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Follow Your Heart
When the girls walked into the hall where the law smoker was taking place, it was already crowded. Couples were dancing to the music a DJ was playing, while others were milling around, drinks in hand, talking.
“What now?” Paige asked.
“Well, we can try to make our way over to the bar and get a drink, walk around and mingle, or stand here and look like the princesses that we are.”
“That certainly helped,” Paige answered with a hint of laughter in her voice.
Before Allison could answer, a guy she knew from one of her classes approached her and asked her to dance. Paige suddenly felt alone and began to back into a corner. Unfortunately, it was already occupied.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” A male voice shouted behind her a little too late to prevent her from spilling his drink.
Mortified, Paige said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s obvious.”
Nearly in tears from the embarrassment of being so clumsy, Paige pulled a tissue from her purse and began to dab desperately at his hands to dry them.
“Please stop. You’re just making it worse,” the guy protested as the saturated tissue shredded into bits and stuck to his hands.
When she realized what she’d done, Paige blurted out, “Oh, no! What an idiot I am. I’d better go before I do worse damage.”
Instead of remaining angry, the guy only laughed. That seemed to make Paige feel even smaller than she’d felt a moment ago. She wondered how many others had witnessed her clumsiness.
“Please don’t run away,” the stranger said grabbing her arm. “I don’t even know your name.”
“And you’re not going to. Do you think that I want you to know who did this to you?”
“Hey, it was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.”
“I’m not too certain of that.”
“Well, all in all, it certainly was a unique way to meet a guy.”
“Now, just you wait a sec,” Paige said as new heat spread across her café au lait complexion. “Do you honestly think I go around picking up guys this way?”
“No, silly. I was teasing. And I’m not sorry it happened. Now, will you please tell me your name?”
“Well, if you must know, Paige Winters.”
“Hello, Paige Winters, I’m Matt Harding,” he said, extending his hand, but pulling it back quickly when he realized it was still covered in bits of tissue. “I guess I better go wash my hands. Will you promise to wait here until I come back?”
Paige nodded. It was the least she could do. “I’d like to buy you another drink.”
“We’ll discuss that when I return.”
She watched the good-looking guy walk away. In many respects, he reminded her of Mark with his blond hair and amiable smile, which revealed dimples to match the cleft he had in his chin. She smiled to herself. At least she hadn’t bumped into a short three-hundred-pound, hairy gorilla with buck teeth and thick coke-bottle glasses.
A little more than five minutes had passed before she saw Matt returning with two glasses of beer in his hands.
“I wanted to replace your drink,” Paige protested.
“Perhaps the next one. Anyway, it’s much safer if we talk sitting down face-to-face,” he replied, smiling.
She smiled back.
They found a small unoccupied table nearby and sat down. Far enough from the dance floor, they could nearly speak without having to shout. Paige found herself quite interested in Matt and wanted to know everything about him, though she’d like to start with the essentials first—was he unattached?
“Do you go to Columbia Law?” Paige asked, knowing that he could be merely a friend of someone who did and they’d probably never see each other again.
“I’m a third-year law student and have a job waiting for me when I pass the Bar. I’d been working there as a part-time clerk since I started law school.”
“That’s great! Your parents must be so proud of you.”
“No. Not even remotely.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Paige blurted out in surprise.
“Not when your dad expected you to follow in his footsteps. When I told him I wanted to go into law, he nearly had a coronary.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s the head surgeon in one of the biggest hospitals in Grand Rapids,” he replied and took a sip of his beer.
“I take it then he wanted you to become a doctor.”
“Exactly. You see, my mom’s a pediatrician and my older brother is a cardiologist.”
“I’m beginning to understand. Only I’m curious. Why didn’t you want to become a doctor?”
“Can’t stand the sight of blood, for starters.”
Paige laughed. “That’ll do it, for sure.”
“Unfortunately, they weren’t able to brainwash me, since neither one was a psychologist.”
Sipping her beer when Matt said that, Paige nearly choked. When she could finally speak, she admonished him. “Don’t crack jokes when I’m drinking.” She said with a smile to let him know she appreciated his great sense of humor. Paige liked that in a guy.
