Our crazy/silly/roller-coastery story, part three

DISCLAIMER: I have a bad memory. So this story is the best I can do--some details may be "creatively remembered." Just wanted to dispel any wild notions of super-memory!

We sat there looking at each other, SO AWKWARD! We laughed, nervously, together. I thought, was this a deal breaker? Did we even have a "deal"? Should I have kept my "three weeks" a secret? Was my weirdness leaking out? I was definitely panicking. Finally, he just laughed and said that he hadn't known. Then he did something I didn't expect. He asked if I was okay being with him. I thought to myself, wow--he is really thoughtful. I told him I was just fine. And I smiled.

From there the conversation took off. I think the recently-returned "surprise" acted as an ice breaker. It started to sprinkle a little bit as we walked off campus. We really enjoyed talking together. He was exactly what I needed. When we were looking at the mission website, I had a little homesick attack. I loved my mission and missed it. I felt ill at ease in "normal life." Mr. TD&H also loved his mission. He had been home for 5 years, but I felt like he mirrored my feelings. We talked and talked about funny mission stories. We even shared our feelings about being strengthened in our faith in Christ by our service. We got to his car, and he offered to take me home. It was raining after all. I accepted his chivalrous offer. The talking continued. For hours. We sat in front of my apartment for the next few hours having the most amazing talk. I think back now and have to chuckle. Because of the rain and the heater going in the car, the windows were steamed up. I am sure it looked a little compromising, but we had no idea. We were just happy to be getting to know each other. Really happy.

We finally tore ourselves away, saying that we would talk again soon. I practically floated into my apartment. Diana looked at me with wondering eyes. "What have you been up to?" she asked. Oh, just talking to Troy's roommate for the last several hours, I replied. She chuckled to herself and said, "Oh. Nice?" "Nice," I answered, with a sheepish grin.

I have to interrupt here and say that my life did not revolve around this guy. Not yet, anyway. I was trying to figure out whether to continue my music major or my English major or start an emphasis in education. I was a little lost. One safe place for me, however, was Concert Choir. Before my mission, I had the opportunity to sing under the direction of Mack Wilberg (who now conducts the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). I was lucky enough to get in again the first semester I was back. I loooooved singing in that choir. So I had plenty to do without sitting at home, next to the phone. Although I looked forward to seeing Mr. TD&H, I did have quite a busy life.

I can't even remember how this next bit started, but somehow this guy named Andre entered the picture. Not sweeping me away, mind you. Just there. He was nice enough, but I wasn't too interested. I liked him more as a friend. He even went shopping with me once. One night, soon after school started, we hung out with another couple (married, I think). I remember the couple, I just don't remember if they were married yet. She and I were in Concert Choir together, and we had a double date. Nothing memorable happened because I can't recall anything about that night. Only that Andre was sorta kinda in the background of my life. And he is a singer. A really good one.

Remember how I said my mom was visiting (for the missionary homecoming, etc.)? Well, we were talking and I mentioned Mr. TD&H. She was very interested in seeing this guy, so she invited us to dinner. What???! You don't ask a guy to meet your mom within two weeks of meeting him! But, after all, it was a free dinner. So we went. And it was a little awkward. But Mr. TD&H was a trooper and very nice. I wonder what he was thinking--I've never asked him.
That was Friday night. We made plans to do something (just the two of us) the next evening.

The next day I took my mom over to the HFAC (music building at BYU). She was the choir director in her ward and wanted to run through new music. There, we ran into Andre. He and my mom really hit it off. He offered to help with the music run-through. My mom was thrilled! We worked for quite a while, and I hadn't foreseen this. I hadn't divulged that I was meeting Mr. TD&H because I thought we'd be done by now. I don't know why I didn't just come clean, but I felt awkward, I didn't want to make Andre feel uncomfortable, and I vainly hoped that things would work out all right. It had become late afternoon, and I was getting a little stressed about the fact that I was needing to kindly yet firmly ditch my mom and Andre so that I could meet Mr. TD&H on campus. I don't remember how it happened, but I met Mr. TD&H with mom and Andre in tow. My guy was standoffish, very unlike him, and that puzzled me. (Although now I can't believe I was puzzled. Wouldn't you be with two tag-alongs on a date?) We started walking and I pulled away from the crowd to talk to Mr. TD&H. "I know that guy," he said. "He dated my sister in Canada."

Great. Not only were we on a really strange date, but the two guys actually knew each other. I think Andre felt the tension because he totally started over-compensating. He was charming the socks off my mom and driving me batty. We had to get out of there.

So I finagled a ride (from Andre) to my sister's apartment for my very grateful (to him, not me) mom , and we were finally alone. Tension, anyone?

I reassured Mr. TD&H that there was nothing between me and Andre, and we went on our merry way.

Fast forward three days.

Mr. TD&H met on campus, and he walked me home. When we got there, Andre was sitting in my kitchen with a plate of donuts. He looked at us, and then said, "I hoped we could do something together tonight."

Huh? Did he not see the giant standing next to me? Did he want a trio-date? I told him the obvious, that I already had plans. What was going on here? A couple of weeks earlier I had wondered if I would ever get a date. And now here I was in my own kitchen with two guys seemingly vying for my affections.

Could things get stranger?

to be continued...