James Brawley

I am sitting on my suitcase in the main train station in Rome, next to my girlfriend Susan, who's sitting on hers.

And we're rifling through our let's go Europe, trying to agree on the next destination of our vacation.

Susan grew up in Germany, so she'll go basically any place.

As long as it's sunny.

But I need to go to the right place.

and I have a pathological terror of going to the wrong place.

So whenever Susan suggests someplace in particular, I suggest someplace else, because I can see something wrong with every place.

And this is a gift I bring to every area of my life, notably my relationship with Susan.

We've been together for about seven years since college, and every time she brings up the subject of commitment, maybe it's a good time to get married, I say, I think I need a little more time just to make sure that what we're doing is right.

So as a result, all of the lights on the arrivals and departures board are blinking.

And the man on the public address system keeps saying, over and over and over again.

And Susan is up on her feet screaming at me, make up your mind before all the trains pull out.

Well, I am kind of hypnotized by this, the hem of this flower print dress.

and it's about 10 feet away, fluttering in the breeze each time a train pulls in or out of the station, which at this point is frequently, which is hanging off what may be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, who's standing next to her beautiful friend.

When Susan says, are you looking at those women?

And I say, where?

And she says, right there in the flower print dresses.

And I say, you mean them?

And she says, yes, they look interesting, don't they?

Like, maybe they're going someplace interesting.