Tammy.

Actually, her real name is Itege (pronounced Eye-Ta-Gee). But, since she isn't really fond of her name, she wants me to call her Tammy. Funny.

In any event, she works at one the local Canarsie S&D Underground's, which has an account with North Fork. And as the business account representative, I've dealt with her most of the time. I remember the first time we met: she had just walked in, unfamiliar with the surroundings. I wasn't really into taking any regular customers; 260 was my limit on Wednesdays. So, I called her and asked if she was a business customer. Relieved, she approached my window with the business deposit, and her smile. At this point, I was feeling a bit confident; not too cocky, but enough so I gave myself the impression I could flirt with her. And that's exactly what I did; I flirted with her. Nothing fancy, just some professional flirting.
Little by little, it appeared to be working, until one of my co-workers made a schtupid comment. I responded, saying that she approached me quite serious, and a tad bit pensive. I thought that while I did her deposit, I'd brighten her day by starting some nice conversation. Nuttin' major, just trying to put a smile on her face. **She starts smiling, to the point she holds back laughter.** You see, it's working! Now she walks away happy; I'm happy cuz she's walking away happy; it's all good...
Impressed with my escaping certain trouble, she smiled and wished me well. Impressed with the fact she was impressed, I smiled and returned the favor. Impressed with how I dealt with the entire scenario, my co-worker informed me of how impressed he was. So, all of us were smiling, impressed with one another. Coolie.
For the last several months, she came for the deposits, and she'd get currency exchanged every once in a while. And we'd enjoy each other's company in the process. At one point, she invited me to stop by at her job, just to see what's up. Now I'd normally leave the offer in the open, and just not go. Mind you, the woman who Tammy replaced did the very same thing, and met the same result. But this time, I decided to leave the offer in the open, and go. I don't know what made me do it; perhaps I just wanted to hackle her. So in one very hot July, I stopped by S&D, just to hackle her. She meets me, and asks if I brought her anything. I looked and asked What did you want me to get you? She requested something to drink. Several unneccesary words later, she says it's water she wants. So I went and brought some water for the both of us. And we chilled for a while, just drinking water on one of the hottest Julys to date.
We did it again some time ago, and she threw in the idea of us having lunch:
"So, when are we going to lunch together, huh? Probably like, never right..."
No, if you'd like to luncheon together, just tell me when you usually have lunch.
"Usually, I take it arounnd 4."
Eehh. That might be a problem.
"Why?"
I have my lunch around 2, 3PM.
"What about Saturdays?"
Between 11AM, and 1PM. But you know what, Saturday's my early day. I'll just have lunch with you after I finish work.
"So, Saturday, at 4 o'clock. That's cool. Cool?"
Cool. See you then...

That was the Wednesday that just passed.
So yesterday, I freshened up after work, combed my naps, threw on some Hugo Boss, and headed...
to the florist. Hey, I finished 3:30. What else was I gonna do?
I walked out with a rose, and chilled at McDonalds' air conditioned dining area. 4PM hits, and I headed to S&D to meet her. Fifteen minutes later, she sees me, and calls me inside to wait for her. Disguising the rose inside my jacket, I walked in...
and met the woman who used to do deposits for S&D.
"I remember when I used to invite you here. Now that Itege asks you, you come and is bringing water for her?! I never got anything; hell, you never came here before she came back..."
Tammy comes back out, rescues me from the disgruntled employee, and we bounce from that scene to go eat.

We both ask each other where we want to eat. She admits that she's a fast-food junkie, and that Canarsie's one downfall is that there are no restuarants around where we work. I recommend some West Indian food to her, and she in turn reminds me of her time constraint. So as we cross the street to the very McDonalds I was chilling in, I give her the rose.
"Thanks. Wait, you are sneaky..."
Huh, where did you get that from?
"I didn't see you with the rose before. You must've hid it somewhere; probably in your jacket. And I completely missed it. You're real sneaky..."
Hold on, I gave you a rose. Mind you, there are no strings attached; it's a gesture of love. I'm just trying to spread some love, and because you didn't see the rose when you met me, the only response you can muster is that 'I'm sneaky'?
"Yes! I mean, I like the gesture." **She's all full of smiles, now.** "It's just you did such a job hiding it from me..."

