Ibuprofen

Right now, my neck is sore. Specifically, the left side. I think people have a preferred side to tilt their heads when they kiss someone for a really really long time, and it appears that I tend to tilt my head to the right, thereby over-utilizing my left neck muscles. Of course, sitting sideways on a park bench doesn't help that much either. So it was a good thing the cop slowed down to a halt next to us last night when it did to tell us that the park was closed. Otherwise, my neck would be really sore.

Oh by the way, I met a boy.

I know my m.o. is to regale the virtual blog world on how I met the boy, how it all started, every subsequent date and so on. But I won't. Because there are way too many details.

Suffice it to say that he's pretty cute, articulate, profound yet silly, and...shy and slightly nerdy.

Okay, there's something about the shy-and-slightly-nerdy guys that makes me pursue them a little more than I would a "normal" guy. So I admit. I broke all the Rules. (I called him instead of waiting for him to call me.) And so did he. (He called me less than 24 hours of first meeting me instead of waiting 3 days to call me. Then he called me the next day.)

Upon listening to the trepidation and excitement in my voice when I described the shy guy, my friend smiled and said, "Hmm, I want to meet this guy who makes you so nervous."

"He's kind of nerdy," I warned her as I remembered his occasional corny jokes and awkward demeanor.

"That's your type," she said.

"What?"

"Look at Love-of-your-life #1. Look at Love-of-your-life #2. Both nerdy," she explained. "It makes sense."

"Oh," I said.

And after she met him, she nodded to me, "Yep, he's nerdy. Not as nerdy as #1. But on par with #2. Still, he's pretty cute. And he seems like a good guy."

Both Love-of-my-life #s 1 and 2 were somewhat quiet and nerdy. And with both of them, I suppose I broke the Rules. Because something about the quiet nerdiness makes me more proactive, bold and confident. Also, they probably wouldn't have done anything unless I threw something out there like a phone call or an open invitation.

So last night, I was with the shy guy. He was leaving for business this morning and would be gone for three weeks. As a result, we talked on the phone virtually every night and saw each other five times in the one week we knew each other, just after first meeting each other. (Rules? What Rules?)

And all that time, he hadn't kissed me. And I really really really wanted him to. Even with #s 1 and 2, I made the guy make the first move. (Though with #1 I resorted to saying, "So are you going to kiss me or what?" after dating for three weeks. In #1's defense, he had never kissed a girl before.)

Anyhow, I was with the shy guy last night, sitting on the park bench, leaning my head on his shoulder and gazing at the trees and grass and moths flickering by the park lamps. At one point, the moment was so there, I was literally hollering in my mind, "Hello - I'm waiting! Just frigging bust a move and kiss me!"

And finally, what felt like eons later, he did. Finally.

And it was nice.

And so today my neck is sore. I wonder if his is too.