Persistent

I saw her standing next to the dance floor, laughing with her friends. She was so hauntingly beautiful that just looking away from her would cause one to feel a sense of loss. I mustered up the courage and asked her to dance. She said no and turned back to her friends. I felt like an idiot, everyone had watched as I walked up to her and had seen her shoot me down, I slunk back to my table and poured myself a beer from the pitcher. My buddies commiserated with me and wished me better luck next time. There is nothing worse than being humiliated in a bar full of people in front of your friends.

The next week I ran into her at the mall and I said hi, she looked puzzled and asked if she knew me. We hadn't ever been formally introduced but she did work in the cubicle next to me so I thought that perhaps she might have some slight inkling, nope, none. She was a good actress though and pretended that she knew me so I took a chance and asked her if she'd like to get a bight to eat at the food court. She said no thanks and walked away.

The next day at work she acknowledged me and we even chatted in the office, trading gripes about the boss and salacious gossip about his secretary. I took cheer from this and invited her out to the movies, you guessed it, she said no!

By now I felt like a complete looser, three strikes and I was out! No chance of me getting off the bench again, right? I probably should have given up and moved on, after all she certainly had way better prospects than me, a girl like her probably got ten offers a week better than anything I could bring to the table. The thing is that we got along really well! She actually seemed to like me and we had a lot in common, if I could only figure it out maybe I could turn this game around, make a comeback, it might take extra innings but I was no quitter.

I played it cool and didn't ask her out again, I made a point of asking her no questions at all, I just listened. I would let her prattle on about anything, and everything, when called to I would make an encouraging comment or a germane remark but I never made a move on her or did anything to tip her off that I was still interested. I just bided my time and learned everything I could about her. I knew her favourite colour, what she liked to eat, and hated. I knew what she liked to read and who her favourite actors were. I even knew the name of her cat, Mr. Boots, he was very a finicky eater.

I also knew who her favourite band was and I listened to her lament about their concert being sold out and her having missed out on tickets. This was my chance. I went online and bought a pair of front row seats for an exorbitant price from a scalper. On the day of the concert she was still raw about not being able to go to the show so I pulled out my tickets and asked her if she'd like to go. She looked at me and she looked at the tickets and then she said no.

Not only did she say no to the concert, she told me she would never have lunch or dinner, she'd never go to a movie, not bowling or billiards, she'd never under any circumstance hell or high water go out with me anywhere at all! I thought I was trapped in a Dr. Seuss story, boy did I feel small!

Not only that but she glared at me and said she was tired of me asking and this was absolutely the last time she would tell me no!

I clapped my hands and said 'hooray'. She seemed utterly confused and wondered why I was so pleased about being turned down so completely, so finally. I explained to her that if this was the last time she was going to tell me no then that means that the next time I ask she'll say yes!

The most beautiful girl in the world started to laugh, she looked at me and shrugged, she told me to pick her up at eight!