AUGUST 2002
DAY THREE OF OUR 'SAME TIME NEXT YEAR' DANCE CRUISE
 

WHAT WILL MARLA SAY??
 

I faced a dilemma.  I wanted to tell Marla about my suspicion that Fate had brought us together in classic "Godwink"-fashion.  Since Marla had experienced the same strange coincidences as me during last year's trip, I was very curious to get her opinion.   However I was very reluctant to bring up the subject.  That is because I had no idea what she would say if asked.  Here was my problem.  Over the past year, Marla had never said a word.  For this reason I had a strong hunch that Marla did not think in terms of Fate.  This troubled me, mostly because Marla's silence on the subject reminded me uncomfortably of Patricia.  To be frank, the memory of Patricia's scorn during our lamentable Rock Star argument still haunted me. 

In addition, I had another painful memory.  Deeply confused by a series of six extraordinary coincidences that had occurred within a one-year time span in 1968, I undertook an extended 'Search for Meaning' during my Sophomore year of college.  Hoping for an explanation regarding those coincidences, I read every book on Mysticism I could get my hands on.  The prevailing attitude was that 'a meaningful coincidence was a small miracle created by God'.  Was that true?  Given the utter improbability involved, the 'small miracle' explanation seemed plausible, but I still had my doubts.  Nevertheless this period marked the initial stage of my belief in Fate.  Hoping to get further insight, in my Junior year I signed up for two courses:  Philosophy of Religion and Religions of the East.

I was stunned by their steadfast certainty that I was completely wrong.  I was also very intimidated by the depth of their hostility.  Outnumbered 15 to one, it took every ounce of courage to stand up to them.  Seriously, if there had not been a professor in the room, they looked mad enough to tar and feather me.  During the intense argument, I realized it is impossible to "Prove" a belief.  The harsh lesson I learned that day was to keep my mouth shut from now on regarding Mysticism. 

Eight years later I broke my rule.  In 1978 I told Patricia about my belief that God had guided me to my dance career.  To my dismay, my admission unlocked a fury identical to the scorn I had faced back in college.  Totally humiliated, this time I learned my lesson. 

Do not say a word about this EVER AGAIN!

24 years later, it was now 2002.  So far I had followed my own advice.  Once Patricia shot me down, I never whispered another word about Fate for fear of further ridicule.  That said, I wanted to tell Marla.  Why?  I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, but not under false pretenses.  She deserved to know about my strange outlook on things.  However, I hesitated due to my fear Marla would react the same way as Patricia.  I could risk losing Patricia.  I already suspected she was evil.  But Marla was a different story.  She was one of a kind... bright, sincere, honest, reliable, trustworthy, loyal.  Equally important, unlike other women in my past, she seemed capable of tolerating my teasing, sarcasm and moody nature.  Where would I find another woman like her?  Shudder the thought.  Given Marla's importance, why risk losing her respect over some far-out ideas?  After all, I had gotten this far without revealing my inner thoughts.

On the other hand, I harbored a deep longing to see what another person thought about my ideas.  Marla had one advantage over Patricia.  Unlike Patricia, a woman who wouldn't recognize a Supernatural Event if it hit her in the head, Marla had witnessed the same strange events as me.  If anyone might see my point that Fate had brought us together, it was Marla.

Still locked in debate, something weird happened to break the impasse.  One day Marla and I began singing 'People are Strange' in the forest.  Seeing the bewildered look on Marla's face, I smiled.  This was a lucky break.  It opened the door to discuss a Supernatural event.  Just as I was about to share my belief in ESP, I caught myself.  Why reveal my opinion on such a controversial subject?  Better to let Marla go first. 

"Marla, what do you think caused our weird song outburst?"

As expected, Marla looked for Realistic explanations.  The best she could do was suggest someone nearby had a boom box or loose headphones playing that song and we had overheard it.  Or maybe we overheard someone humming the tune.  Oh really?  Like who for example?  I had not seen anyone all morning.  Nor had I heard anything.  In fact, there was no discernible trace of sound other than the rustling of wind in the trees.  Given that we were alone in the forest without a soul in sight, Marla finally gave up. 

"I don't know, Rick," she said, "Maybe it was ESP.  I tend to be fairly open-minded about stuff like that."

Open-minded, eh?  My heart leapt for joy.  Just what I wanted to hear!  I quickly seized the opportunity.  "Marla, I have a question.  You say you are open-minded.  In that case, have you ever wondered if Fate brought us together?"

"No, not really.  Is that what you think?"

"Kind of.  But it's complicated.  Tell you what, let's wait till the cruise trip next month to talk about it.  That will give us plenty of time to explore the subject."

