Leaning forward on the counter, I listen intently to a friend of
mine in the midst of a party. Her name is Ashley. We’d fooled around a
few times and would often talk about having sex, but she’d always play
a bit too hard to get or I’d get bored and move on to other bitties. We
also shared a seductive annoyance at each other’s cockiness and
respective bitchiness.
We discuss the recurring topic of our attraction for each other and
the games we play to express it. I then joke about the absurdity of
every social situation and how most people just act out the version of
reality they tell themselves must be true (see, I talk to girls about
more than just sex... sometimes).
She lightly teases me, “It always seems like you’re so
calculating...”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, I can see the gears turning in your head.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“Well no, but most people aren’t as perceptive as me.”
See? Cocky. She was also very direct, either blatantly spilling her
mind or feeding you lies draped in sardonicism. So, I definitely
crushed on her. I mean, we had so much in common.
We continue sharing ideas about all the charades people put on in
social situations. As we talk, a girl passes by us to get some beer
from the fridge. Ashley scans the girl up and down, then looks at me,
pointing to the girl, squints, then mouths to me, “Who is that?”
I shake my head and shrug. Seeing that I don’t know, she looks back
at the girl. Then she plops down from her perch on the counter and
pours herself a drink near the fridge. The girl’s eyes and body are
turned from my friend, so Ashley takes the opportunity to scan the girl
closely. Though she stares harder than your average creep at a club,
there’s a calmness and curiosity to it that makes it natural.
Then, as the girl turns towards her, Ashley widens her eyes and
subdues her body language by shrinking her shoulders and nodding down
slightly so that she has to look up to make eye contact. An instant
transition from “shameless staring” to “politely submissive”.
“Hey, I’ve never seen you before. I’m Ashley,” she says to the
girl,
extending her hand.
The girl turns towards my friend and they shake hands. A few brief
exchanges later and Ashley comes back.
I chide her, “I saw the gears turning in your eyes, too. Everything
about that was so... mechanical.”
She laughs and gives an impish smile of guilt.
Hi there. I hope you are still
rockin.
Today we will get back to
basics – because basics are so awesome!
