“Remember when we put that webcam in the office of that loafing professor, and posted the video of him tweeting for eight solid hours? Even during his bathroom break?”<\/p>\n
Scarlett laughed, twirling her hair in her finger as I fed her a grape from the basket. \u00a0“What a dweeb. \u00a0He tore up that picture of the basket full of puppies I left on his desk!”. \u00a0She wrinkled her nose exaggerated-but-real distaste.<\/p>\n
We were on a beach blanket by one of the ponds in Central Park, on a gorgeous day in 2005. \u00a0Kite flyers and jump-ropers and dog-walkers meandered around – but I don’t remember hearing or noticing them, or any of the other thrum of the big city. \u00a0It was just Scarlett and me.<\/p>\n
“I do!. \u00a0How could I forget?” \u00a0I had to hurry before she put a strawberry in my mouth.<\/p>\n
We lay there on the blanket for what seemed like hours, staring into each others’ eyes.<\/p>\n
“You like me, don’t you?” she finally said. \u00a0“Even though our politics are completely the opposite?”<\/p>\n
“Of course”, I answered. \u00a0“There are some things more important than politics. \u00a0I mean what if…”<\/p>\n
She interrupted me with a long, warm counter-kiss. \u00a0We didn’t say much more before adjourning back to the hotel.<\/p>\n
——–<\/p>\n
She looked at me, her cheek reflecting a little of the moonlight coming through the window. \u00a0She pulled the covers up over her shoulders. \u00a0“That’s what I like about you”.<\/p>\n
“Well, I mean…”<\/p>\n
“No, not that<\/em>, she chuckled as I finished off a now-lukewarm glass of room service champagne. \u00a0“No, I mean, you treat me so…nice<\/em>. \u00a0Like a regular person!”<\/p>\n “Why would I not?” I responded, sitting up on one elbow.<\/p>\n “Well, I know I didn’t always think of conservatives as people”, she said, sounding mildly abashed.<\/p>\n “It’s OK. \u00a0We all grow”<\/p>\n She smiled, and wrapped her arms around me again. \u00a0“I like that…”<\/p>\n ———-<\/p>\n AUTHOR’S NOTE: \u00a0“Scarlett” was a “Compression” of several different girlfriends, situations and scenarios, real and imagined.<\/p>\n