IN THE 'SHALL WE DANCE' LOUNGE ABOARD THE RHAPSODY
 
RICK AND MARLA'S FIRST ANNIVERSARY
 

It was Night Three aboard the Rhapsody.  Following dinner, Marla and I joined a group of 30 friends in the 'Shall We Dance' lounge.  It was 10:30 pm and there was a Country-Western band on stage.  Marla and I danced the Texas Twostep for an hour, then drifted over to a remote corner so we could be alone.  As we sat there holding hands, being on a cruise ship again brought back a flood of memories.  That included the role margaritas had played in our romantic evening last year.  Marla's willingness to sit down and have a drink with me had opened the door to a wonderful night.

To help recapture the mood, I ordered a round from a nearby waiter.  I could not resist teasing Marla how I had to get her drunk in order to get her to notice me last year.  Since Marla hated this joke with a passion, I enjoyed reminding her every chance I got.  However, this time Marla was one step ahead of me.  When I brought up the subject, Marla pounced.

"Yes, dear, that was very clever of you to get me drunk.  Smooth.  By the way, you have often wondered why I ignored you at the studio for all those months.  I'm sorry, Rick, but you failed to impress me.  Fortunately those margaritas lowered my standards just enough that you finally qualified for my attention."

Ouch!  That's Marla for you.  She was master of the sharp comeback.  Any time I teased her, she would invariably send a retort back over the net with more zing than I served it.  Her insult about needing alcohol to justify paying attention to me was the perfect squelch.

"Actually, Marla, I have been meaning to ask you about that.  When you returned to studio in March last year, you were completely oblivious to me until the cruise in late August.  Considering how many times I approached you at the studio, can you explain why we failed to connect sooner?" 

Before she could answer, the waiter returned.  As I signed the check, I was not quite sure what Marla would say.  Mind you, her indifference had never been mean or intentional.  Marla was invariably polite whenever I engaged her in conversation at the studio.  However, I could tell there was not a shred of interest.  Since I had such a huge crush on her, her continued apathy really stung.  That said, I had never been angry at her.  Frustrated, maybe, but not angry.  I knew the rules of the game.  Just because I was interested in Marla did not obligate her to reciprocate. 

On the other hand, Marla's indifference explains why I had been so shocked to see her demeanor shift dramatically that first night in the Disco.  During our subsequent conversation at the bar, in the space of 15 minutes Marla had gone from a woman who paid no attention for six months to a woman suddenly smitten.  Indeed, I could see it in her eyes.  The sudden change in her expression is what had given rise to my "Hidden in Plain Sight" theory.  This was the perfect opportunity to broach the subject. 

However, first things first.  After the waiter left, we clinked glasses.  Happy Anniversary!  What a wonderful first year this had been.  We both hoped for many more.  Although we had not discussed marriage quite yet, we were definitely headed in that direction.  However, before we discussed marriage, I felt Marla had a right to know about my strange outlook on life.  After an affectionate kiss to celebrate the moment, I was ready to discuss Fate. 

Age 52, I had collected a list of 'Suspected' Supernatural Events that now exceeded 100.  Many of these events had occurred during the first seven years I ran the studio, 7, sometimes 8 events per year.  After 53 events in seven years, they suddenly stopped coming.  Over the next 17 years, I experienced a Supernatural Dry Spell.  Fortunately, this was not a problem.  Now that I had weathered the storm during the early years, I possessed the experience necessary to run the studio smoothly.  In fact, shortly before I met Marla, the studio had undergone a dramatic growth spurt.  Thanks to the recent Swing and Salsa dance crazes, attendance hovered at 1,300 students per week here at the Millennium.  This preposterous total gave me good reason to believe SSQQ had become the largest independent dance studio in the country. 

To be frank, it had been ages since the concept of Fate had entered my mind.  I was too busy running the studio to bother.  That changed the night I met Marla in the ship's Disco.  Things had never been the same since.  Deep in thought over the past year, so far I had identified 9 potential events surrounding our romance to add to the List.  Given that each event involved Marla, I wondered if her magical appearance was part of God's plan to reawaken my interest in Fate.  If so, I wanted to see what Marla had to say about that.

RICK ARCHER'S LIST OF SUSPECTED SUPERNATURAL EVENTS

115

114

Prior to the night Marla and I met in the Rhapsody Lounge to discuss Fate, I had already identified nine possibilities involving Marla that deserved consideration as potential Supernatural Events.  Tonight we would add two more.

