Everything is Event-Driven

Everything is Event-Driven

by

littleOneWon

CH 01

When Freda called, I said that I wasn't interested in attending yet another meaningless party.

Freda was perplexed. She said, "Velda, you're the very definition of a party girl. I sure didn't expect a negative answer from you. Are you sick or something?"

"No, Freda, I've just been taking stock of my life lately. For twenty-five years, I've attended every party that I knew about and quite a few gatherings that became parties after I got there. What do I have to show for all of that? I'll tell you what: 'absolutely nothing.' If my parents hadn't insisted that I at least get an associate degree from the local junior college, I wouldn't have accomplished anything past my high school graduation.

"I need to take my life in a different direction. I think that I've wasted too many years on tawdriness. It's time for me to determine what I want out of life and start down the path to something meaningful, even if it means giving up my 'life of the party' image.

"Who would have dreamed that I would get to this point? Most of my friends have found a soulmate, married him, and either have kids or are planning to have some. I may be the life of the party, but the important things in life have passed me by. I have to change things and I'm spending lots of time contemplating where I went wrong. Attending another party isn't the answer. Sorry, Freda."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Velda. My cousin, Billy Joe, is going to be there. I'm sure you remember my stories about my many sexual escapades with him. I've seen quite a few cocks in my time, but none come close to what he is carrying around between his legs. Are you sure that you want to pass that up? Why not have one final fling before you enter a convent."

So, here I am at Freda's to attend yet another party while I check out her well-endowed cousin. Why can't I ever stick to my guns and start looking for 'mister right' instead of the guy with the biggest ding-dong?

Anyway, since it's a costume party, I dug out an old "Wonder Woman" outfit that shows a lot of bosom and quite a bit of everything else. Just what the doctor ordered to attract the attention of a future husband, right? I'll probably have lawyers, accountants, engineers, and doctors hanging all over me -- NOT!

As usual, the party was held in Freda's renovated barn. It's a perfect place for a party. There's lots of room. It features a stage and a big, modern, LED dance floor. Add to that a fantastic wet bar and booths in the darkened back area that feature benches big enough to sleep on.

First thing, Freda introduced me to Billy Joe. It took me all of fifteen minutes to decide that I couldn't endure him long enough to enjoy his big package. He couldn't string together enough words to make a complete sentence if his life depended on it. That never bothered me before, but for some reason, it did now. I wanted more than a pussy-stretching ream-job. I wanted at least a few minutes of comprehensible, if not insightful, conversation -- before being introduced to "Peter the Great!" That wasn't going to happen with the self-centered Billy Joe.

I walked over to the bar and took the stool at the end. A stool about halfway down was occupied by a guy in a Superman costume. I was just thinking to myself how cheesy that was when I remembered that I was Wonder Woman. Guess I didn't have any room to criticize. I watched Superman sip his beer. Maybe the mirror was distorting things, but his eyes were the brightest, most-piercing blue orbs that I'd ever witnessed in my multitude of eye-observing days. His 'blues' put mine to shame.

I couldn't remember for the life of me if superman's eyes were supposed to be blue. Hell, I didn't even know if my blue eyes were right for Wonder Woman. In the past, I wouldn't have given such matters any thought, but for some reason, tonight my brain had taken a detour into uncharted territory.

As I was debating with myself about eye color, Freda took the stool beside mine. "What are you doing here by yourself?" she asked. "Why are you abandoning Billy Joe to that gaggle of hags that are surrounding him?"

I said, "Well, since I'm Wonder Woman for the night, my interest just naturally turned to Superman." I pointed him out.

Freda's eyes quickly found Superman. She said, "Oh, girlfriend, don't waste your time. You're not his type. Not even close."

"Why do you say that? We both have blue eyes!"

"Well, just let me say this about that. He has three degrees. Besides his bachelor's, he has a master's and a Ph.D."

"Are you trying to intimidate me, Freda? Or am I supposed to be impressed by his degrees? Doesn't Ph.D. just mean, 'Piled Higher and Deeper?'

