On campus, she was one of the girls everyone wanted to date, but few were able to get close to her. She had it all: beauty, intelligence, confidence, and money too. Every year, she came to school with a new car.
The closest I ever got to her was when she sat next to me in class
...one day. That day, I wished the lecture would never end. I really wanted to say something to her, but she was clearly out of my league.
Three years after school, I had a job interview. As I was entering the premises, I saw her. I was walking past her when she called my name: "Hey Jordan, what are you doing here? Long time!" I replied, "Yeah, long time. Nice to meet you," but in my head, I was thinking, "You know my name?"
She showed me her office, and after the interview, I went to see her. We had a chat, exchanged contacts, and she assured me she would speak to some high-profile people to see if things could work out.
I didn’t get the job. She told me she had tried and apologized. Then she said, “Send me your CV. I’ll share it with some people I know and see what happens.”
She kept giving me updates on where she had sent my CV and the responses she was getting. Each day brought us closer until, finally, she helped me land a well-paying job elsewhere.
We started meeting a lot, and one day, I said something like, "You’re a good person with a good heart. Whoever is dating you is lucky, and whoever marries you would be the luckiest person alive." But in my head, I thought, "I wish I were that guy, but you’re miles out of my league."
She replied, "Everyone thinks whoever I’m dating is lucky, but no one wants to be that lucky guy." She smiled girlishly at me and then started typing on her phone. From that day on, I changed my strategy. I tried every possible way to make it obvious to her that I wanted her. She got the message, but I guessed she only wanted me to say it out loud.
One day, I finally shot my shot, and she said, "No. Two weeks ago, I met a guy. He proposed, and I told him I was thinking about it."
I nearly collapsed. She asked me, "What were you waiting for?" I answered, "I was waiting for courage." She laughed so hard she dropped her phone.
I thought I had lost.
About two months later, I received a package containing two bottles of wine and a note that said, "From Jenny." I called her to say thank you, and she asked if we could meet. The next day, we were together. She said, "If you love someone and you’re sure of it, say it. Don’t wait for courage. It may never come." In my head, I responded, "I’m not a coward, ooo. It’s just that you’re out of my league."
Then she told me, "There was no guy. I only used the time to think about things—my life, where I am now, and whether I could commit to a relationship. I’m ready now. If your heart is still in it, let’s do it."
Two years later, she was still way out of my league, but we got married. Most often, it’s not about the league but about us. We make ourselves so small, believing we don’t deserve good things. But from where I sit and the little I know, we only have to chase or seek, and we may one day find.