Serious

Predestination
Precognition

Suspicious

Coincidence
Telepathy

Suspicious

Coincidence

Ultra Serious

 Coincidence

Suspicious

Love is Blind
Cosmic Blindness

Serious

Suspicious

Love is Blind
Cosmic Blindness

Suspicious

Lucky Break
Coincidence

Suspicious

Soul Mate Concept

THE CONVERSATION ABOUT FATE BEGINS

"Okay, Marla, there is something I would like to talk about."

Marla smiled.  "And what might that be?"

"Let me start by saying this past year has been the happiest year of my life.  Not a day goes by when I don't marvel at how compatible we are.  I love being able to share my life with you."

Marla nodded.  "I feel the same way.  So what is your question?"

I gulped.  I wanted to talk about Fate, a risky topic indeed. 

"During last year's trip, I observed several coincidences and odd situations.  However, I did not think it appropriate to get your take on these events given the newness of our relationship.  Recently I mentioned my belief that Fate has brought us together, but asked to postpone the conversation.  Tonight is the perfect opportunity to pursue the subject."

Marla smiled.  "Go on." 

"As you recall, we had a serious misunderstanding on the second day of last year's trip.  Thanks to your suspicion caused by the Ashley Secret, you spent the day interpreting everything I did through a lens of distrust.  There are aspects to that misunderstanding that still trouble me.  Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions?"

"Try me.  I grew up watching the Twilight Zone with my brother Larry.  Some of those episodes led to interesting conversations."

"Let me start by saying I firmly believe in Fate.  I also believe we have Free Will, but not all the time.  I believe certain things are going to happen to us at specific points in our life and we will have no say-so in the matter.  Once our free will is restored, we can choose how to react.  As an example, I think you and I were fated to meet on last year's trip.  What do you think?"

Marla shrugged.  "I agree things were pretty intense, but I did not attribute it to Fate."

I frowned.  That wasn't the answer I was looking for.  "You didn't think it was weird how we met in the Disco at midnight?"

"No, not really.  We both like to dance and the only place to dance at that hour was the Disco."

"And you didn't attach any significance to noticing me for the first time that night?"

"Yes, that was special, but there was nothing alarming about it.  Once I realized how smart you are, yes, I started to pay better attention.  But that's not Fate, that's your own fault for being so boring back at the studio."

Hmm.  I think she was teasing, but maybe not.

"I have long wondered why it took all these months for you to show interest in me."

Marla gave me a wicked smile.  "Definitely the margaritas.  Why else would I let my guard down with such a boring man?"

I hated it when Marla used my own bullshit against me.  As I had learned over the past year, Marla had a smart mouth more than equal to my own.  We argued all the time, but it was idle bickering for the fun of it.  In this odd way, we were very compatible.  One smart mouth deserves another.  My only problem was Marla's comebacks were usually better than my attempts to provoke her.  Oh well. 

"What about all those problems caused by the Ashley Secret?  Didn't that strike you as strange?"

"You think differently than I do.  I was hurt because you ignored me almost the entire second day.  That made me think that the time we spent together up on deck was unimportant to you, that maybe I had been a convenient woman to chase for the evening the previous night."

"I'm confused.  What are you talking about?"

"We had a special night.  Then suddenly the next day you don't say a word to me in dance class plus you seemed unusually happy to see Ashley.  I was very hurt.  By ignoring me, you made me feel like your girl for the night and now you had blown me off to chase someone else in your flock.  That made me think I just another one of your adoring flock."

"The only woman I was chasing was you."

"I know that now, but I did not know that a year ago.  And then you made it worse by lying to me about Ashley."

 "That was a terrible mistake.  Have I proven to you over the past year that I don't lie?"

"So far, so good."

"That lie was based on an unusual circumstance."

"I know that now, but things were so volatile, back then I was certain you were a player."

"Just like I was certain you were wild about Darren."

Marla made a face.  She hated it whenever I accused her of flirting with Darren. 

"Like I have told you a thousand times, that was just an act.  Look, Rick, you must have danced with ten different women at the Captain's Reception that night.  Every one of them smiled at you and you smiled right back.  How was I supposed to know if you were secretly seeing any of them?  If you were going to chase any of those women at the Captain's Reception, I was determined to show you two could play the same game.  Darren just happened to be sitting next to me, so I decided to be friendly.  I didn't even know his name till we sat down."

"I will take your word for it, but you were extremely convincing and you really, really upset me.  In fact, I had to leave the dining room because I was about to start crying.  You know, there's one thing I have never asked you.  What went through your mind after I left the dining room?"

"I never realized you left.  What a shame you weren't there to appreciate the full performance."

Marla squeezed my hand to let me know she was teasing, then added, "Maybe it's a good thing you didn't see the whole show.  I'm a great actress.  You might have have jumped overboard."

