VALENTINEY (part 2)

I promised you the story of my first kiss, and since I'm not one to break a promise, let's jump right into it:

I was 14. Turquoise was 16. We were going on our first date to the Homecoming football game and dance. I was so nervous I cried before he came to pick me up (it was my first date ever). I ordered the kids meal's chicken fingers at dinner (14? I WAS a kid). We had a blast and the dance was super fun.

I was sweating bullets when it was time for him to drop me off. I guess we were going out at that point because he'd instigated a DTR on the dance floor (where all good DTRs should take place). So we walk up the sidewalk to the front porch and hug.

Then, with all seriousness, Turquoise looks at me and says, "I need to ask you a question."

I gulped. "Okay?"

He batted his eyes. "Do you want me to kiss you goodnight?"

Now who asks a 14-year-old prude that on the first date? Of COURSE I wanted him to kiss me goodnight. But I couldn't say that! I had to play it sweet and innocent. I batted my eyes right back at him. "I don't know," I said shyly.

So Turquoise leaned in and planted one... on my cheek. I bounced inside and stayed awake in my bed for an hour, palm pressed to my cheek.

Weeks later I found out that he'd worked all of this out ahead of time. A "yes" meant yes, a "no" was no and "I don't know" was a kiss on the cheek.

So maybe that wasn't my first real kiss but it carried all the excitement and jubilation of one.

I hope you all had a good Valentine's Day. Mine ended up being fun: a good run, good dinner and good laughs - three of my favorite things!