No Equals Yes

The first word uttered from a young child is usually some version of Mom or Dad. Annabel’s first word was “no!” She understood precisely what the word meant and maneuvered it like a skilled swordsman wields a rapier strategically disarming an opponent. Of course, other words eventually filled in her vocabulary, but her fall back was always “no.”.

Her parents thought it was just a phase to be outgrown when she started school and interacted with other children, but that wasn’t the case. As long as things went her way, she was friendly to her classmates and teachers however, let anyone ask her to do something she didn’t want to, and they were met with an icy stare followed by an emphatic “no” as she turned and walked away from the offending party.

Annabel managed to garner a few friends as she progressed through school but also gained a reputation for being an extremely negative person. She rarely attended afterschool social functions. Even though she possessed stunning beauty, no boy would ask her out for fear of receiving a curt “no,” followed by that unnervingly cold stare. Her self-imposed isolation became legendary among her peers.

After graduating from college, Annabel found a job as an adjuster, approving, or rejecting insurance claims. Her denial rate was so high she quickly ascended to the position of department head. She had found her perfect station in life but realized something was missing—she was lonely.

 Larry managed the public relations department for the same insurance company. It was his department’s mission to project a friendly, positive image to the public so potential customers would choose his company over competitors. Unfortunately, Annabel’s rejection rate was so high, other companies used it as a tool in their favor. Larry decided it was time to discuss the problem with his counterpart directly.

They met in Annabel’s office for an informal conference attempting to reach an accord. Of course, her first response was an emphatic “no,” but to her surprise, Larry continued to negotiate. Several hours of back and forth discussions resulted not in a settlement but a dinner date. Larry found her beauty intoxicating while Annabel was thrilled with the companionship. Her apartment was a couple of blocks from the restaurant, so he walked her home. They reached her front door where Larry summoned his courage, leaned over, and kissed her. Never having been kissed, her first reaction was a combination of surprise and panic, followed by a flood of new emotions. Observing her reaction, Larry felt he had misread the moment. He looked into her eyes and said, “I imagine you’d like me to go now?”

Annabel reached over, softly placed her hand on Larry’s shoulder letting it slowly slide down his arm until their fingers intertwined. She gently led him across the threshold and said, “No.”