"Hmm.  More likely I would have thrown you overboard.  By the way, you can be a serious pain in the ass sometimes.  But let's skip that.  What did you think when I popped out of my cabin only to find you walking right past my door?"

"Okay, that was much better.  I was very happy to see you."

"And you didn't think that was Fate?  It didn't cross your mind that Fate brought us together at that moment?  I mean, if I hadn't found you in the hall, I would have never found you in the dark theater.  That was perfect timing for me to open the door when I did."

"Now that you mention it, yes, I did think it was odd to have you very much on my mind, then have you appear out of nowhere.  I will grant you that coincidence was kind of strange.  But I figured you heard us talking as we walked by your cabin and came out."

"I never heard a thing."

Marla looked surprised.  "Really?  Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am serious.  I had no idea you were out there.  To me, the whole series of events was a Synchronicity."

"What is a Synchronicity?"

"That is my term for a sequence of related Fateful moments."

"What events are you referring to?"

"Meeting you at Midnight in the Disco, the Ashley Rumor which caused all those problems, and the Hallway encounter.  Plus hiding in plain sight for six months.  Four coincidences that were all connected.  That is why I call it a Synchronicity."

"What do you mean by hiding in plain sight?"

"You weren't interested in me for six months.  I was invisible to you.  Then suddenly you noticed me.  It was like you were on some sort of time delay."

"You seem to have given this a lot of of thought."

 "Yes, I suppose I have.  So answer me another question.  I am still curious to know why we failed to connect back at the studio prior to the trip."

"What do you mean?"

"When I first approached you at the studio back in March, you were polite but reserved.  I continued to approach you, but you never warmed up to me.  During all those months I spent pining for you, how could you not realize I was interested?  Wait.  Before you answer, let me clarify.  Did you fail to detect my interest?  Or did you sense my interest, but choose not to encourage me?"

"You asked me this same question last year."

"I know, please forgive me.  But this issue has bothered me for an entire year.  I am curious to know if there was anything I missed.  I was the same guy at the studio that I was on the ship.  So why was I invisible on land, but apparent at sea?"

"On land you were a businessman, on the ship you came across as a friend.  Please don't take this the wrong way, but I mean it when I say I had absolutely no idea you were interested in me.  I assumed any attention you gave me was part of good relations for your business.  I thought you were showing appreciation to a loyal customer."

"And yet that entire time, March, April, May, all summer long, you were debating whether to stay with Chris or not."

"Yup.  So why does this bother you so much?"

"Because there was a mystery surrounding you.  My instincts said you were available, but your responses always indicated you and Chris were still together.  In addition, we got along great in dance class, but you were totally unresponsive to my indirect inquiries outside of class.  I was certain my instincts were correct that there was trouble in Mudville with Chris, so why didn't you pay attention to me?"

"Because I wasn't interested in you at the time."

"Fine, I can live with that.  But you liked me during class, so why didn't you like me before class or after class?"

"It never occurred to me.  Are you so vain that every girl has to be attracted?"

"No, I don't expect every woman to find me interesting.  On the other hand, the way we interacted so well in dance class gave every indication of our compatibility.  There was something about you that suggested we would get along very well if you would only give me a chance.  I made you laugh in dance class.  I figured that would at least guarantee an audition afterwards."

"Good point."

"I also believe my leadership position at the studio would give any woman who was unattached a reason to check me out.  When I am at the studio, I am front and center, easy to notice.  I could handle it if you considered me and discarded me, but to not even register after all the times I singled you out, I had never had that happen before.  We clicked so well in class, we should have clicked outside class.  But you never gave me the time of day."

"You are correct, but I still don't see why this bothers you so much."

I did not dare bring up the subject of Cosmic Blindness.  It was too early in this conversation to mention that strange concept.  Although I believed the Force of Fate had hidden me in plain sight for six months prior to the cruise trip, I feared Marla would think I was crazy if I stated it out loud.  Nevertheless, it didn't hurt to tiptoe around the subject.  Who knows what I might learn?

"Try to see this from my point of view.  After ignoring me for six months, out of nowhere you more or less fell in love at first sight.  I went from zero to hero in the blink of an eye.  The transformation you underwent in the Disco was so dramatic that it stood in stark contrast to your previous lack of interest.  I had no choice but to wonder why you had never paid attention to me before.  Let me put this another way.  I was standing there in plain sight for six months and all you did was yawn.  Then I show up at the Disco and suddenly you're very interested.  Doesn't that sound weird to you?  What took you so long to notice me?"

"I see your point, but I can't really explain it.  Back at home, I guess I was distracted by my problems with Chris."