“What now?” Paige asked.
“Well, we can try to make our way over to the bar and get a drink, walk around and mingle, or stand here and look like the princesses that we are.”
“That certainly helped,” Paige answered with a hint of laughter in her voice.
Before Allison could answer, a guy she knew from one of her classes approached her and asked her to dance. Paige suddenly felt alone and began to back into a corner. Unfortunately, it was already occupied.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” A male voice shouted behind her a little too late to prevent her from spilling his drink.
Mortified, Paige said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s obvious.”
Nearly in tears from the embarrassment of being so clumsy, Paige pulled a tissue from her purse and began to dab desperately at his hands to dry them.
“Please stop. You’re just making it worse,” the guy protested as the saturated tissue shredded into bits and stuck to his hands.
When she realized what she’d done, Paige blurted out, “Oh, no! What an idiot I am. I’d better go before I do worse damage.”
Instead of remaining angry, the guy only laughed. That seemed to make Paige feel even smaller than she’d felt a moment ago. She wondered how many others had witnessed her clumsiness.
“Please don’t run away,” the stranger said grabbing her arm. “I don’t even know your name.”
“And you’re not going to. Do you think that I want you to know who did this to you?”
“Hey, it was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.”
“I’m not too certain of that.”
“Well, all in all, it certainly was a unique way to meet a guy.”
“Now, just you wait a sec,” Paige said as new heat spread across her café au lait complexion. “Do you honestly think I go around picking up guys this way?”
“No, silly. I was teasing. And I’m not sorry it happened. Now, will you please tell me your name?”
“Well, if you must know, Paige Winters.”
“Hello, Paige Winters, I’m Matt Harding,” he said, extending his hand, but pulling it back quickly when he realized it was still covered in bits of tissue. “I guess I better go wash my hands. Will you promise to wait here until I come back?”
Paige nodded. It was the least she could do. “I’d like to buy you another drink.”
“We’ll discuss that when I return.”
She watched the good-looking guy walk away. In many respects, he reminded her of Mark with his blond hair and amiable smile, which revealed dimples to match the cleft he had in his chin. She smiled to herself. At least she hadn’t bumped into a short three-hundred-pound, hairy gorilla with buck teeth and thick coke-bottle glasses.
A little more than five minutes had passed before she saw Matt returning with two glasses of beer in his hands.
“I wanted to replace your drink,” Paige protested.
“Perhaps the next one. Anyway, it’s much safer if we talk sitting down face-to-face,” he replied, smiling.
She smiled back.
They found a small unoccupied table nearby and sat down. Far enough from the dance floor, they could nearly speak without having to shout. Paige found herself quite interested in Matt and wanted to know everything about him, though she’d like to start with the essentials first—was he unattached?
“Do you go to Columbia Law?” Paige asked, knowing that he could be merely a friend of someone who did and they’d probably never see each other again.
“I’m a third-year law student and have a job waiting for me when I pass the Bar. I’d been working there as a part-time clerk since I started law school.”
“That’s great! Your parents must be so proud of you.”
“No. Not even remotely.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Paige blurted out in surprise.
“Not when your dad expected you to follow in his footsteps. When I told him I wanted to go into law, he nearly had a coronary.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s the head surgeon in one of the biggest hospitals in Grand Rapids,” he replied and took a sip of his beer.
“I take it then he wanted you to become a doctor.”
“Exactly. You see, my mom’s a pediatrician and my older brother is a cardiologist.”
“I’m beginning to understand. Only I’m curious. Why didn’t you want to become a doctor?”
“Can’t stand the sight of blood, for starters.”
Paige laughed. “That’ll do it, for sure.”
“Unfortunately, they weren’t able to brainwash me, since neither one was a psychologist.”
Sipping her beer when Matt said that, Paige nearly choked. When she could finally speak, she admonished him. “Don’t crack jokes when I’m drinking.” She said with a smile to let him know she appreciated his great sense of humor. Paige liked that in a guy.