off the ground. As the months wore on and it became abundantly clear success would allude him, depression washed over and he spent less and less time at the office. His absence meant I had a long leash of freedom and began showing up a little later than nine each morning. On a morning in January I pulled into my parking spot, the clock on my dash blinked numbers nearing ten.
I jumped out of my car just as a man two spots over from mine got out too. I saw him and stopped. He had a cool, wool hat on his head and he was beautiful.
Before I could stop myself the words rushed out of my mouth, "I like your hat." I was smiling and I felt a flush creep over my cheeks.
"Thanks!" he said. I tried to discreetly take him in. I could tell he was older but he didn't look like the men that filled the halls and elevators of the lawyer-friendly building. He wasn't round or bald or wearing those tacky striped button down shirts with the white collars. He dressed with style, looked athletic and had this beautiful, straight, white smile.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. We got in together and alone.
"Do you work in the building?" I asked.
"Yes, tenth floor," he responded.
"Ah... lawyer. Of course. Are you the gross kind?" I asked.
He laughed this rich, deep laugh that made me feel like I was the first person he ever found funny in his entire life. "I don't think so. Employment," he said.
"That doesn't sound too bad," I said. We were approaching his floor. I stuck my hand out to shake. "I'm Meghan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
His hand was warm and soft and when he told me his name I thought how lovely it sounded, like the name a famous person might have.
After I was delivered to my floor, two above his, I floated into the office. In retrospect it seems like I was on some drug induced high- what I did next still kind of shocks me.
I went to my desk and opened up Google. Yes, my friends I was going to Google this handsome stranger from the parking garage. I knew the name of his law firm and he had given me his full name. I'm not really sure what I hoped to find by Googling but I think I was searching for his age and if he was married.
I found him quickly on his firm's website. He was a partner which meant he had a long bio about his education and his career. This helped in guessing his age but told me nothing about if he had a wife at home. I sat back in my chair and pondered. This guy was very handsome and I wanted to know more about him- in fact I wanted to go out with him if he was available. I felt like I had to do something, I couldn't let the chance pass me by without some effort.
There was a place on his bio to email him. I thought about that but then realized my message might go to an assistant or secretary and that was the last thing I wanted. I bit my lower lip and considered my options. Finally I decided the only thing I could do is leave a note on his car. It sat down in the garage two spots over from mine. I decided I would let fate play a part too. If when I left for the day his car was still there I would put the note on his door. If he was gone then I would accept that the moment had passed and I would let it go.
I took a heavy piece of stationary paper out of my desk and tore it in half, so as to seem more casual of course. I wrote:
Kelly,
You're beautiful. Married? If so, she's lucky. If not, I'd love to see you again... outside of the elevator.
Meghan
My heart was pounding as I folded it in half. I remember feeling this way as a girl in high school but it had been a long time since I'd been sweaty-palmed about a guy. I wasn't usually this bold either but a nagging voice in my head kept telling me that if I did nothing I was guaranteed to never see this handsome stranger again- I had to at least try.
As the day came to a close the electric feeling of my blood rushing around my body returned. My stomach was twisted in knots as the elevator made it's descent into the parking garage. I pushed through the heavy metal doors and saw his shiny car the color of deep water sitting safely near mine. I looked around the lot to make sure no one was watching, leaving a note on a car feels a little juvenile at twenty six after all. I was alone. I slipped the note between the window and the door on the driver's side and jumped in my car to leave. I slammed the door and was encased in silence. I stared ahead for a moment thinking about what I had just done then shook my head and laughed to myself. What was I thinking? I pulled out of the spot and sped away before I could lose my nerve and take it back.
He called that night.
I love this story. He is a wonderful man you are very luck and I'm so happy for you two.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until I was done reading this that I realized you had painted the picture perfectly. I can visualize every bit of that story. I love your writing and that feeling of finding something very very special.
ReplyDelete