"That's another thing.  My instincts insisted there was something wrong between you and him.  But whenever we spoke, you never gave any indication things were not right.  All you ever did was return to the six year relationship story line.  Once the trip began, I found out my instincts were right all along.  Why didn't you let on that things were not going well between you and him?"

"I am a private person.  I don't like to share events in my personal life, and surely not with someone who is no more than an acquaintance.  I had no idea you were interested in me as anything more than a student, so I had no reason to confide in you.  However I definitely felt dissatisfaction with Chris the whole time.  Practically every time I saw Chris during that period, he did something or said something to piss me off.  Then I would go home and tell myself I was ready to end that relationship and move forward.  That must have been what you picked up on.  However, I have a confession to make.  I was definitely looking."

My eyes grew wide.  This was new.   I was disconcerted to say the least, but preferred not to let it show.

"That does not surprise me.  There was never a hint of warmth in your voice when you spoke of your boyfriend Chris.  However, if you were looking, you definitely weren't looking in my direction."

"Yes, that is correct.  I wasn't interested in you.  I never felt a connection because your conversation at the studio was always superficial.  Not once did we have a meaningful discussion.  I'm sorry, but the chemistry wasn't there."

"I disagree.  We had excellent chemistry in dance class.  We laughed and bickered like best friends all the time, just like we do now."

"That's true, but I paid it no heed."

"So you were looking.  Did you see anyone you liked?  If so, who was the lucky guy?"

"I had my eyes on Bob, one of the guys in our Advanced Swing class on Sunday.  I was interested in him."

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

"I remember Bob.  Did you ever go out with him?"

"No, but I wanted to.  Bob was a nice guy and I really liked him.  Unfortunately, Bob had Sue, his on-again, off-again girlfriend.  The timing was never right."

"So here I am pining for you and you are pining for Bob.  Bob is pining for Sue and you keep hanging onto Chris who is busy chasing someone else.  Meanwhile you had no idea I existed.  No wonder I never got anywhere.  That reminds me of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream." 

"Help me out.  I don't know the story."

"Four young lovers have their minds manipulated by a fairy who inhabits the forest where they visit.  Their minds are clouded by a fractured love potion given to them by a fairy named Puck.  As the youths wander around the forest in a fog, they each pursue the wrong person.  At the end, Puck lets everyone wake up from their dream and find the person they were meant to be with."

"What do you mean by a Fractured Love Potion?"

"In Fairy Tales, the boy gives the girl a love potion and she falls in love with him.  In a Fractured Fairy Tale, someone gives the love potion to the wrong boy or wrong girl."

Marla frowned as she caught the implication.  "By your logic, I was in a dream and chasing the wrong guy.  Then I woke up and found you just like the ending to Shakespeare's play."

I grinned.  "Yes!  Don't you see how your behavior runs parallel to the plot?  You fell for Bob, but ignored me because I was invisible.  When Bob did not work out, you still ignored me.  In the Disco you saw me for the first time.  What changed your mind?"

"What are you driving at, Rick?"

"How is it possible to fall in love at first sight with someone you have known for six months?" 

When Marla gave me that classic 'hmm' expression, it looked like she was getting intrigued by this conversation. 

"That is a good question.  I do not know why I never noticed you when by your own admission you were looking."

"I understand that you were interested in Bob, but I don't understand why you completely overlooked me.  After all, I was standing right in front of you the whole time.  How could a smart woman like you totally miss noticing that I was interested?"

"You are right about one thing.  I wasn't picking up your signals and Bob wasn't picking up my signals.  Meanwhile I was in a fog when it came to Chris.  I should have ended that relationship a long time ago.  Given that I occasionally surveyed the various guys at the studio, now that you mention it, I agree it is odd I never noticed your interest in me.  That changed when we began our long talk in the Disco."

"If I recall, we began with the freeway topic."

"Yes, quite scintillating."

"Don't be sarcastic."

Marla grinned.  "I know it sounds odd, but you actually did catch my attention when you analyzed Houston's overdependence on freeways and how the city completely ignores the need for rail."

"Are you kidding?  Not exactly a sexy topic."

"I'm serious.  Our previous conversations had been superficial, but this topic had depth to it.  You were thoughtful.  I liked that."

"So our talk about the continual destruction of forests to widen freeways was the path to your heart.  Gee, why didn't I think of that sooner?"

"Now you're the one being sarcastic.  What you said revealed that you are knowledgeable, that you had more on your mind than the unbalanced boy-girl ratio on the cruise trip.  I was surprised to see our ideas dovetail on a controversial issue.  However, I do see your point.  Now that you bring it up, I recall doing a double-take as you spoke."