She ordered a fish fillet meal. I ordered a 6pc nugget meal. I paid $11. We sat next to each other, watching people, our clients, pass us by as we ate and talked. It turns out she has family in England. Oh, so that's what you did in your 'time off'?
"Yeah. Wow, you remembered? Aww..."
Then, we discussed how we ended up being where we were. The topic then moved on what our future aspirations were. She likes to move to England, and settle down there. She was to do it earlier on last year, but between finances, her now ex-boyfriend, parents, etc... it never materialized. But she has connections there, and hopefully, it'll all be finalized by January.
Great, we'll have a 4 month relationship. Hey, at least it's a relationship.
It's around here that she explains her name. Long story short, her parents wanted to name her something unique, much to Ite-, err, Tammy's chargin. I become an elite member of her circle of best friends, as she runs down the list of her sister's names, and how her name had to be unique. I made a vow not to call her by her real name, but the one she wants me to call her, Tammy. I could've said something about it; but I was cool with it, much to her delight.
She then speaks of her need of a driver's license. Let's just say that she drives, she's been driving; but she needs to legally start driving. Said something about having to take a permit exam...
College comes next. This comes after she offered to take out our gobbage. I started laughing uncontrollably, then she kneeled near me, wanting to know what's so funny. You reminded me of my mother just now, telling me to take out the garbage. I thought that only mi mum pronounces garbage 'gobbage'...
She never finished. And she went to BMCC; starting at around '96/'97, and dropped out in '99 due to financial reasons. I note that I started probably right after she left, and graduated last year.
"Wait a minute, you actually graduated?"
Yeah. I finished just last year. That was an incredible ride too. I could tell you all about it, the years of the struggle, but I'd need a lunch break for that.
"What school did you go to?"
Hunter... ** long pause before, and after, answer...**
"They didn't want me."
Yeah right, come now...
"I'm serious! They didn't want me. With my scores and everything. I applied! And they didn't want me.
Something wrong?"
Naw, just computing. It was '99 when you left, and when I started. That means, you...
"Been with S&D since that time. You'd figure I'm a manager now, so I had to be with them for a while."
** In an attempt to change the conversation **
That's good. Moved up at such an early point in your life. Now, you're talking about relocating to England? Big tings for you, eh?
"Yup, that's where I'm heading. And I'm only 27. Thought I was older? Yeah, I get that a lot..."
** My eyes bulged wide open. As though, I was preparing for some unsettling news... **
"I just realized, you went in school when I left. That means you're...
How old are you?"
How old did you think I am?
"I thought you were my age. How old are... don't tell me you're younger than 25."
**Recovering from a huge bombshell**
I'm 24, actually.
"Wow..."

In truth, I'm only 23. But the mere fact I'm messing with a woman four years my elder was a bit disconcerting. And, judging by her facial expressions when she inquired of my age, she felt the same way.
And, severeal minutes of conversation later, so ended our luncheon together. I walked her back to her job, both us agreeing that this lunch was quite 'productive', and that we must do it next week. I left, and headed for the barbershop, to rid myself of the naps that are my hair.
So there I was, on the B60, heading to the shop, sitting on the left one-sided seat, defeated.
Strike One - The 'sneaky' remark. No determinable emotional attachment. Tammy/Itege thing still a bit iffy.
Strike Two - Moving to England in January. Didn't finish school. One attachment: a tattoo named 'Pablo' on her right arm.
Strike Three - She's 27!!!
Yup, it doesn't get any better from here!
The katz congratulated me on my efforts. Too bad there were all in vain.
Maybe, maybe not, right?
Ah, what a life.
What a life indeed...

It's because of incidents like this, that propel me to go see The 40-Year Old Virgin.