The First Kiss that Changed the World

I’ve already told a story or two about the early days in our courtship, but as this weekend marks both Jay’s birthday and the anniversary of our first kiss, I thought it would be a good time to tell this story.

Signals had been flying over the past week and I was going to burst.  After almost an entire semester of flirting, then seeing him with someone else, having a deep/personal conversation then not seeing him for days, we were finally getting somewhere.

1. He took me on a date for his free birthday lunch at one of my favorite restaurants (which I thought was going to be a group/friend thing, but he just took me and paid for my meal when his was free).
2. He put his arm around me in the car.
3. He held my hand at Harry Potter 4.

But Jay’s uncle came to town the weekend of his birthday, and for a day or so there wasn’t any contact between us.

We had been on a roll, a roll that I liked very much -  each time we were together we acted more enamored, more interested, more touchy…

I really wanted that roll to keep going.

I hatched a plan to pop over to his apartment right at midnight so that I could be the first person to wish him a happy birthday, and to give him a little present.  We weren’t bf/gf yet, so I just made a little box that was part of an inside joke with us and filled it with candy (Jay still has that box to this day – it’s filled with things from our dating days, ticket stubs, programs, etc.).  It was sweet, but not too overbearing (I didn’t want to ruin things by sending out creeper vibes).

Jay seemed surprised to see me, but happy too.  We just talked for a moment, since he mentioned having to get up at 4:30 to take his uncle to the airport in the morning.  Much to my surprise he asked me if I’d like to go along for the ride.

Sleep, Boy, Sleep, Boy…. hmm. Two very important things to the average college age female.  My deliberations only took a moment though – I figured that I had the rest of my life to sleep, but being along with Jay in a car for an hour drive only came along once in a lifetime (back then).

I told him that I’d LOVE a two hour car ride before the sun came up, and rushed home to get a [very] little bit of shut eye.

I’m sure that Jay slept like a log for those 4 hours.  I contemplated taking a shower, doing my hair, if my pajamas were cute enough…. In the end, I think I didn’t want to come off as fake, so I just wrapped up in my red-plaid-teddy-bear blanket (no joke) and slumped into the backseat of his car.

You should never be fake in relationships.  That’s the key to success.

On the drive to the airport, I snoozed a little in the back of the car.  Jay wanted to talk personally with his uncle and I didn’t want to push myself into it.  I did eavesdrop a little though when the uncle asked about girls – Jay said that he wanted to date, but that he wouldn’t get married before graduating unless he found the right girl.

Who would have thought the tattered little thing in the backseat would have been her?

After Uncle took off for his flight, I came up to sit in the front by Jay.  His car was an old lady’s Buick (quite literally, it was a hand-me-down from Grandma G), which came fully equipped for a strapping young bachelor – a bench front seat.  Jay stretched his arm out across the seat and offered me his shoulder to crash on, which I accepted delightedly.

We drove the hour back home like that.  Yes, I did think of my mom and dad’s warnings about girlfriends who sit in the middle, then get in accidents and have the rear view mirror lodged in their heads, but I took the risk – it was JAY’s shoulder after all and at least I would have died happy.

Taking our exit off of the freeway the sun just began to crest over the mountains.  The morning frost glistened in the perfect silence of a lazy Sunday morning.  We were alone on the streets of our town.

Bending onto my road, I was sad to see my apt coming into view, but as we approached my driveway Jay swung to the left instead of the right and parked in the empty University A lot that we used for visitors on weekends.  I thought he wanted to park and walk me to my door, but the engine stayed running, as Jay shifted to hold me tight.

I honestly cannot remember if we even said a word that morning.  What I do know is that Jay was sporting his sloppy-look complete with a nerd’s hat (no joke, it said Atari on it) covering his uncombed (possibly unwashed?) hair.

With my head on his shoulder, he bent down and grazed my forehead with his lips.

I froze – a test, was that a test of the waters?  How do I act interested without loosing my cool?

I remained still in that same position.  Dead-frozen, like a kissing possum just in case there was some mistake.

Then, timidly, a second kiss was placed on my cheek, but dangerously close to my lips.  The brim of his hat collided with my temple and I wondered, Was he trying to kiss me, but didn’t make it ‘cuz of the hat?

Stupid hat.  Stupid, stupid, blocking hat.

With boldness that is NOT like me at all, I twisted around, grabbed onto the brim of that hat and gave it a heave into the backseat.

Jay smiled, nothing to misinterpret there, leaned over and kissed me for real.

I was dumbfounded by how perfect it was – not an awkward lip bump like so many first kisses when you’re not really sure of the other person.  It was sincere, it was heart felt, and it lasted a good little while. ; ) wink wink.

The last part of the story (that I know if I don’t write out, Betty will jump on the comments section and add it) was that after it was time to go home I said goodbye to Jay, walked through our apt, passed another roommie who accused me right off the bat of having been freshly kissed, walked into the room we shared, then did a flying human-blanket onto Betty’s sleeping body screaming, “He KISSED me!”

As early as it was for a Sunday, she didn’t even complain.  Talk about a great roommate.

There’s a lot more story to tell – not all of it as perfect as this little fair tale, but all of it goes back to that day.  It’s been 4 years since the  kiss that changed the world – four years and the kisses have only gotten better, the mornings have occasionally gotten even earlier, but the magic of each moment together is just as strong.

I love you Honey, happy birthday and happy kiss-aversary!

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