"What do you mean?"

"We had been talking about 10 minutes when I suddenly realized how much I was enjoying our conversation.  As I listened to you speak, I began to have a dialogue about you in my head.  I stepped back and really focused on you for the first time.  That double-take happened when I asked myself why I had never noticed you before."

Marla's insight brought a big smile to my face.  "Are you serious?  I think I saw that exact moment.  There was an unmistakable change in your expression and I felt an unusual warmth coming from you, a silent encouragement to continue speaking."

"I blinked in surprise because a different Rick had popped up out of nowhere.  Now that I was seeing you in a new light, I realized my first impression was all wrong.  You were a totally different person.  You seemed genuine and I liked this side of you much better.  I felt a strong, unexpected connection and wanted to get to know you better.  There was a whole lot more substance to you than I earlier believed."

"There's a business side to me and a friendly side."

"Maybe so, but you were definitely more interesting on the ship than before.  Intelligence and knowledge in current events are important to me.  And then you showed interest in travel.  Smart move.  I liked that a lot.  But you are right about your business side.  In fact, I had a strange thought related to that."

"What was that?"

"Back at the studio, I had noticed how you like to roam around talking to everyone.  Here at the bar, I was having so much fun listening to you talk about history and travel, I suddenly realized I was monopolizing your attention.  I felt guilty because I was keeping you from wandering around the Disco looking for other SSQQ people to talk to.  I figured you wanted to leave, but I didn't want you to go."

I was incredulous.  "Are you saying you still did not detect that I was interested in you?"

"No.  Isn't that odd?  Not once did I pick up that you were speaking to me for ulterior reasons.  I distinctly remember having a big debate in my mind.  My conscience said I should let you go, but I didn't want to let you go.  To heck with being unselfish, I wanted to keep you here with me.  I was very pleased to discover this new side to you."

I shook my head in disbelief. 

"Let me get this straight.  I invited you to dance.  I invited you to have a drink with me.  I smiled as we conversed.  I am a single man and you are a single woman.  We are having a drink together in a lounge.  We are alone, we are laughing, we are having a great talk.  And not once did you sense the vibes that I was interested in you?"

"No."

"Come on, Marla, are you always this blind around men?"

"No."

"Oh my God, how can an intelligent woman be alone with a man who is salivating and fail to detect his interest?  When I speak of you wandering around with blinders on, this was even worse than I thought.  How is this possible?"

"Beats me, but my mind never registered your interest until you offered the second margarita.  One margarita is polite, but two margaritas is a signal no girl dare miss if she intends to keep her virtue."

At this point I was deep in thought.  Finally I spoke up.

"I am really glad we are having this conversation.  I have never met a woman quite like you.  I love how you are willing to share what was running through your mind at this key moment in my life.  The more you share your thoughts about that night, the more I realize my impressions of what you were thinking were pretty accurate."

"Yes, but what I can't understand is why it took me so long to see you."

"Maybe the margaritas were able to reverse the effects of your Fractured Love Potion."

"Ha ha, knock it off.  No more margarita jokes." 

Just then, a friend of ours named Gary Richardson came over to say hi.  Gary and I met in 1998 when he and his wife Betty came to the studio for Country-Western lessons.  Gary owned a computer store, so he wasted no time selling me my first computer.  Over the years that followed, we became close friends.  Gary asked if he could take our picture, so of course we said yes.

After Gary left, Marla resumed.

"Just so you know, the margaritas did not make a bit of difference.  I had full control of my senses and I distinctly remember being surprised at how much my opinion of you had changed.  I was seriously taken aback.  Now I have a question.  If you were so interested in me back at the studio, why didn't you say something?"

Marla's question embarrassed me greatly because it reminded me how scared I had been that she would reject me.  I sighed deeply, then replied. 

"If you recall, I struck up a brief conversation with you every time I saw you in dance class.  Furthermore, whenever you came to the studio early, I walked over to speak to you.  We had at least a dozen conversations that lasted 5 to 10 minutes.  Not once did I receive any encouragement to try harder."

"What do you mean?"

"During my six months of Invisibility, I very much wanted to reveal my feelings, but your continued apathy dampened my hopes.  You are in sales.  You know how to say the right thing if you are interested in getting someone to open up.  You never asked any questions which would help me extend the conversation.  That made it clear you had no interest in me.  Recently divorced, I lacked the guts to make a Hail Mary approach absent any curiosity on your part."

"I see your point.  I also agree with your analysis of my reaction.  You did not interest me in the slightest.  Thank goodness we met in the Disco.  It was like someone flipped a switch and I saw you differently."

