It only took about a week, but here is the first ‘Love Song‘ of Writing Lust.  For those unfamiliar with this Matthew Sweet classic, you can listen to it here.

Girlfriend

He pulled the car off the dirt road, onto a trail used mostly by tractors during the harvest.  The eyes of several deer in the field shined in his headlights before he killed the engine and extinguished the glow.  Neither James no Lisa wanted to draw added attention to the periodic passer by.  The deer were happy to return to their grazing.

As pair of teenagers feverishly embraced, James clicked on the radio.  This was the fifth real date for the two, and the first unsupervised.  Sure, they had privacy watching movies in his parent’s basement, but the possibility of someone walking down at any time provides limits.

James raised the armrest to allow further contact.  The hand-me-down ‘91 Plymouth he received for his 16 birthday was perfect for illicit behavior. Plus it had its own sense of style.  The red upholstered seats were more comfortable than the leather in his parent’s new car.  The fake plastic wood interior had screamed class in its time.  It had power windows, cruise control and a decent sound system; everything he could want.

When he inherited the car, his only complaint was the lack of a CD player.  He changed his tune once he found the antique tape collection in the trunk.  There was something there for every mood, a new discovery a day.

A week earlier James had never heard of Matthew Sweet.  However, the album “Girlfriend” caught his eye as he planed for this night.  For James, the fifth date comprised more than fooling around unsupervised.  James planed to ask the big question – to move beyond just the normal hanging out with a girl.  He planed to ask Lisa to be his exclusively before the night was over.

The tape lived in the deck the entire week as he planned every detail of tonight. He knew Lisa well enough to know what would catch her ear and what she would ignore.  He learned every song and their order.  He knew exactly where to start the tape – in the middle of ‘Does She Talk’ – to yield maxim results.  To her it would seem inconsequential, but that was part of his plan.

‘Holy War’ and ‘Nothing Lasts’ were mostly ignored by the couple before the auto-reverse kicked in.  They were midway through “Divine Intervention” before they surfaced for air.  James decided this was the perfect time to start the conversation.

The pair discussed their classes and school as  “I’ve Been Waiting” began to play.  As the song danced through the speakers, James began to perspire slightly.  ‘Girlfriend’ and the moment of truth was coming quick.  Everything was going as planned but her response still scared him.  This would be the first time he asked a girl to go steady, and the results  confused and worried him.  Still, the moment of truth was seconds away.

The fade in of the electric guitar caught Lisa’s ear without prodding.  By the time Matthew Sweet’s lyrics poured through the speakers, she was entranced by the song.  As she realized what the song was about, she turned to Jake with a smile.

A question.  An answer.

A smile.