"So, he's well educated! I'll admit that he probably knows a lot of things that I don't even suspect, but I'll bet there are quite a few things that I know that he's never heard about -- if you get my drift." She just shook her head and said, "Do whatever you want to do, but you're wasting your time if you try to hit on him."

I decided to take the challenge. How bad could it be? If he has a bachelor's degree, he must be a bachelor, right? One thing's for sure, he's a human being and so am I.

I walked down and took the stool next to his. He turned to look at me and I said, "I've been trying to remember if Superman has blue eyes like you do."

He said, "What kind of questions is that? I'm Superman. My eyes are blue. End of story!"

I said, "So you're telling me that you are superman in flesh?"

He said, "Of course I am. Can't you see my big red "S"?

The way he said it made it sound like he was referring to his big red ass! I laughed, despite myself. I was taken aback. Is this guy with all of those degrees kidding around with a nobody like me?

He said, "Here you are doubting me, while I accept without reservation that you are Wonder Woman. After all, you have those perfect blue eyes that see everything.

I was beginning to enjoy the repartee. "Well, Superman, you'd be surprised at what all these blue eyes have seen. I'm quite impressed with what I'm seeing right now. Look, I can't keep calling you Superman and I won't answer to Wonder Woman. So, my name is Velda Vinson, and you are???"

"I'm Clark Kent."

"Sure you are! Come on man, be serious. I want to know your name."

"I am serious. My name is Clark Joseph Kent. My dad's name was Carl Kent and my mom was Carol Kent. They are both dead now but they must have been big fans of Superman. They never told me the whole story, but they actually hung superman's alter ego on me.

I was laughing too hard to respond. When things settled down, the band started preparing to play. He immediately asked me if I wanted to dance. I had no idea what to expect from him, but I was more than ready to find out.

I knew he couldn't possibly consider me to be his equal, because I'm not. I have one lousy associate's degree and I just barely qualified for it!

Did he have some kind of fantasy about being with a "gutter-girl?" Did he see me as an "easy fuck?" Was he wanting to see how far he could get and hoping it would be all the way? The only way I could find out was to accept his offer and see if he wanted to dance or if he wanted more. Either way, he wouldn't be disappointed.

The first three numbers were up-tempo and I was both surprised by -- and impressed with -- his dancing skills. He led me through many well-known moves and introduced me to some new ones. Then came the fourth song, a slow and very romantic old standard. His hands didn't stray even once. I felt warm and safe in his embrace. I'd never enjoyed dancing more than I enjoyed those dances with Superman. I loved my role as Wonder Woman. With each step we took, I 'wondered' if this night was real, or was I dreaming?

We danced to each and every song. We only took breaks when the band took theirs. He was tapped on the shoulder several times and each time he released his embrace to allow me to dance with the newcomer. I was the one that refused to change partners. I had the best, why would I want less?

Every minute on the dance floor was like heaven. The slow songs were beyond belief. Being wrapped in his arms was like being in a warm, loving, and safe cocoon. I felt like we were the only two people on the dance floor. In fact, it was like we were the only two people in the whole world. I'm not kidding. I've never had such an experience before. I kept wondering if it was just me. Did he feel that way too?

My head on his chest was the most natural and fulfilling experience imaginable. I hardly knew this man, but that didn't matter. I was far from being this man's equal, but that didn't matter either. Not to me, and as far as I could tell, not to him.

All good things must end, and we were finally dancing to the last song of the evening. What should I do? Should I shake his hand? Should I kiss him? Should I tell him it was my best dancing experience ever? Should I hope that he would ask me for another date or should I just lay it on the line and ask him? I needn't have worried.

When the music of the last song faded away, he took my face in his two warm hands and kissed me. Feeling his lips on mine was ecstasy. I allowed my lips to part and his tongue found its way through the opening. Soon my tongue was active too. I don't know how long we stood there with our tongues wrapped together. We allowed the kiss to end when we heard clapping from both friends and strangers. What a night!

As we walked out of the barn together, he asked if I had driven to the party. I told him where I was parked and he began walking with me to my car. I was still hoping that he would ask me for another date. As we got closer to my car, I began to think, once again, that perhaps I should do the asking.