"Yes, I remember.  I was thrilled, but I was also shocked.  One would assume the chemistry we shared at the Disco should have been in effect during the time you started to look around six months earlier.  If you could notice Bob during those six months, then why didn't you notice me too?  I never got a single glance."

"You come back to this so often you seem obsessed.  Why is it so important?  Isn't it enough that I finally came around?  Did I hurt your feelings?"

Marla was right.  I was obsessed with her lack of interest followed by her sudden and quite surprising change of heart.  To me, this curious situation supported my theory of Cosmic Blindness.  I believed something had made me Invisible to her.

"No, you did not hurt my feelings.  A woman has a right to choose who she likes.  But I will admit I was very disappointed.  If a woman looks at me and shrugs, that's one thing.  But with you, you were hot and cold.  You were super-friendly towards me in dance class but you could care less when class ended.  I could not even register a look.  I was frustrated because I believed we had a lot in common.  And, now, as history has shown, I was right to think that way.  There was a huge mystery around you."

"What do you mean?"

"I was confused to understand why we didn't click.  I am not a vain person.  I accept that some women will find me interesting while others could care less.  That said, I've had enough experience to know the great rapport we had in dance class should have extended further.  We teased and exchanged insults like old friends.  Our banter is what made that class so much fun. But your warmth vanished the moment class was over.  So I asked myself what prevented our rapport from making it past the classroom door.  Plus my intuition insisted something was wrong with Chris even though you denied it.  Now you have confirmed you were looking.  Once you began 'looking', I would assume you would notice our rapport in class and at least check me out.  Instead you ignored me completely.  Why?"

"Beats me, but you are right.  You never crossed my mind.  Whenever I drove to the studio, I would think about Bob.  During class I thought about Bob.  Whenever I left, I would think about Bob.  It wasn't like I had a burning desire, but I liked him.  Bob had a girlfriend, but he said there were problems.  I figured if I waited for a while, maybe something would happen with Bob, maybe not.  I know it bugs you when I say this, but you did not register as anyone other than my dance teacher."

Marla paused, then added, "It really does not make much sense, does it?  But now I have a question.  You have gone on and on talking about why I did not pay attention to you at the studio.  Is this going somewhere?"

I took a deep breath.  The time had come to introduce Marla to my theory of Cosmic Blindness. 

Cosmic Blindness:  Rick's invisibility

"I waited because I wanted to find the right time.  My mood tonight was triggered by last night's strange revelation that I had visualized being a cruise director 27 years ago.  I don't know how you see it, but it struck me as precognition, the awareness of a future outcome way ahead of time."

"You are right, that was pretty strange."

"In addition, dancing with you at the Captain's Reception last night brought back memories from last year.  To me, last year was a Fairy Tale romance, a modern version of Cinderella.  I had been dying to meet you for so long and suddenly there you were right in front of my eyes.   Even better, when I saw you blink during our conversation, I could not help but wonder what had just happened in your thoughts." 

Marla blushed.  "It was that obvious?"

"Yes, it was.  You looked like someone who has just woken up from a strange dream.  First you blinked, then it seemed like you narrowed your eyes to get a better look at me to confirm whatever you were thinking.  The next thing you did was take a long sip of the margarita.  After you put your drink down, you looked back to me and smiled in a very warm way.  I took it as a signal you had given me full permission to pursue."

"So you are serious about this.  You really believe that someone put a spell on me."

I nodded.

"Was it you?"

"No, it wasn't me.  If I had that kind of power, I would used it on you back at the studio."

"Then what do you think happened?  Do you have any suspects in mind?"

"I blame the Force of Fate.  If we were destined to fall in love when we did, then something had to happen to prevent you from noticing me ahead of time."

Marla shook her head in consternation.  She did not reject the thought outright, but she wasn't buying it either.

  "I have heard guys say some pretty wacky things, but you just received the blue ribbon."

"I know what I am saying is something akin to science fiction, but I don't just make this up.  You acted like someone who had just had her blinders taken off."

Marla nodded.  "All right, I see your point.  So when did you arrive at this conclusion?  By the way, don't apologize.  Tonight's conversation is way more interesting than hearing you talk about basketball."

I winced.  Typical Marla.  Build me up, knock me down.  Impossible to get a big head around this woman.

"I have been a strong believer in Fate most of my life.  I went on Supernatural Alert the moment I saw you standing alone in the doorway of the Disco at Midnight.  Here is the woman I have been pining for all these months and out of nowhere I have just been handed this golden opportunity.  Even better, there was a dance floor ten feet away.  If ever there was a spot where I could look good, this was it, this was my Prince Charming meets Cinderella moment.  Plus I had made a solemn vow about you."

