“If a straight guy had asked me,” I tell him, “I would have certainly considered it. But you might remember that high school boys usually go for the short, cute cheerleader types. Tall girls on the basketball team didn’t get the same kind of attention. At least they didn’t back then.”
The waitress brings our food and puts it down in front of us. When she leaves, he asks, “Whyisthat? I mean, models are tall and they’re consider ideal women.”
“I’m guessing it’s because high school boys feel more manly with some tiny adoring girl by their side.” I hurry to remind him, “From what I recall, your girlfriends were on the petite side.”Put that in your pipe, Noah.
He considers this for a minute before declaring, “I didn’t go out with them because they were short. I went out with them because they were nice girls.”
Squeezing some ketchup next to my fries, I grunt, “If you say so.”
“I do say so. Why would I lie about something like that?”
“I didn’t say you were lying,” I tell him. “I’m simply suggesting that maybe you liked how it felt to be stared up at. It takes a strong guy to look a woman in the eye.”
“I dated a girl in college who was six one,” he says cockily. “So that shoots down your theory.”
“It’s nice to know you grew up then.” I try to keep my tone neutral, but even I can hear the snark.
“Someone’s got a chip on her shoulder,” he says rather unkindly.
“Not at all,” I tell him. “I’ve grown up, too.” Then I ask, “What happened to the tall girl?”
He laughs good-naturedly before telling me, “She left me for someone even taller.”
“Really?”
“I’m not sure his height had anything to do with it, but he was six seven.”
“It feels horrible to be cheated on, doesn’t it?” I commiserate before taking a bit of my fish. It’s so flaky and good!
“Helena didn’t cheat on me.” He explains, “She told me that another guy had asked her out and that she wanted to go.”
“So, she broke up with you?”
“To be honest, I was pretty hurt she was interested in someone else while she was dating me, so I told her that if she wanted to date around that it would be best for us to take a break.”
I finish the food in my mouth before telling him, “My grandmother dated three guys at the same time before choosing my grandfather.”
“I suppose marriage probably stands a better chance of making it if you’ve dated a lot before settling down. I certainly feel that way now, but as a kid, it was a blow to my ego.”
“I can see that. And most couples who start dating so young don’t make it in the long run.”
“Tony and Ellie did,” he says.
“They sure did, but I think they tried harder because they had a baby.” We both eat in silence for a few minutes before I get up the nerve to ask, “What would you have done if one of your high school girlfriends got pregnant?”
Putting his burger down, he answers, “I suppose I would have broken up with her.”
“Noah!” I can’t hide my shock. “I thought you were better than that.”
“I’m a good guy, but I’m not going to take the fall for someone else.”
“Does that mean …” I don’t quite know how to finish that question so it’s a good thing I don’t have to.
“I didn’t fool around in high school,” he says.
“You certainly had the opportunity.” And boy, did he. Girls practically threw themselves at him every time he walked by. Me included.
“Maybe so, but I knew I was going to go to college, and Ididn’t envision staying with a high school girlfriend when that happened.”
