Today, I’m linking up with Mama Kat for her weekly Writer’s Workshop.
The Prompt: An Awkward Moment.
***
On That Excruciating Day, I was mentally preparing myself to bury the person I thought was The One. What I didn’t know was that The One was also there, mentally preparing himself to bury a friend.
Unlike him, Ken was painfully shy and quiet. He was naturally friendly and talkative and had a way of making everyone laugh. Ken, on the other hand, was someone who would stand on the sidelines and soak in the scene.
Against the advice of several people, Ken and I started dating. There was something about him that I liked; he was quiet and polite, intelligent and relateable, but most of all he was safe.
He was safe and he was different.
I don’t remember a lot of the details surrounding our first few months together, mostly because I was consumed with grief and depression. But one moment will always stand out.
The Awkward Moment.
Ken was going to school and living in Orange County while I was living at home and going to school 100 miles north, so the weekends were the only time we could hang out. Usually, I would make the trip down to Orange County to stay with him, but he would also come up and stay at my house.
We were dating for six weeks when those three little words were spoken.
“I love you,” he said while we were standing outside by my truck.
It was out of left field.
Panic set it.
I love you? I LOVE YOU? Oh my… what am I going to say? I can’t say I love him because I don’t! I mean… he’s a great guy… Oh no. Look at him. He’s just looking at me. I can’t hurt his feelings! Come on… come on… think of something…
“Thank you…?”
Thank you? Are you kidding me? THANK YOU? That’s all you could come up with? You.Are.An.Idiot. You’re an idiot. Oh no… I hurt his feelings! Oh crap… what have I done?!
“Um…” he muttered, “I guess I’ll see you later then?”
***
Fast forward to several months later, when I was sitting curbside outside of a trashy bar.
It was my 21st birthday.
Ken was still in Orange County and wasn’t around for the festivities, but my drunken haze was telling me that calling him from a sleazy bar at 2am was a brilliant idea.
He was asleep and slightly annoyed when he picked up the phone.
“Keenn?” I slurred.
“Yeah….”
“I have somefing to teeelll you…”
Deep sigh. “What?”
“… um.. I lurve youu.”
“….”
“I lurve youuu.”
“OK. Call me tomorrow.”
Touche.
Can I just tell you OMG I KNOW WHAT THAT MOMENT FEELS LIKE!
I was dating a guy, and 3 weeks in, while hanging out in my room (ok bed, but not what you think), he said “I love you.” I looked up at him and said, “Hang on, I er, gotta go outside for a bit.” I scurried out, ran to the balcony & called my roommate who was vacationing somewhere and yelped, “OMG he said I love you. What do I do?”
After a 15 min conversation where we established that I freaked out because I didn’t love him (duh), I went to make myself a cup of coffee.
Yup, I’m awesome like that.
We broke up a month later. Bwahahaha.
I’m glad you and Ken worked out
This is why I lurve you!
I’ve been in those moments too! But really, what do you say?? It’s only been a short amount of time and you’re not feeling that way, so how are you supposed to answer??
I love how you told him you loved him after a night of drinking. My husband didn’t tell me at the most romantic moment either!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA. I can so relate. When my husband proposed to me, I was less than ecstatic. I hadn’t been divorced long, and while I knew he was who I wanted to marry, I just didn’t feel ready to marry YET, you know? So anyway, I said yes when he proposed, but was very cagey about the date, figuring he didn’t know any better. Guys are never in a hurry to get to the altar, right?
Except this man. He asked me a few days later, “Aren’t we supposed to set a date or something?”
HAHAHAHA And you’re like, “Um…. whoopsy. But can I keep the ring?”
I’m still waiting for you to call me in a drunken state and profess your lurve for me. You know you want to.
So what’s the best way to respond to that if the feeling isn’t mutual? I haven’t been in this situation, but I’d like to have a few good comebacks in my pocket just in case!
My husband had to say I Love You twice before I said it back. I think I was stunned the first time he siad it. I was only 17 years old! No one had ever said that to me before and I didn’t know what love really was yet, but I said it back. I guess I know now what love is, with him at least, because we’ve been together for 16 years now!
Ken didn’t say he loves you back?! What an ass!
P.S. I lurve you.
Great story. I picked the same prompt but totally different scenario. Glad it all worked out! Stopping by from Mama kat’s.
This makes me laugh for a thousand reasons! But mostly, because it sounds JUST LIKE the both of you!
I’m so glad that it all worked out the way it did. It’s totally obvious that you’re perfect for each other. And the affection that you both share for Tim and his family is just one more thing to cement you two together. I love that.
HAHAHA too funny….I can picture it since i know you both so well…
love “He’s” mom…..
I’m SURE I told you the morning after! PS. You’re my mom too, bitch. MUAH
I laughed out loud at this one. Both of you were so funny. Glad it worked out!
Me too.
Twelve years later and he hasn’t kicked me out the door.
Too funny! After only 6 weeks? Ya I would’ve freaked out too!
Yes! It was totally out of left field, too. I laugh about it now but he doesn’t. Meh.
Yup, awkward. But, damn funny years later when you share the tale on your blog and we get to hear the inner workings of your panicked, then drunk mind! :>
Poor Ken! Hhahaah! Hopefully you were too drunk to realize it was awkward? My hubby and I had an awkward moment as teenagers when he tried to give me my first kiss. We had parked at the “lovers lookout” area for our town (which is a very ugly town–ever heard of Bakersfield?) and we were sitting on the tailgate of his truck overlooking “the bluffs.” We had always made fun of dorks that would park there and be romantic, cause there’s nothing romantic about Bakersfield’s skyline. Even at night. He leaned in to kiss me, I backed away, and then laughed in his face. “You’re seriously gonna give me my first kiss HERE??”
It was an awkward few days that followed. And we didn’t kiss til a month later
Oh yes. Bakersfield IS the ugliest town ever!!! In fact, I had a horse out there for a couple of months being broke. In August. Clearly, I wasn’t thinking.
So did Ken not say anything back to you to get you back? Make you feel uncomfortable OR did was he just so tired he wanted to deal with you in the morning?
Your story was funny. As for the awkward moment, been there and done that and it ain’t fun.
I think he didn’t want to deal with me at 2am. He still doesn’t want to deal with me at 2am.
The first time I told my hubs “I love you” I was drunk too… He never let’s me
Live that one down!
haha You’re a woman after my own heart.
Things we say in awkward moments make for very funny stories much later in life…I lurve you is going to go viral, you know.
I hope so!
When I was 18 my first long term bf told me he loved me.
I said thank you.
It wasn’t until four months later that said it back.
Love this little piece of history Carri
OK, so I’m not the only one! I think we were together for three months before I said it back.
Sounds a lot like what happened to my sister when her now husband professed his love for her…..i remember her calling me and telling me all the details ……and when I asked what she said after his “i love you”….she said “Thank you”…….. “you said thank you? how did he respond?” i replied……..he just shrugged it off and went on romancing her!!!
See I’d expect that you’d say something like “Umm..that’s nice” but a “Thank you” is just as awkward.
Way to drunk dial. You’re my hero
This is the quintessential love story. So funny.
I think everybody can relate
Thanks for sharing hehe
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I said I loved my husband first. It took months for my husband to. When he did, it was truly heartfelt
That sounds nice. My story is just ridiculous but that’s what happens when I’m involved!
I lurve this story.
I mean, what DO you say when you’re not ready to say it back? ‘Thank you’ seems like a perfectly respectable response. Sheesh. Good manners are so underrated.