The Music Guy: A Dating Story
No one knows why.
Over the weekend I sat with my girlfriends that I've know since I was 15. I lived with these girls in college, so they know my dating resume better than just about anyone else in the world.
They know my significant boyfriends. They know my fleeting relationships. They know the ones that happened in between even though, with 4 heads put together, we can't remember their names.
But there was the one that I like to say I loved, because we think it's funny when I say "I loved that guy". And we burst into laughter because none of us are sure whether I really loved him.
It seems like many moons ago....
My room-mates and I had headed over to the music store one afternoon. I was in the market for some used CD's. Probably something embarassing and juvenile like Britney Spears (don't judge me- I still love her....). And he worked there....
He wandered over to me and started chatting.
I thought he was strange. But somehow, I find strange to be fascinating.
I love strange.
As we chatted I pretended to be looking at CD's other than the writhing pop idols dressed in barely-there clothing on their covers.
He spoke slowly and quietly. I have no idea what made him come over to me and start chatting about bands I had never heard of.
Strange bands. But somehow, I find strange to be fascinating.
He started talking about "The Beta Band", who I had never heard of, but pretended to have heard of. He talked about Radiohead, who I only knew by the one song they had on the radio.
And then he did something strange and said "If you come back I can loan the CD's to you."
It was strange. But you know how I feel about strange....
I came back. I pretended to love Beta Band. I let him introduce me to Indie singers like Ben Harper and Jack Johnson (this was nearly a decade ago before they were trendy....)
He gave me my first John Mayer CD- a promo he got for free. Who is John Mayer?? The CD was "Room for Squares", and I didn't have to pretend to like that singer. I kinda did.
I did a lot of pretending when we dated. I wanted to be cool and into Indie music. I wanted to shun my Christina Aguilera collection in lieu of some strange, dark bands.
One night we watched a movie at his house: "Requiem for a Dream".
It was strange. Like him.
I didn't know whether to pretend anymore.
But I did.
For a little while anyway.
I said I thought it was good, although....
I wanted to die of boredom every minute it was on.
I loved that strange guy. I'm certain he didn't love me.
Maybe because he thought I was fake.
In which case he would have been right.
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