When I opened the door, I turned to him prepared to do the asking. Before I could speak, his lips were on mine. It was the hottest kiss of the night, by far. I was having trouble getting my breath.

He asked, "Is tomorrow too soon for us to get together again?"

My answer was: "Clark, I'm available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or whatever. Anytime that works for you works for me."

We finally took the time to exchange information with each other before a final kiss. I wanted to invite him to spend the night with me. The "old me" would have done so in a heartbeat, but I knew this could be something special and I didn't want to be an "easy lay" ever again. That behavior had gotten me exactly nowhere. I was looking for something better now. I was a different person tonight and would stay that way from now on. That was my promise to myself.

We scheduled lunch at the Downtowner Cafe. During that lunch, he invited me to his condo for an evening of good food and "getting to know each other."

He said, "I think we have a future together, but we need to do something besides dancing and kissing. We need to get to know each other. We need to know what makes each other tick. We need some background information. We need to discuss goals in life. In other words, we need to become friends before we become lovers.

Unlike my "old self," my "new self" agreed wholeheartedly with every word he said. Yes, I agreed, but I was scared too. Would the truth about me drive him away? I'll have to risk it. He could be the key to my future. I must not mislead him in any way.

The next day, when I arrived at his condo, he typed on his phone for a few seconds while telling me that our food would arrive soon.

When we were talking yesterday, I mentioned that salmon was my favorite entree. Guess what he ordered for us today!

After taking the grand tour of his condo, the food arrived and we consumed the best salmon steaks ever made! We ended with matcha cheesecake which was to die for. They say food is the way to a man's heart, but I think that might apply to a woman's heart too. At least, it applies to mine. Two after-dinner drinks later, we got down to business.

He started the conversation by telling me that he had dated only six girls in a serious or semi-serious way. He spent most of his early dating years with just one girl. He dated Mary Sparks all through high school. He most certainly would have married her if she had lived, but she became ill during the last weeks of high school and died just before he needed to leave for college at MIT.

Her parents asked him to say a few words at Mary's funeral. He said, "Since that day I've made more speeches and presentations than I can count. Some of them to high-ranking military officers, politicians, business tycoons, and foreign dignitaries. None of those talks came close to being as difficult as that memorial remembrance that I gave for Mary. I'm not sure how I made it through. I cried more than I talked. I loved Mary and she loved me. I was the one holding her hand when her precious soul left her diseased body.

"It was probably not fair to anyone I dated afterward. They didn't know that they would have to compete with her memory. It will be a long time before I forget her, if ever.

"Having said that, when I met and talked to 'Wonder Woman,' it was a different experience for me. For those hours at the bar and on the dance floor, my mind was on a woman that wasn't Mary. In fact, for the first time, my thoughts were not interrupted by thoughts of my old love. That was a new experience for me and it's the reason I want to explore a possible relationship with you."

I had no glib answer for that, so I said, "I hope you know if someone wanted to place a bet in Vegas on us becoming a couple, they would get staggering odds. You have dated six girls, and I've dated over thirty guys. You had a long-term relationship and I've never dated anyone more than three times. I'm guessing that you only had sex with Mary. I'm ashamed to admit that I had sex with at least half of the boys I dated.

"Wow, Velda, you may hold the Guinness record for your age group! Now I'm intimidated! How can I possibly bungle my way through making love to someone with that much experience?"

"That was the old me, Clark. I took some time to figure out where I was going wrong. I finally realized that I'd been comparing the guys I dated only by their sexual expertise. Nothing else was getting any attention. While that is of some importance, it rates way down on the list of the things that are needed in a marriage partner. I've revised my rating criteria in a big way. Sexual expertise no longer tops the list. This is the new me.

"This new me worries about how my lowly associate degree can measure up in a world where you and your friends have degrees that I can't even fathom. I guess there's not much chance for us in the long run, but we can have one hell of a short-term relationship. I'm better at those anyway."

