Years passed, and I always wondered what happen to the "High School Hottie." Like any small town, the rumor mill was alive and well, and indicated that he had gone out of state for college. I didn’t really give him a second thought, except on the rare occasion I had reason to flip through my yearbook and travel down memory lane.
Many years after graduation, I decided to join one of the online "people connecting" websites. You know, the kind where people you barely knew in high school and/or college ask to "add" you as friend, in hopes of prying into your current life, in a futile attempt to find out if you faired better or worse than them thus far. One day, to my absolute shock, HSH added me as a friend. All my high school insecurities came quickly flying back. "HE actually remembers MY name?" "Do my current posted pictures make me look attractive enough?" At any rate, we emailed back and forth a few times, and he even asked me out. Unfortunately, I was dating someone at the time, and just couldn’t bring myself to even respond to his email. I let it go, with simply being elated by the fact that HSH had asked me out!
A couple years, and one very nasty breakup down the road, I decided to take my profile off of the website, and was convinced by friends to join a different website to connect with college/high school friends. Miraculously, HSH once again added me as a friend. I was convinced that this HAD to be fate. We started emailing back and forth. I found out he was divorced, with no kids, and openly single. He also said that he currently was making changes to his life to get him back on track after his divorce a few years ago, including going back to graduate school, and hanging out with people who had common goals. In looking through his webpage pictures, he looked to be just as hot as ever, only a little older. Sure, there were some odd pictures of him with what looked to be bimbos, and a his own modeling-like picture, but he was just being funny, right? Red Flag #1.
After a week of getting 2-3 emails a day from him, I decided to drop the hint and say if he would ever like to go out for a drink or go running (I was training for a race at the time), to just let me know. He quickly responded and told me that he would like to do either or even both, and to call him when I returned from being out of town for the weekend. On that Sunday night, I got up my old high school nerve and called him. Voice Mail. He didn’t call back that night. Red Flag #2.
The next morning at work, I was just about to write him off, when low and behold, while I was in a meeting, he called my cell phone and left a message. His message was what I thought to be very sincere. H apologized for missing my call the previous evening, and asked if I would like to meet him for lunch one of two days this week, as he was going to be attending meetings in the city near my company building. My high school insecurities came flooding back once again, and I thought "Is he demoting me to a lunch date?" However, my more rational side came through, calming me and assuring that he doesn’t really even know who I am outside of a few pictures on my website (which I had painstakingly over analyzed once again), and through some emails back and forth. Lunch would be perfect, I thought. That way, if he is as cocky as I remember, I can leave to "get back for a meeting." I didn’t want to look desperate, so I called him back later that afternoon to give him a time and date, plus a couple of suggested restaurants around my building. Voice Mail again. Oh, well, he did say that he would be in and out of meetings through the day, but that he would call me back quickly if I did get his voice mail. He will most certainly call back, right? No return call that day or that night. Red Flag #3.
When I got up the next morning, I contemplated not dressing up more than usual, and not taking the extra time to do my hair and make up. But, what if by chance he called me that morning for lunch that day? I HAD to be prepared and look my best. After all, it had been MANY years since he had seen me. While at work that morning, I kept my cell phone close by, and checked my email periodically. Nothing. Not a Word. I told myself "Ok, HE has been demoted to only meeting for coffee now" as 10:30AM passed. "I wouldn’t answer my phone now anyway" I thought as 11:30AM came and went. Finally, it was time to go home, and still no phone call or email. Red Flag #4.
I was done. I just didn’t get it. If he didn’t want to meet for lunch, why did he tell me to call him? Why did he call me back with times that would work for him? He could have easily said "Oh, I am really busy, perhaps next week" and I would definitely have gotten the hint. I thought back to when I read the Dating Bible, otherwise known as He’s Just Not That Into You and chalked it up to him just not being that into me. The little HSH bubble in my mind was now completely deflated, along with a little piece of my ego.
As of time of posting, HSH has still not called. Somehow, I don’t think he is that hot anymore, and actually needs a refresher course in basic manners.
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