Don't Be One

I was a sophomore at King's College in Wilkes-Barre PA and Nikki was a freshman at Wilkes University, which was right down the street.  I wasn't necessarily looking for a life partner that Saturday night, like most college kids I was just looking to throw back a few and have a good time.  Friends of mine lived at a place called Murder House.  It was a notorious party place and it helped that I knew all the guys that lived there.  For some reason, that night was particularly crowded so I parked myself, with my roommate behind the bar.  A pretty important spot because A) we were in charge of music and B) other people had to get us our drinks because we couldn't get out.  These circumstances led to a game of asshole starting up.  A classic college drinking game.
  Nikki and a bunch of her friends walked in about an hour into the party.  I happened to catch a glimpse of her and I wouldn't say it was love at first sight, but I was very interested.  As soon as I could, I dragged her into the game.  Now in the game of asshole, there is a president, a vice-president others and the last person is asshole.The point is to be pres for a long time, because the game pretty much falls into your hands.  You can "make" anyone do anything you ask of them, and if they don't... you make them drink.  Well, my roommate and I made sure we stayed in the top two spots and kept making Nikki and her friends drink.  In typical young man fashion, I focused my rulings on Nikki.  I teased her, made her drink, I was a general jerk (so you know I liked her :) ).You could say she wasn't a big fan,yet she didn't walk away from the bar.  After a couple hours the game was winding down along with the crowds.  Being the cowardly teenage boy that I was (beer courage had yet to kick in) I was really nervous talking to her outside "my element" (behind a bar) so I sent my roommate to get a feel for the landscape.  At first Nikki thought Jerry liked her, but as the conversation went on, he turned it towards me.  She admitted that she thought I was kind of cute, but also that I was a huge jerk.  It took some convincing that I was actually a really nice guy and it's just that I am very competitive and didn't like to lose.  We ended up talking the rest of the night and I got her number. 
I wasn't sure when to call her.  I took my friends advice and waited till Wednesday or Thursday to pick up the phone.  We talked and I invited her to our dorm that Friday night just to hang out.  She almost didn't come, because it took so long for me to call her, but she decided to give me one more chance.  I took this rare second chance and ran with it.She came to the dorm and a bunch of us just hung out, played cards, watched some movies, etc.  It was a lot of fun and Nikki was able to see me outside the "party scene."  That night, my friends were going out but Nikki and I decided to hang out a little more, just the two of us.  We talked for hours.She invited my back to her place at Wilkes,neither of us really wanting the night to end. 

 I still remember the feeling I had as I walked back to King's the following afternoon.  A total sense of Euphoria.  I felt I had just hung out with my soul mate, and I sure was right.  We have been together since that night (November 15, 1996) and have never looked back.  Through thick and thin we've hung in there and have been truly "happily ever after".

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