"Velda, it's not that way at all. My degrees are not related to relationships or sex. They are laser-focused on science, math, and probability. I didn't take Dating 101, Relationships 101, or even Sex 101. When it comes to marriage and sexual expertise, you're way ahead of me. My training doesn't help me one iota when it comes to choosing a life partner. In the end, maybe we should just listen to our hearts!"

I told him that while all of that could be true, his world and my world were as far apart as Mercury and Pluto.

He laughed and said that we should forge ahead and see where it leads us. Then he said, "As a next step, can I go home with you tonight and see where and how you live? That's what is important to me right now. You've seen my place and I hope that it passed your inspection. Now it's my turn to inspect. I need to see if you keep your abode clean. Do you have a nice kitchen and know how to use it? Is your bathroom sanitary? Those are some of the things that I want to know. They're more important than how many degrees you have or how many guys you've had sex with.

"There's another thing that I hope we can agree on. We need to see if we are sexually compatible. Oh, that reminds me; I need to check out your bed!"

"Clark, I can handle all of that. Why don't you pack a few items and follow me to my place where you will get all of the answers you are seeking? Maybe I will give you an unforgettable first-time-ever short-term love affair. On the other hand, you might introduce me to the bliss of a long-term relationship. Either way, our time won't be wasted.

CH 02

When we arrived at my apartment and after it passed his inspection with flying colors, we continued our conversation over cups of decaf coffee.

He told me about his older brother, Axel. He told me that his entire early life was dominated by Axel. Everything was a competition and Axel always won. Also, it was like the "Mom always liked you best" routine by the Smothers Brothers. Clark was always second best and everyone knew it.

He said, "I was on the debate team; Axel was the football team's star quarterback. I was in the science club; he was a basketball phenom. You get the point. I was a distant second to Axel in every way that counted. That only changed after I graduated from MIT and got my top-secret clearance along with a job paying more money than Axel could count since he didn't have enough fingers.

"I was finally accepted by my parents. They began to rely on me since Axel was not reliable. He found out that high school and life are two very different beasts. He was as bad at life as he had been good at high school."

I said, "I can't relate to that, Clark. I have an older sister and she's not just my sister, she's also my best friend. She's a sales rep for a drug company. Unfortunately, she got a recent promotion and had to relocate to San Diego. It's unfortunate for me but not for her. She's raking in a gob of money and enjoying some of the best weather anywhere on this planet.

"All of my life she's tried to reform me. She keeps telling me that I need to value myself higher and act accordingly. She'll be 'over the moon' if you and I do have a long-term relationship. You're the answer to her dreams for me.

"Unfortunately, her own marriage didn't turn out well. She thought she had an exceptional catch when she married Dr. Robert Stone. I warned her that he was not what he seemed to be. I had been around the block enough to recognize his type. She was so deeply in love that my words just bounced off of her. She's much smarter than me on most counts, but my background taught me to recognize his undercurrents and there were quite a few of them. Shelly was oblivious to all of them. Her heart overcame her brain.

"It turned out that I was right about him. The bastard even hit on me at their wedding! Their marriage lasted two years. It took her a while to recognize what I saw within fifteen minutes of meeting him. She's told me that if she ever takes the plunge again, the guy will have to pass my inspection. Luckily, there were no children to suffer from their divorce. Maybe getting the right marriage partner just comes down to pure luck!"

Clark marveled at how two sisters could be so different. I told him that I blamed it on our mom. When he questioned me about that, I said, "One of us had to be the result of infidelity." He laughed, but I didn't. It wasn't a joke. My mom was a cheater. My dad eventually caught her with a lover and shot them both. The state rewarded my dad by giving him the electric chair.

Ten months later, Clark met Shelly. She flew in a week ahead of our wedding. He saw that she was everything that I said she was. She was gorgeous, smart, and protective. He told me later that she took him aside one evening and said, "Velda is a peach from a different tree. You need to know that and you need to be vigilant and trusting at the same time. If you see something you don't like, don't hang back and let it fester. If she knows that something she's done bothers you, she will turn on a dime. The secret is to confront her while it's still fixable. I know that for a fact.