Because He Can

Rose: Do you love him, Loretta?
Loretta: No.
Rose: Good... when you love 'em they drive you crazy because they know they can.
~Moonstruck

I always swore I wouldn't let myself fall for a blue-eyed man. I grew up in a family full of blue eyes... I thought I'd want something different to stare at. A year ago, I placed an ad in the craigslist personals. I had done it before, mostly using my wit and sarcasm to lure them in. While I'd made a few friends (and met a few certifiable weirdos), I hadn't really met anyone of great significance. So, weary (and wary) of the game, I placed a very simple ad that read, "I'm just looking for someone to hang out with and watch movies. I'll make the popcorn, you bring the beer."

I got a few responses that were decent and even met up with a couple of them. Then, 4 days after I'd placed the ad, I got a response that contained all kinds of spelling and grammatical errors. Normally, I'd pretty much ignore such responses - I'm not a snob, but intelligence was definitely something on my "laundry list" of what I was looking for. Still, this one tugged at me somehow. The guy said he'd just gotten rid of his farm animals, was feeling a little sad, and "just hanging out sounds good."

So, I replied and gave a little information about myself, including a bit about what I'd been through with John and since. He wrote back and said that people like me were rare and "you sound like someone I'd at least like to know." I liked it... it was such a different kind of thing to say. It fit with my no expectations, no demands viewpoint. Then he sent me pictures of himself and I thought, "Egads, the man is stunningly handsome, blue eyes n' all. He'll never go for me." Still, I gave him my phone number and we arranged to meet for drinks.

I was immediately at ease with him. He was laid back, but had fantastic energy, possessed that fine sarcastic wit and wicked humor that always gets my attention, had traveled all over the world and had great stories to tell, and proved in a heartbeat that his spelling ability belied impressive intelligence. I told him about my own travels, about my Hungarian heritage, which got us talking about food. I told him I'd cook him a proper Hungarian meal sometime - little thinking that he'd ever take me up on it. It was a fun evening, but I really didn't think I'd ever see him again.

Then, a few days later I got an email from him that read, "I think tonite you should cook that food." I loved his boldness and his assumption that I'd meant what I said. I wrote back and said, "You got it... come over around 7." I'm convinced that my cooking must have completely dazzled him, because he stayed. And that was the beginning of life with Scott.

It's not perfect, but what is? In a very short year, we've managed to stand by each other through all kinds of life stuff. Neither of us has made great proclamations of undying devotion. See, it's all in the doing... all in the being there... we're just hangin' out. S'the way I like it.

Rose: Do you love him, Loretta?
Loretta: Aw, ma, I love him awful.
Rose: Oh, God, that's too bad.
~Moonstruck

(*ignominious grin*)

Yep. He drives me crazy, because he knows he can.