March 12, 2020
It was Valentine’s Day 2020, and I didn’t have a date. I wanted to do something special for myself. So, I dressed up in fancy clothes that I bought with my married girlfriend. She tells me, “You must buy the clothes of the lifestyle you want!.
So, I put on clothes I never wear because I live in Carmel, not San Francisco—a tight fitting black dress from Barney’s 80% off sale, natural skin stockings and my consignment find of the year, black suede lace up Jimmy Choo’s. I looked in the narrow door mirror and noticed my arms possibly looked more toned from those yoga classes I took the week before. I lined my lips in burnt orange and put on Coco Chanel red lipstick. I smacked my lips and puckered into the mirror. I was ready.
I had bought a ticket to the Center of Spiritual Awareness Annual Valentine’s concert in Pacific Grove, CA. Okay, I admit it. I was crushing on the singer in the band who played for church a few weeks earlier. I always did have a weakness for musicians, especially when they are young, talented, hot and playing an instrument. Something about their fingers stroking those strings. You know what I mean?
I got there 15 minutes early to get a good seat and was meeting my girlfriend, another recently divorced female. I changed seats three times to get the perfect view of my Crush Guy “Perfect…the angle is perfect.” I smiled and maybe did a little latin hip action from my International Latin competing days, knowing the cute singer would be facing in my direction. I sat down with a sigh and settled in. Eventually, Betty arrived just before the concert was to start.
“Oh dear,” she said, “these aren’t good seats…Let’s move.”
“Okay,” I managed to squeak. I followed her, helplessly and defeated to the back of the church like a sad puppy. Far away from the starry lit stage and surrounded by empty seats. I sat down grateful my dress had some spandex in it. All my hunky musician fantasies drifted away.