1
The hot summer sun drenched the New
York City patio. I could feel the sun’s warm rays on my partially exposed back.
It felt good to be soaking up the sun for a change, and not to be indoors
studying. It was my last year of law school, and I felt like I had crammed more
information into my mind than I knew what to do with. There were so many cases,
laws, and studies stuck so deep into my skull, that I thought it would
eventually implode. But it didn’t. And, as the years dragged on, I managed to
cram more information in and get more studying done; all while my personal life
was virtually tossed out the window. That is, until I moved in with Hallie.
Hallie and I met on a September afternoon in our freshman year Case Law class. She was just as new to the
city as I was, and we both didn’t quite know what to expect when we first
arrived. As exciting as it was, it was also nerve-wracking. Take two girls from
small towns, pluck them out, stick them in a big city, and that’s bound to
happen. And, as much as I hated the small rural town I grew up in, when I got
to the city, as big as it is, I felt much more lonely. It was a culture shock
going from a cheery Oklahoma small town where everyone knew each other by name,
to a city where I got the cold shoulder from just about everyone I encountered.
At first glance, I realized that no one smiled as they
walked excessively fast along the massive city blocks. No one talked to you, or
looked you in the eyes, except of course for the creepy guys who would glare at me on the streets. I got used to that though; I adapted. And,
as much as I missed that Oklahoma suburb small-town charm, now after four years
of living in the city, New York feels like home. It’s funny how a place will do
that to you. It’s funny how you can build up that feeling of home and comfort
after not too long. Now, when I’m back in Oklahoma, they think I walk too fast,
talk too fast, and think too fast. It’s funny how different two places could be
like that; so very different.
But, the good thing about going to school in a big city like
New York is, you’re bound to eventually meet someone you just click with. And,
that’s what happened with Hallie and I. When we met, we just clicked, and it
didn’t take long for us to become best friends. And, although we didn’t grow up
together or attend the same high school or anything like that, when we moved in
as roommates our junior year, it just felt like we had known each other forever.
But, even though the Big Apple felt like home after four
years, and I had a great roommate and best friend, I was still jaded. I was
jaded because, as hard as I tried to meet a guy that
was “normal,” it just never seemed to work out for me. And, you’d think that
living in a place like New York you would have your pick of the litter. Well,
that certainly is one myth I can bust for you, because I had much better luck
back in Podunk, Oklahoma, than I’ve had in the big city. Most of the men I’ve
met here have just been deadbeats. Maybe I’ve just been too fussy, or maybe I
just was too caught up with one guy in particular. Whatever
it was, it’s been annoying to say the least.
I thought about my bad luck in relationships as I sat there
soaking up the sun. I tried to put all of the negative thinking aside because
it was such a nice day out. After all, it was Friday, and as the tiny beads of
sweat glistened on my hand, Hallie and I sipped iced tea while we talked shop.
No, we weren’t talking about school; that was for the weekdays. We were talking
about our ideal man, and what we do if we actually found him. But all we seemed
to come up with were duds. All the men that we would come across were either,
married, fucked up in the head, or just downright rude.
I took another sip of my iced tea as we chatted. The ice hit
my lips and I could taste a hint of infused strawberry and mint in the
delicious elixir. And as the liquid slid down my throat, I couldn’t help