Delilah and I made our way to the St. Patty’s Day Volleyball Tournament early that Saturday. I can’t help it, I was nervous. So much so that my stomach was churning and I had to ask her to pull over three times on the way there, embarrassing, but true. I can’t really explain why I was so nervous, just that I had this horrible fear of making a fool of myself on my re-entry into the world after breakup. I’d not played volleyball since middle school P.E. and I really wanted to make a good impression on these new people that I was going to be meeting.
In between our numerous stops, Delilah assured me that all levels of players were going to be there and that I was worrying too much.
“Why are you so nervous? There is really no reason for you to be. People will be drinking anyway. You worry too much,” Delilah assured me.
“I don’t know why I am so nervous. I just am. I feel like I keep reintroducing myself ‘into the wild,’ and every time it’s a little more nerve wracking than the last,” I said slumping down in my seat.
“You think too much,” Delilah said laughing.
“I know,” I grumbled pitifully.
We pulled up to a large covered area, I expected to see picnic tables, but instead it was a football sized sand pit. A part of the area looked like it was set up for dirt bikes, while a corner had six volleyball nets with people practicing, wandering around, and sitting in fold up chairs on the edges of the sand courts. Even from a distance I could tell that the people practicing were good, I mean REALLY good, way better than middle school P.E.
“Delilah, I think I have to go to the bathroom again.”
“Just stop, Mindy, you’re being crazy—and honestly—you need to just be your normal confident self. I know Aaron took your self-confidence on a trip. He’s a jackass, everyone thought so and you’re better off without him. Now, all you have to do is have fun and enjoy all the hotties.”
At this point Delilah said, shifting in her seat and looking nervous, and then she continued, “This is going to sound weird, and a little crazy of me, I know, but please—today—don’t flirt with Seth. It’s just, I know that I am not ready to jump into anything, and … I mean … nothing is going on with Seth, it’s just … well; don’t flirt with him … or anything.”
“Who is Seth?” I asked curiously. Delilah had just recently broken up with her live-in boyfriend of two years—a great guy—and to be perfectly honest—we were all shocked to hear of their break-up. The only complaint she had ever had was that he hadn’t, after two years, said that he loved her. I understood how this could illicit insecurities, but they were, or seemed, perfect together. Now that Delilah was bringing up this Seth guy, the pieces that hadn’t made sense months ago fell into place.
“We call him the body,” she said, “he’s over there in the orange shirt, warming up,” she inclined her head to the closest volleyball net to where we had parked our car. I hear an audible sigh from her as I narrowed my eyes and tried to figure out what hold this guy had over her. Seth, from a distance, was clearly tall and thin, I wouldn’t call him ‘the body’, and from a distance I didn’t see anything striking. To each their own though. The guy he was warming up with though, I smiled and thought man candy as I asked Delilah who he was.
“Oh, I think that’s Jason. He’s a nice guy. I will introduce you. Come on. We need to register.”
Jason, I thought. He looked very tasty. I slapped myself in the forehead. What in the hell was wrong with me? I gazed out at Jason again, but he was a beautiful man. From the car I could see he had a big white smile, hair that was a week past a trim and curling outside of his green baseball hat.
This is just what I need after a breakup, a good healthy crush. I laughed to myself as I followed Delilah, and was instantly aware that everyone’s eyes were on me.
“Delilah, why is everyone staring at me?”
Delilah looked around, “not everyone is staring ... but you are a curiosity. Everyone here knows each other and has been playing with each other for years. I guess you’re fresh meat. I told you that you’d have a good time,” she said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
I felt my face pale at the thought.
“Holy shit, Mindy?” I heard a loud voice call from the registration table, only to see a familiar face.
“Alison, dear lord, I have not see you for years!” I replied.
“What have you been up to whore?” she asked fondly.
Yup, just the Alison I remembered. Crass, loud, outgoing, and kind, very, very kind. The day was already looking up.
Alison came and gave me a hug, slapping me hard on the back.
“I can’t believe you’re here. Who’d you come with,” she asked.
“Delilah,” I responded.
“Really? How do you know Delilah?”
“We work together.”
“You don’t know anyone else here? Have you played?
“No,” I responded fearfully.
“Don’t worry, everyone will be drinking anyways. Come on, let me introduce you to some people,” Alison said grabbing me by the arm.
Alison proceeded to introduce me to the people crowded around the registration table, those loitering around the courts, and pointing to people playing. There was no way that I was going to remember everyone, and it was intimidating. I was grateful when Seth came up to me and took the time to chat with me and distract me from all the new faces.
“Hey Mindy, Delilah said she was bringing you. I’m Seth.” I was curious to talk to this man that Delilah had told me not to flirt with; I would just have to be very conscientious of how I spoke with him.
“Seth, hi. Nice to meet you. Delilah told me about you.”
“She did huh,” He grinned and changed the subject, “so what do you do at the high school? You two work together, right?”
“Yeah. I teach 9th and 10th grade English,” I responded.
“Very cool. I was an English major.”
At this point Jay, Alison’s husband came and tossed an arm around Seth and myself, “Hey guys, want to come warm up?”
I felt my stomach drop as Seth responded, “Yeah, we’re coming.” He inclined his head to me as he started to follow Jay onto the court, grabbing a ball on his way. I swallowed hard as I followed him.
Delilah ran up next to me, grabbing my arm, “Mindy, please … don’t flirt with him.”
“Um, I wasn’t.”
“I know I am being weird about this, nothing is going on between us, but after Mike, I just … please, don’t flirt with him.” Then, quick as a blink she changed the subject and her disposition changed. “I’ll help you warm up. We’ll just bump it back and forth.”
Delilah quickly ran through some tips, and then we starting hitting the ball back and forth. I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable when Seth remarked on how well I was doing and Delilah shot me daggers. This fun, laid back girl that I had worked with for three years, and had been my roommate was acting a … I hated to say it a little bit crazy.