Close Call

Ron had met Charlotte at a high school dance. It wasn’t love at first sight or even like at first sight. They were simply tolerant of each other. From time to time, they would pass in the hall and acknowledge one another with a head nod or a halfhearted smile. Nothing more. Looking back now, that’s how things should have stayed.

It was during a late summer pool party that the two crossed paths once again. Ron was about to leave for basic training and Charlotte would be off to nursing school in a couple of weeks. Both had come to the party solo while everyone else had a date, so it was only natural they spent most of the evening together. Alcohol can make situations more tolerable, and in their case, it worked better than expected.

When the pool party and the after-party in Ron’s car ended, they became a couple. Neither expected the relationship to last. After all, they were both leaving town in several weeks to pursue totally different lifestyles in different states. An occasional letter or phone call would be all they could hope for.

Karma has a weird sense of humor. After basic and tec school, Ron was sent to his first duty station—it was in the same town as Charlotte’s school. The excitement of being together regularly soon transitioned into more of an obligation than anticipation. They fell into a routine.

Pressure came from both sets of parents to take the next step and marry. The old folks wanted grandbabies to cuddle, so they tried to move the process along. Ron tried to counter by saying he could be stationed overseas at any time. Charlotte said she needed to finish her degree before taking the next step. The parents were disappointed but not dissuaded.

It happened during spring break. Ron took a week’s leave, and the two flew to Las Vegas for some R&R. Similar to the pool party, a little too much alcohol was consumed, and they found themselves standing in front of one of Vegas’s famous mini-chapels.

“We could do this and get our parents off our backs,” said Ron.

“We could, but is that a good enough reason to get married?” asked Charlotte.

“No, it isn’t. Maybe we need to go back to our room and talk about this in the morning after the booze has worn off.”

Charlotte nodded and replied, “Good idea!”

The friends, no longer a couple, left for home the next day. One thing they both agreed on was that had been a close call of the scary kind. One they would never forget.