Aphro-ME-siac member for 33 weeks 2 days Send a message

Crush.

Doesn’t the word crush imply some form of pain? I have always wondered why they would use a word that means being broken and smashed into a thousand pieces to describe when you have a “thing” for a person…but then again, maybe the person who came up with this little word had a precognisance for what is usually the outcome of one.

I broke the no going out streak I was on by planting myself two nights straight at this hip, trendy spot in town called “Lime”.

Actually, it was an accident how I made it out two nights in a row and at the same place for that matter. The first night was intentional. I like this place. It is open and breezy; reminds me of some places I went to in Europe. Minus the American essence that is thick in the air upon entering… but they play good music; have excellent drinks and good service. And good food! I forgot that one…

The second night was me and a friend meeting other friends who wanted to go there. They never showed up, but that is beside the point. I ran into more friends than I had time to talk to that night.

I think we both felt a little dumb…being there two nights consecutively.

But a pitcher of sangria later and our self consciousness was replaced with another pitcher of sangria…

I have only been to this place a handful of times, but each time I have been I have noticed a man who the first time I made eye contact with him, made me take note to definitely make eye contact again.

Oh how I love those rare times you come across someone who every time your eyes meet, you feel lust in translation. As well as lost in translation… I suppose both could be accurate.

That does not happen for me often. I am a girl who will look you dead in the eye. And if you continue to look at me I will continue to look at you. But it is usually out of that magnetic feeling you get when you know someone keeps looking at you and you shouldn’t look back because you’re not interested but like a train wreck you just can’t help yourself. It’s not that you want to keep looking; it is just that it keeps happening.

But in this case, I wanted to keep looking. Since that feeling doesn’t happen too often with me, I was going to have my little eye foreplay as long as I desired too. My little gift to myself for the long day I had put in.

But my friend caught me “lust in translation” and asked me who was making me space out and I replied, “my little crush”. So we got on the topic of the definition of crush. Which I found out was relative. She considered a crush to be someone who you would want to date or get to know because he is relationship material. I didn’t even know the guys name I was having eye hockey with so my definition of crush was just someone who captured my attention and longing with his very presence in the room.

With us going back and forth with what would be the correct “definition” of a crush I decided to come up with a new word for my concept of a crush.

SLUSH…

Slush, is a crush you only want to taste… not necessarily get to know. Like on a hot summer day when you are hot as hell and along comes the slushy truck… you pick your favorite flavor and in that moment partake in the sticky sweetness...

My version of a crush…

So there we were- me and my friend, who I will call affectionately refer to as “trouble” for the time being. We were sitting at the bar and it all came flooding back to me; why I hate going out. On my left I had an older gentleman sitting next to me. Nice man who struck up a conversation with me. I didn’t mind talking with him as I knew he felt uncomfortable being there because he shared that in our initial conversation.

I didn’t mind it until it got to the point where I couldn’t even speak to my friend without being interrupted every minute on the minute by these guys sitting next to me. This is when I became annoyed. Then my poor friend had a man sitting to the right of her that was dropping names off his tongue faster than an exotic dancer drops her clothes and when he mentioned a private jet to her I think I actually heard her gagging reflex going into action.

By the end of the hour I was leaning to the right to get away from the men next to me and she was leaning to the left to get away from the man next to her until we looked like Siamese twins attached at the head.

Other than that I was having a good time. Eventually the men left and we were back to being able to separate our heads and sit fully in our own seats.

And I kept drinking up the essence of my slush as I sipped my sangria. Eventually I made it outside to some friends who were sitting on the patio. And up walked my slush. Finally… I would get a proper introduction and actually have a name to put to the eyes that had held me prisoner most the evening…

We were briefly introduced and the girl sitting with me, who was his friend, mentioned how she noticed him studying me. But then something strange happened. He wouldn’t look me in the eye anymore. They were trying to get him engaged in our conversation and he would look everywhere but at me. She started laughing saying she had never seen him be that way. I mean, it got to the point where I found him to be rude.

And just like that my slush melted into a puddle of nothing.

Men! After all my years of writing and studying I still have no idea...

It was much better when I didn’t know his name, what he did and who he was…

When the distance of the room was closer than the space I now felt with him standing right in front of my face.

Slushes are best kept at arm’s length I suppose; or in this case restaurant length…

If you are in Nashville check out Lime, have a sangria and think of me and my friend “trouble”.

Maybe you will find your own version of the slush/crush and be lust in translation yourself…

If not, you will at least have some of the best drinks in town!