The Date Cont...

So I agreed. I agreed to meet this mystery man and go on a date. A date... yuck. That was just the weirdest combination of words when I really wanted to be left alone. You know the feeling when you meet someone new and you have to "impress". Fill that person in on your life, what you like and don't like, where you grew up, how many kids you want. All that jazz that feels just awkward. But I agreed. Awesome.
I was working at Dillards at the time at the perfume counter. It was a thankless job but it seemed to fit my social life so it was fine with me.
I was to meet him after he went to a meeting at work. From what I could gather he was a public safety officer at the College of Charleston.
I went to work that morning not knowing what was about to happen. I dressed to impress and honestly, I had butterflies. I would go to the Lancome counter and apply mascara. The Clinique counter and apply blush. The Estee Lauder and apply perfume. You get the picture.
I would see a randome guy walk by and wonder, "Is that him? Is he REALLY doing a drive by to see if he likes me??"
I had my back to him and didn't know it. He walked up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and he took my breathe away. He extended his hand, and I took it in mine.
"Hi, Penny, I'm Shannon. Nice to meet you."

The Date

It all started when the clock struck 12 and we rang in 2000. You remember, Y2K. The year of all years and the fear that surrounded the unshakable question of what would become of that most talked about year. Would people be able to access their bank accounts? Would all computers crash? Would electronics as we know it become all but unusable? Would Penny finally find the man of her dreams?? Okay, well the last one was a little far fetched, but you get the point. I was a single 20-something living with my cousin in an apartment working at Dillards. I was the perfume girl. Donnned in a black jacket and funky black wedges I would make you smell like a million dollars and make you believe that you simply could not live without that $75 bottle of White Diamonds. Ugh, gross. But it somewhat paid the bills and it was a job, right?
I met a dear friend while working at this perfume palace and she and I hit it off right away. We became good friends over the course a few months and she would constantly ask me, "Why don't you have a boyfriend? Why do you go out so much and you never seem to find Mr. Right??" I honestly couldn't answer that question. Truth be told I really didn't want to meet anyone. I just wanted to have fun. I wanted to be carefree and wild and sow my wild oates, or something like that. I had been in a relationship for quite some time and the thought of having to learn someone else was just... exhausting. So, I was okay being along and not tied down to Mr. Right. But my friend was not satisfied with that answer. She simply could not believe that I was happy being "alone". She pestered me. She badgered me. She never let up on the fact that she had the perfect guy for me. After more "no's" than I care to count I finally gave in. Not so much because I was excited to meet this guy, but I couldn't take the pressure!! So, I told her that I would meet this mystery man.