Part 2 of 3 in an introspective series on relationships
I knew something had woken me up, I merely wasn't sure what. The night had flowed well, as did the drinks, and after all was said and done I hadn't ended up in the gutter. That's pretty much the definition of a good night.
As I glanced across the artificial twilight that enveloped my room courtesy of the street lamp outside, I realized two things. First, it was 4:23 in the morning. Second, I still had my contacts in since I could actually read my clock from across the room.
I gathered my thoughts and tried to convince myself that getting up and taking out my contacts was worth it. But trying to figure out what woke me up lingered foremost in my mind.
Then I heard it, a distinct thump?? then another. As if to say 'no you're not hearing things,' another sound made its entrance.
'Ooooooooohhhhh!!'
Thump, moan, thump, moan, with a little ambient TV noise mixed in. In hindsight I should have put my bed on the other side of my room next to the wall separating me from my apartment mates, because, unlike my neighbor, they never got any action.
As I lay there feeling a bit queasy and wondering if it was due to my night out or the current situation, it stopped. The sound, it just stopped. I checked the time again: 4:25. Two minutes. Two minutes?!? What, was the commercial break over?
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But looking back on the whole episode, I'm not sure if the lesson learned is good or bad. On one hand, my neighbor's companion was the sexual equivalent of a flash bang grenade: quick, relatively painless, leaving those close by nothing more than momentarily stunned. You might be inclined to thank this guy for lowering the bar for the rest of us.
But there is a downside to this convenient handicap, it comes with a price. That is, this casual fling was just that, a quick insincere means to an end, ultimately doing nothing but belittling the act's chance of being meaningful. There's a reason you couldn't describe the guy my neighbor brought home as her 'love buddy.'
But in her defense, she's got one thing right, she's not limiting her options. Actually that goes for her pal 'quick-draw' also. Both of them, while overlooking what could be, definitely knew what they wanted and were willing to settle and compromise completely to get it.
I pride myself on not being a 'player' and, to some extent, on my lack of experience so to speak, but maybe I'm looking at this wrong. It's one thing to respect a girl and not force anything, but it's entirely different to deny open doors and invitations. That's putting an end to things before they have a chance, limiting your possibilities.
Still, I hope that my rude awakening that evening resulted from an enjoyable night out as a sublime display of a bond developing. What happened could have been the culmination of their relationship. A climax both figuratively and literally.
But considering the two minute time limit and a friend of my neighbor once describing her as having 'loose morals and tight everything else,' I'm apt to have doubts.
So I won't advocate that when you see a couple walking down the street to run up, kick the male squarely in the balls, and walk away saying 'Now you two, don't have too much fun tonight.' But I would suggest to that couple to enjoy what they have and also to possibly slide the bed an extra couple inches from the wall.
