Located on the bottom floor of the library at the midwestern university I attended was an excellent bathroom to meet for some quick sex. It had a single stall and a single urinal and sink. It also had two entrance doors, separated by about 4 feet, at its entrance—so there was always a warning when someone was coming in, because the first door would bang open seconds before the second door. This bathroom was located along a dark corridor at the very back, south wall of the bottom floor. It was surrounded by stacks and stacks of books and a few random tables for studying, one of which sat about 15 feet away from the entrance to the bathroom.
The summer between my senior and junior year I was working on a paper for a summer class I had taken to make up for some lost credits when I transferred in as a sophomore. I found the library basement to be quiet (especially in the summer) and, most important, cool, since July and August in the Midwest is both hot and humid and the one-bedroom apartment I rented didn't have air conditioning.
Working at the table close to the bathroom also afforded me a great vantage point to monitor comings and goings of the small bathroom—although in the summer, there wasn't really any activity to speak about. For the most part, I spent my time at the table working, uninterrupted for hours on end.
On the last Tuesday in July I set up my books and papers at my table at around 10 and began working. Around noon, I left my table unattended and went off to eat lunch. When I came back my first stop was the bathroom. I walked in and used the urinal. Turning around to wash my hands, I noticed a note written on toilet paper hanging off the hook on the back of the stall door, which stood partly open. The note said: "August 1 at 3. Meet me here."
"Interesting," I thought, as I rolled the tissue paper up and tossed it into the toilet. I was pretty sure I had probably missed the author of the note by minutes and I didn't want anyone else to see it.
It was July 30. Two days to August 1. I somehow managed to get my head back into my notes and went back to work for a few hours that afternoon. I'd be lying if I said I didn't often think of that note that night, wondering who the author was and hoping it would be someone interesting. The next day I set myself at my table again. I packed a lunch and was determined to stay all day—in case my note-writer came back earlier than promised. But the only other person I saw that day was the librarian, a junior I had talked with before who was cute, with brown hair and glasses—but that's a story for another day.
On Thursday, August 1, I set to work at my table at around 2. I had worked at my job at a local restaurant earlier in the day and run home, showered and trotted up to the library as soon as I got off. I didn't want to miss my note-maker if he decided to show up early.
I tried to concentrate on my work but my mind kept wandering. Would he be a college student like me? Would he be someone I knew (and what would I do then)? Would he be a local from the college town in which I lived? Would he be attractive? Had he shown up earlier and I missed him? Would he even show? This cycle of questions rattled through my brain. Every 30 minutes or so I would get up and walk around, always keeping within sight of the bathroom's doorway or the aisles leading to it.
At around 2:30 I finally settled down and started to get some work done. I looked up at around 10 minutes to 3 to see a young guy quietly and quickly slip into the bathroom. I waited a beat and then got up from my chair, moving slowly over to the bathroom door. My heart was pounding—I'd had very little experience with this sort of thing and didn't know how it would play out.
Just as I reached the door it opened. Standing in front of me was a guy who was about my age, maybe a year or two younger, but definitely college age. He froze when he opened the door. I felt a little electricity pass between us—faint but definitely there.
"Hi," I whispered, though I didn't think there was anyone around us. "Hey," he whispered back, gulping as he did so.
"Did you leave the note," I asked.
"Y-yes," he stammered.
"Cool, but do we really want to play in a bathroom? I have an apartment a 3 minute walk from here."
He looked nervous. I could tell he was thinking it over but I just stayed quiet. "Ok," he said, if it really is that close." "Yes, it is," I said.
I walked to my table and he followed me. I gathered up my stuff and put it all in my book bag. I told him that he should go up first and walk out the front entrance and wait for me at the end of the sidewalk. I would follow behind. This was the 80's and there was no way either of us wanted to announce our intentions to the world.
He walked off and then I had a moment of panic: what if he gets cold feet and disappears? But I finished packing up my books and notebooks, leaving the library books I was working from at the corner of the desk, as I always did. On my way out I caught the eye of the brown-haired librarian. He smiled at me and for the first time I think it dawned on me that he might know more about me than I thought he knew. But, again, that's for another day.
I walked outside and was immediately blasted by the 90-degree heat. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt with sandals, but it only helped so much. Standing at the end of the sidewalk was my note-maker. I walked up beside him and said "follow me" as I walked past. Within thirty seconds we were on the tree lined street that I lived on. The air got about 10 degrees cooler in the shade and I slowed to let him get close to me. I told him my apartment was about 2 minutes away with a private entrance. I also told him my name was Paul and he said his name was Greg. We walked on in silence, both of us I'm sure feeling that wonderful and exquisite uneasy feeling that is always there with these chance encounters.