What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? March 1 Day 1

On By MarquessaIn 30 Day Challenge - Alexandra Frazen Questions, Writing Challenges

It wasn’t the “best” compliment I have ever gotten but it was the best “foot-in-mouth” compliment…

“You’re intelligent, gorgeous and you have a head on your shoulders. If I didn’t already have a girlfriend…”

The voice caught me by surprise. I was leaving my room to meet up with a few classmates for dinner and when I looked around, Paul was leaning against his door frame with his arms crossed. He was taking me in from head to toe with a twinkle in his eye.

As the resident advisor on the dorm floor, Paul was a friendly guy and you had to be if you were dealing with excitable first year students living away from the watchful eyes of their parents for the first time, doing whatever and whoever they wanted.

Paul was my dorm “neighbor”. His door was always open for student drop-ins and because my room was the size of a closet and I was semi-claustrophobic, I kept mine open even when studying which meant that we chatted a lot. Being older than the others (he was doing a master’s and I was only living on-campus during my 2nd degree out of convenience because home was too far away) we had lots of intellectual conversations, joked around, debated about current events and things unrelated to university life like our opposite tastes in music.

Paul was a smart and good-looking guy but since the only thing on my mind was completing that degree and getting out of that boring city, I had my Teflon armor on and wasn’t about to be distracted by anyone or anything, no matter how enticing.

“Ok, Paul,” I decided to bite. “Go ahead and finish that sentence. If you didn’t already have a girlfriend…what would you do?”

Did I mention that Paul was one of those flirty flirt kind of guys?

I leaned against my closed door, crossed my arms and waited.

“I would ask you out in a heartbeat.” He grinned and was just about to say something else when suddenly his bottle-blond girlfriend popped up behind him and stared us both down.

If looks could kill…

It was obvious from the look of horror on Paul’s face that he had completely forgotten that she had been in his room the entire time.

Out of sight and way out of mind.

As she stormed off, I felt a little sorry for him but definitely not for her.

You see, each and every time I would bump into her in the hallway (which was all the time even when Paul wasn’t there and though she didn’t even live in the dorm), she would never respond to my greetings of “hello”. Most of the time she ignored me and after a while, I simply ignored her right back. I had never even had a conversation with the girl. I simply chalked up her attitude to being immature (I think she was 19), a lack of basic manners and Becky-like behaviors long before the term “Becky” became an insult.

I couldn’t help myself and laughed. “Wow. I’m not sure how you’re going to fix that…”

After a few minutes, he shrugged and broke the ice.

“Well…now that I don’t have a girlfriend…“. He paused and let his words hang in the air.

I laughed and purposely left his words hanging.

“Paul?”

“Yes?”

“I’m late for dinner,” I said and left him standing there.

I decided to take his “flub” as a compliment since he forgot all about his girlfriend because of me. 🙂

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Join in on this March challenge.

21 thoughts on “What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? March 1 Day 1”

  1. Well… Now I think I need to rewrite my response to this one. What I wrote is short and not particularly interesting. In fact, I’m thinking I need to rewrite the whole month. Not sure I can, though. I’m just not that interesting. Plus I still can’t write for shit.

    I like your post… That’s a great story. I’m glad the bitchy girlfriend stormed off. That made me laugh.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sandra, don’t rewrite it. Just go with it and post. I forced myself to use an anecdotal style for this one. Most of the others are NOT like this, believe me. I’m waiting to read yours today….💜

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      1. Even with this challenge… even though I already answered the questions… I still feel that my writing is sorely lacking, both the ideas and the actual writing. It’s like I’ve lost my wit or something. I just don’t feel like myself!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  2. I was in high school. I will never forget Tracy, he was the high school quarterback. He asked me why I always wear bangs. I told him because people, mostly my family made fun of my forehead. He told me that I was beautiful and my forehead was apart of that beauty. It took some time but I have never been ashamed of wearing my hair off my face.

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  5. Pingback: March Writing Challenge: Day 1- Best Compliment I’ve Ever Received – K. Phoenix

  6. Dwight said, to someone else, but in front of me, that I was “smart as whip” and that was one reason why he was with me. We’ve been married 25 years in September and that’s the first time I’d ever heard him say that lol

    Liked by 2 people

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  7. Pingback: #MarchWritingChallenge – Day 1 – What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? – Felicia Denise, Author

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