First Date Jitters (Midlife Love 2/6)

A Case of Exploding Butterflies

Photo by __ drz __ on Unsplash

I have felt adrenaline-induced butterflies many times over the past few years in anticipation of stepping on stage, reading drafts of stories to my writing group, sitting in the audience watching my children perform, and embarking on my first solo international trip.

But these butterflies are another variety. The species that have not visited my body since 1992.

There has been a shift inside me the past few days.

I feel the cells in my body rearranging themselves in anticipation.

I am not the same person I was yesterday.

I am twitterpated.

Nudging the boundaries of friendship.

I made a new friend a few months back. I realized quickly that I could not suppress my instincts to flirt with him but he didn’t respond in the usual ways.

When I reached out for a friendly touch, he put his hands in his pockets.

When I managed to catch his eye, he looked away.

Verbal innuendo went over his head or under his radar. LOL

Then one night he confessed, “I noticed you on stage two years ago. I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”