I have known Rick since we were seven years old. We are completely different people but we have stayed best friends. Rick is smart and ambitious. He is handsome and good with the ladies. I have always envied his charm. He seems to attract women without even trying. I am more of a quiet person. I enjoy being alone with a book or a movie. I have accepted the fact that I will never be cool or part of the “in crowd.” Still, Rick and I have always been tight. There is a bond between us that I don’t understand but I know exists.
Over the years, Rick’s taste in women has been awful. With the wide variety that he had to pick from, I never understood why he chose the ones he did. He always picked the air heads and the bimbos. Fake boobs, too much make-up, and really big hair. That was Rick’s type. I don’t know, maybe with his ambition he just wanted something that looked good and wasn’t a threat to him.
A few years ago, Rick called and said that he had met someone new and wanted the three of us to go out for dinner. We agreed to meet at our favorite Italian restaurant at 8:00 that night. While I was waiting for them to arrive (Rick is always late) I tried to imagine what this new girlfriend would be like. I thought she would be like the rest – tall, blonde, big boobs, long legs, and no personality. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Rick walked in with a petite, dark-haired, dark-eyed, Asian woman. He introduced her simply as Amy. I was dumbstruck. Amy was beautiful. She couldn’t have been any taller than 5’3”. She had shoulder length black hair with a few brown highlights. Her eyes were big and brown. She had a tiny little body with full, natural breasts. I could not believe how beautiful she was. She didn’t wear any make-up. Her skin was smooth and flawless. I must have starring but I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
As we ate, I was repeatedly shocked by what I learned about her. She was a second grade school teacher. She lived at home with her mother. She read and wrote poetry in her spare time. She even went to church every Sunday with her mother. She seemed shy and innocent. This was the kind of girl that you just instinctively try to protect. Amy was not Rick’s type of girl. This was my type of girl.
It’s difficult to say when I first realized that I was in love with Amy. I just looked up one day and knew. Of course, it was wrong. Rick was my best friend and he loved her. It went against everything I thought was right. There was no possible way for Amy and me to be together but it was all I could think about. I thought about her laugh. I thought about her smile. And yes, I thought about her soft lips and her perfect body. I couldn’t get her out of my mind.
Slowly, Amy and I had grown close. One of our favorite pastimes was for the three of us to go to the local sports bar. Amy and I would talk about books or current events while Rick would catch the highlight reel on the TV. I loved those talks with Amy. She was so smart and funny. I would sit across the table and wonder why someone who was so perfect for me could be so unattainable.
It hurt Amy to think of me being alone. She tried to set me up a few times with her friends but I always turned her down. “I’m still hurting,” I would say. Amy thought I was talking about my last disastrous relationship but really I was referring to her. I felt like I could never love anyone else. For me, there was only Amy.
My birthday is in the middle of June. I hate to work on my birthday so I always take a weeks vacation. Of course, Rick and all my other friends had to work so we agreed to have my birthday party on Saturday.
On Thursday, I slept in. I had no plans and no obligations. I took a long hot shower and looked forward to a quiet day alone. I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. I really just wanted something to distract me from my thoughts of Amy. Lately I had begun to fantasize about her almost constantly. I wanted her so much that it hurt.
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