At Least Someone Won

Story Sent in by Cary:

The first time I saw Regina, she had a lampshade on her head. It was a costume party and she was dressed as a table lamp. She was surrounded by guys in a group, and although I thought she was beautiful, I figured that I didn't have a chance with her, so I had a good time mingling with my friends and meeting other people.

Regina and I ended up meeting by reaching for the same beer at the cooler. That turned into an impromptu mock-fight, a slightly more civil conversation, and the exchange of numbers.

I took her out to a college basketball game (we were both fans - our team lost) and then dinner at a nearby bar.

Wouldn't you know it, the college basketball team arrived, loudly, not long after we did. They parked themselves at the bar. After several drinks, they were soon even louder. We weren't seated too far from the bar, and it became hard to hear each other.

After a few minutes, I approached them and asked them to please keep it down. They quieted down, but they looked at me with some pretty smoldering stares. I went back to the table and continued my talk with the lovely Regina.

A couple of minutes later, the team came to our table, crowded us in, and talked around us in raised voices. They ignored us, but they simply moved their loud conversation right to where we were. Way classy, guys. Way to show me.

"Would you guys mind moving?" I asked, just to attempt to do things the easy way. Of course, they ignored it. I stood up with the intent to go find the manager, but I realized that that would mean leaving Regina alone at the table with them, which I didn't want to do. Instead, I called out, "Can I get a manager over here?"

One of the players shoved me down. I shoved him back. They all pounced. Regina screamed. You'd think I'd be in for it, but because there were so many of them, in the confusion, I really wasn't banged up bad at all. Enough of the other patrons and employees pulled them all away. A person who I can only guess was the manager screamed at them to leave or else he'd call the cops. As the players left, the manager said that they weren't ever allowed back in, and that he was going to call the coach.

Regina and I completed dinner as best we could, although I wondered the entire time if the basketball team was lying in wait for us outside. They weren't, but I hurried Regina to her car all the same, and I took her up on her offer to drive me to my car. Over the following couple of weeks, I likely spent more time looking over my shoulder than looking ahead as I walked around, but it all worked out. Regina and I are still together.