Slice of Life Day 23: The Fox River Boyfriend

Tonight I'm throwing back to a "small moment" that happened about seven years ago. I originally started this piece right after the encounter, but decided to finish and revise it today. 

The Fox River Boyfriend

Some ladies have all the luck with men.  Case and point:

One nice day, my apartment was incredibly warm so I ventured down to the Fox River to do some school work.  I chose an area with 5 empty benches in a row, sat on the middle one and got to work.  A little while later a man on a bike came and sat on the far bench.  Then two old ladies hobbled by with their walkers and sat on the bench next to mine.

A while later I hear, “Is anyone sitting here?”

I look up to see an older man (at LEAST 70 years old) standing by the bench.  After glancing quickly at the two empty benches in the area, I tell him no, no one is sitting there and and he plops down next to me.  Wanting to strike a balance between being polite, but not TOO friendly, I continued to busy myself with school work as the man gabbed on and on.

Fox River Man: “Do you come down here a lot?  I’ve never seen you before.”

Me: “I come down every once in awhile…but not during the day because I’m normally working.”

FRM: “Well I come down here at night and I’ve never seen you.  Are you sure you’re not new?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve lived in Waukesha for quite awhile”

FRM: “Hmm..well, do you want to get coffee sometime?”

*At this point there was a HUGE awkward pause…I was trying to decide if he was truly a creeper, or possibly just lonely and wanting to chat more.  Either way I knew I did not want to have coffee with this man…but I was not sure how to convey this.  Luckily, he broke the silence by clarifying his intent:

FRM: Oh, do you have a boyfriend?

*I used this as a chance to turn down the coffee date but telling a small lie.

Me: Yes! Yeah, I have a boyfriend.

FRM: Oh…I guess he wouldn’t like that very much then……does he live around here?  Do I know him?

Me: No, I don’t think you know him.  But he does live around here.

FRM: Is it serious?  Are you engaged?

Me: No, not engaged.

FRM: Well, it never hurts to ask…I’m just looking for a good woman.  I’ve had a few women, but they all are into drugs or drinking…..you don’t drink, do you?

Me: Not much.

FRM: Me either, just a couple times a month.

*At this point I’m trying to figure out if I can just get up, say goodbye and leave or if he will follow me or walk with me.  Being busy with schoolwork didn’t deter him from talking my ear off, I wasn’t sure if walking away would deter him either.  Finally I told him I had to go.  He said it was great talking to me and he hoped he’d see me at the river so we could talk more.

I don’t go down to the river as much as I used to.  But anyone who is looking for a date…the river apparently is a good place to pick up men…as long as age isn’t an issue for you. 

Ironically, about 5 and a half years after this, I would get engaged at the very same riverwalk....just not to the Fox River Man.