At church one Sunday I noticed that a young man kept staring at me. He'd always look away when I caught him and I thought it rather funny.

After church as I walked to my car, I could see him wandering around near the parking lot. When I got closer, he came up to me and started talking. He never introduced himself, so I finally said, "My name is Roxanna, what is your name." I can't remember what it was, but he was not the suavest man I had ever met. He was rather awkward, but seemed nice enough and was rather nice looking.

I said goodbye, got in my car and really thought no more about him. Later that day I got a phone call, it was him.

"How did you get my number?" I asked as I knew I hadn't given it to him. His friend, who was a regular church attendee, had a church directory and had given it to him. I wasn't thrilled about that.

All of a sudden he said, "I thought it was really bold of you to introduce yourself to me like that."

What? Wait, you came up to me and started talking without even introducing yourself, remember?

I said something to that effect, but he still insisted I was bold. I'm not sure if that was good or bad, but it didn't seem to put him off.

Now, that should have been a warning sign and it kind of was, but I was young and didn't know how to get out of a date, so the next thing I know we're going out Saturday night.

He then told me that we would be attending his work Christmas party!! Oh goody! Really couldn't wait. He told me to wear something nice because it was a 'dress up' kind of party. He'd pick me up at six.

I spent the whole next week dreading Saturday and when it finally arrived, he appeared at my door, not dressed up at all. I'm thinking, "I have to dress up, but you don't." He proceeds to tell me, "Oh, I got the date wrong for the party, it's next week." Yeah, right. I was a bit naive, but not completely stupid. He couldn't have called and let me know?

As we walk to his car I see it is not a car, but a truck and a very high off the ground kind of truck. Now, I am in a dress with a very narrow skirt, the whole time we are walking toward it, I'm thinking, "How am I going to get into this truck?" I would either have had to get a running start and jump or hike my dress up to my waist. Option two was diffidently out, option one wasn't looking good either. I have no idea how I got in, I do think some jumping was involved, I just know I was in the truck.

We decided to go to the Olive Garden which wasn't too far from my apartment. It was just straight up the road on Beach Blvd., but somehow he managed to get lost. I don't know what we talked about as my mind was full of, "How much longer is this going to last?!"

We finally found the restaurant and had a bit of a wait as it was popular, so I stood next to him as he tried to make small talk. He was very bad at it, but I tried my best to help him out. We were finally seated and we decided on what we wanted to order and he ordered wine as well. I don't drink at all, not even wine, so declined the offer. Well, it seems he didn't drink it too often himself as after just a glass or two, he was a bit buzzed. He started talking VERY LOUDLY and people were looking at us. That was really fun.

I wondered if he was okay to drive, but by the time we left he seemed fine. At least his driving seemed okay.

On the drive back to my apartment, he decided he needed to make a call. Now this was ancient times, long before cell phones, but he had a phone in his truck. I guess it was a work truck and he needed to call a co-worker. He put it on speaker and began talking, but the man couldn't hear him so he is literally screaming at the top of his lungs to be heard. I had to turn my face to the window and keep myself from laughing. I'm sure this was to impress me. Poor guy, I was beginning to feel rather sorry for him.

When we got back to my place, he wanted to come in for a while. Thank you, Lord, my sister was home. He sat down on my couch and proceeded to go to sleep. My sister and I are looking at each other, laughing softly. After about twenty minutes, he wakes up and gets ready to leave. "I'll see you next Saturday for the party," he says as he walks out the door.

"No, I'm sorry, but you said it was this week and I can't go next week." I don't remember if I really could or couldn't, but I wasn't.

He was disappointed that his ploy to take me out two Saturdays in a row didn't work out.

A few days later I get a call, he wants to go out again. I did hate to do it, but I had to tell him, no, we just weren't meant to be. He was one very angry young man.

"How do you know after just one date that I'm not your type? How can you say that. It's not even fair! It's wrong to do that!" Yes, this is going to persuade me to go out with you again.

Actually, he was so intense about it that it scared me. For weeks after I looked around to make sure his truck wasn't outside my apartment building. He couldn't have hidden the thing, so I'd know if he were there. He seemed to me to have a stalker kind of personality, but I never saw him again.

I truly didn't want to make him feel bad, I tried to be as nice as I could in letting him down, but there was just no way I ever wanted to be alone with him again.

I was sorry he took it so badly, but at times one must do something that seems unkind, because it is the right thing to do. I hope he did, one day find the right girl, but not until he had grown up a bit more.