continued...

This dog cracks me up. He reminds me of my Aunt Debbie's dog Pogo.

I thought I might "try" to finish the story from the other night. I wasn't planning this, but a guy at work asked me about it today. I thought if he was interested, then maybe someone else is too. I may have to cut it short due to needing to clean up the house a little. The hubby has the cable guys coming over tomorrow for a new "package" that requires new wiring. Thankfully he is coming home early for this and I won't have to witness anything too invasive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I went to college about 2 hours away from Columbia. Therefore, I did not need to worry about running into K. I still had his ring in my jewelry box at home. About 4 years after getting that big ole ring I had a criminology class with a group of fun people. I sat by a cute little brunette girl (for the life of me I cannot remember her name) and two redheaded boys that could have been twins if it had not been for the obvious reason one was about a foot taller and a little heavier. Ironnically they shared the same first name. That made it even more difficult to keep them straight. The shorter one, K2, was the funniest one. He had me and the girl beside me in stitches. K3 sat on the other side of K2 rolling his eyes. The little brunette kinda had the hots for K2. She wanted to date him real bad. She finagled a way to study with him at the library one evening. The next class period she came back and told me there was just no chemistry. Then she surprised me as she believed K2 liked me. I told her he just liked me because I laughed at his stupidity and silliness all the time, but he didn't really like me, like me. She disagreed, "no, I think he really LIKES you".

She started skipping class quite frequently so K2 moved to her seat. He announced one day in class that I would be studying with him in the library the following evening. I agreed and we met at the library. We didn't study much and he talked my ears off. It was fun. Nothing more nothing less. I could handle those kind of relationships. That semester ended and I returned home for the summer. Dad came into my room before school started and asked me if I knew someone by the name of K2 R---- (names have been changed to protect the goofy). Then he handed me the phone. I thought to myself, "what the heck is this about?" It was THE K2 I had class with. He tracked me down to my little hometown population 612. K2 asked when I was moving back and wanted me to go to a party with him. I kinda brushed him off and told him I wasn't sure. Finished a little small talk remembering what the cute little brunette girl told me.

After a week or two into the new semester K2 asked me one day, "do you know K?" I looked at him wondering where in the heck did he get that name. There were a few other people from our area at school in Warrensburg, but I don't think they had a clue who I was or that I dated K. Tilting my head as if it would make the puzzle fit better in my brain, I told him yes I knew K. "Well," K2 went on, "he wants his class ring back." "Really" I replied. Embarrassed and not really wanting to talk to him about this, I had to know, "how do YOU know K?"

K2 continued, "we are in the Missouri National Guard together. I asked him if he knew you and he told me he really s--- all over you." "Hmmmm, you could say that," wondering how on earth I got myself into things like this. "I asked him about you. I wanted to know all about you, but he told me it had been so long he couldn't really answer my questions other than you are a really sweet girl. I told him I knew that much." I was getting sick listening to this. All of a sudden my world was spinning. I was going down the wrong path. Again. (I kid you not I swear I remember this conversation, word for word. I even remember what chair I was sitting on in that auditorium style classroom. Sitting in the 2nd row with K2 sitting right behind me.)

K2 began calling me all the time. Even my roommate Kim got to know him quite well. He liked talking to her on the phone too. Sometimes Kim even called me at my friend Denise's apartment to give me K2 warnings. Denise got to know him quite well too. We did go watch, well actually we did a quick drive by watch of him playing rugby. Just so we could say we saw him play. Inevitably he would be at the library or student union. It was always a coinkie dinkie to find him anywhere and everywhere. Entertaining is a great word to describe him. He really was fun and funny. He loved the attention. My friends found him amusing and I did too. But there was just a blank for me as far as romance. I told him I wasn't interested. He was okay with just hanging around. However, things started to change. Knocking on his dormitory door, I overheard him talking to a friend on the phone. He was talking about me as if I were his serious girlfriend. I knew then, hanging out was not an option anymore. I confronted him about what he said. For the first time in 10 months, K2 was speechless and embarrassed.

K2 and I had it out in the parking lot of the library one evening shortly after that last exchange. I'm not sure if we met there or if he stalked me. After being swooned, sweet talked and made nauseous, I finally had to tell him I just didn't like him like that. It was a moment frozen in time. It was dark with only the lights of the parking lot bearing down on us. Just like in the movies. He stood there looking at me. Then he did the only thing I would never have done. He kissed me. I lost it. He was about 5 inches shorter than me. A stocky rugby player. Feeling like I needed to shake him off of my leg, I gave him the what for and got in my car. As I drove off leaving him in library dust, I could see him standing there looking after me. No, it was not romantic. It was NOT the movies.

I drive to Denise's to fill her in. Then I drive back to my apartment where Kim was waiting for me on the couch. "Lisa, K2 just called." So, I picked up the phone and called Denise. We came up with a plan. Denise is a genius. She came up with the plan. I cheered her on...I can still hear her wicked little laugh to this day.