"Oh yeah?  What was that?"

"Before the cruise, I made a vow that somehow, some way before this trip was over, I would try to get you alone and get to the bottom of my mystery.  Let's find out once and for all why my instincts insisted Chris was nowhere near as important as you claimed.  Finding you in the doorway was so important because it felt like the answer to a heartfelt prayer."

"Did you automatically assume I would turn out to be your Cinderella?"

"No.  I did not dare assume any such thing.  Of course I hoped our meeting would lead to something, but your history of apathy served to keep my expectations in check.  I wanted the moon, but I was willing to settle for answers to soothe my curiosity if that's the best I could do."

"What do you mean?"

"After six months of cold shoulder treatment, I had no reason to think you would change your mind about me, especially not after your recent trip to Miami.  But I did think if I could get your attention, you would at least be willing to tell me the truth about Chris in a way that would clear up the mystery."

"Please clarify."

"I was raised a Quaker, a religion that puts great emphasis on trusting your Intuition.  Unfortunately, I tend to be overly-analytical, so trusting my gut over my reasoning ability does not come naturally to me.  Whenever I spoke to you, my instincts said you were hiding something, but I could not get you to confirm my suspicion.  So I was locked in a giant debate over whether to trust my instincts or trust my mind which contradicted my intuition."

"Which one won the argument?" 

"My mind won the debate.  Shortly before the cruise trip, my intuition had recently gained the upper hand.  I was certain you and Chris were having problems.  But then the two of you went to Miami at the last minute.  At that point, my mind said things were hopeless.  However, I was still curious why my intuition had been proven wrong, so I was determined to speak with you on this trip and hopefully get you to shed some light on the situation."

"So you approached me in the Disco because you wanted my help in validating your instincts."

"Yes and no.  I was willing to settle for clearing up the mystery about you.  If you would just tell me what was going in your private life, I could set myself free of thinking about you all the time.  However, I admit the circumstance of finding you alone in such a magical way raised the stakes.  I had expected I would have to corner you in some sort of awkward way.  However, my first impression was that your Fairy Godmother had just handed you to me on a silver platter.  Curious to know if you and I had entered Fairy Tale territory, I decided to offer you a drink.  When you accepted, that was the moment I had a hunch this was going somewhere.  Ever since then I have viewed margaritas as my magic potion."

Marla laughed.  "Typically when a man offers to buy me a drink, he has something else in mind."

Now it was my turn to blush. 

"Yeah, well, most men aren't subjected to six months of negativity ahead of time.  Based on the way you had treated me so far, I did not dare let my thoughts drift in that direction.  But then you winked, blinked, and took a drink.  When I saw your eyes light up, I said to myself, 'Holy Cow, there really is something strange going on here.  I might have a chance after all."

"Was that what did it?"

"Yes!  I swear, Marla, I felt like I could read your mind.   It was like a light bulb had just turned on inside your head.  That was the moment I thought our evening had entered a different dimension."

"Like the Twilight Zone?"

"How did you guess? 

"Like I said, I grew up watching science fiction with my brothers.  The way you tell your story has a Rod Serling feel to it."

"So you're not totally opposed to my ideas?"

"No, not at all.  And I like your Cinderella twist.  I have always been very fond of that story.  You know what, that reminds of something funny that happened in high school."

"This sounds interesting.  What happened?"

THE OUIJA BOARD

RICK ARCHER'S LIST OF SUSPECTED SUPERNATURAL EVENTS

115

Suspicious

Coincidence

Serious

Predestination
Precognition

Suspicious

Coincidence
Telepathy

Suspicious

Coincidence

Ultra Serious

 Coincidence

Suspicious

Love is Blind
Cosmic Blindness

Serious

Suspicious

Love is Blind
Cosmic Blindness

Suspicious

Lucky Break
Coincidence

Suspicious

Soul Mate Concept

I smiled.  "So is this your way of giving me a hint?"

Marla grinned.  "Funny you should ask.  Would you like to propose?"

I gulped, but when Marla winked at me, I assumed she was teasing.  More likely half-teasing.

Caught off guard, I replied, "Marla, I definitely want to marry you, you have my word on that.  But can we please deal with one thing at a time?  Right now I want to know more about your Ouija Board.  This is a very strange coincidence, so you will understand when I say this is a very difficult story to believe."

"You and me both.  I had forgotten all about it until our conversation reminded me, but you're right, it is pretty weird.  However, no matter how strange it sounds, I am telling the truth.  In fact, now that I think about it, I once met a Gypsy who predicted the same thing."

When Marla said that, she froze. 

"Oh my God, I cannot believe I completely forget about the Gypsy!!"