I Knew I Was in Trouble When. . .

I graduated from Auburn in early June of 1986. Susan was on the extended, get a 5th football season in, plan. I started work about a week after graduation. My first job was in Rome, GA, at a Burlington Industries textile plant. Management trainee, they called me. The days consisted of standing and watching plant workers do their jobs, learning what everyone in the plant did. Oh boy. Susan stayed and attended summer school at Auburn. We did the long distance relationship thing that summer. I would head back to Auburn as much as possible on weekends, Susan would come to see me when she could, or we would meet in Sylacauga, where her parents lived.
As our relationship grew, believe it or not, Susan was the first to express her feelings. And, while I didn't have any plans to date anyone else, I held back on expressing what I was feeling. Until. One day I was in Auburn, hanging out with her and her rooommates. And this guy walks in. Susan had been sitting on the couch with me, and when he walked in, she got up to talk with him and they begin to have this "engaging"conversation in the kitchen. And I'm sitting there on the couch. Now, for those who know me, you know that I am a VERY competitive person. I'm normally pretty mild mannered, until you put me in a competitive position, and then I tend to get the fire going. So, as I sat there, for what seemed like hours, my blood began to boil. Here this guy (named Oscar I later discovered) was just smiling and laughing and talking to her like I didn't even exist! Well, eventually I stood up, gave Susan THE LOOK, and was just before heading out the door. I don't know if he got the message, or what, but introductions were made, and explanations given. They had just been "old friends." Right.
Later that evening, as my blood pressure dropped below stroke level, we sat out on the porch and "discussed" what had happened. Although we had made no real commitments, I had to admit that I was jealous that night, and I had never really experienced that level of emotion before. And she couldn't have orchestrated a better event to get me thinking about where our relationship was headed. And it got me to thinking: was it orchestrated? I wouldn't have put it past her!