This is part 4 in a series of related blog posts. You may want to start at the beginning.
It was over. I’d been dreading the thought of turning down Shalauna’s business opportunity. But, having made the decision, it was a huge weight off my shoulders. Still, I knew Shalauna would be in town for a few more days, and I could not get her out of my mind. I caught myself replaying our day in NYC together over and over again in my mind’s eye. Now that the business was out of the equation, I began to mourn the loss of, what I thought, could have been a really good friendship. And maybe more.
That weekend was the Orem City Summerfest, a longtime family tradition for the extended family on my mom’s side. We’d all gather at my grandma’s house, just south of the City Center Park near Smith’s. Then join in the festivities, watch the parade, and enjoy the fireworks show after dark. This year was no different, and I’d driven to the park that Saturday afternoon on my motor scooter.
I really wanted to see Shalauna again before she left Utah. But that day, I spent what seemed like an eternity, debating in my mind whether or not I should take the risk, and invite her to the festivities with me. Did she hate my guts at this point?
I finally worked up the courage to contact her. And, being the tech savvy ladies man that I am, I thought of the perfect medium. Text message! To my great surprise, she said she’d be delighted.
She pulled up to my grandma’s house in a shiny new Lexus SUV. “Holy crap,” I thought to myself, “not only is she awesome, but she’s rich too! I’ve hit the jackpot!” Then, as she stepped out of the vehicle, it dawned on me what I’d done. It was our first date hang out and I’d already invited her to meet my whole family! What was I thinking! I was trying to impress her, not scare her off!
But, being the outgoing, friendly, fun, spontaneous, energetic and hilarious person that she is — it wasn’t long before my whole family was nudging and winking to me behind her back with gestures of approval. We walked in the park, saw the parade, and even got temporary tattoos.
The sun set and the stars came out. We found ourselves laying side by side on a blanket together as fireworks burst in the sky. “I could get used to this”, I thought to myself.