When Rocket Man Met Woman

It was a hot night in July 1997. Rocket Man had been out of work for several weeks due to surgery to repair a torn achilles tendon. He was bored and lonely, so he decided a party was in order. He had a friend who was having a birthday, so Rocket Man offered to host a party for this friend, Big Smooth. Big Smooth worked with a lovely young lady named Fashion Queen. She called up her sister Woman on the phone. "I have been invited to a party and I want you to go with me" she said. Woman was not very interested. Fashion Queen said, "You don't have anything else to do and I don't want to go alone." So Woman finally agreed.

The sisters arrived at the party to find it very crowded. They were introduced to the host, Rocket Man. He was friendly and polite without being overbearing. The ladies had a good time and laughed alot with Fashion Queen's co-workers. When they left the party, Rocket Man insisted on walking them out to the car. Now remember he is in a cast. Actually, the day of the party was the first day he did not use his crutches. Fashion Queen was so impressed by his gallant behavior. She told Woman " of all the parties I have ever been to no man has ever offered to escort me back to my car. I do believe he likes you!"

The next day Fashion Queen calls Woman on the phone and tells her that yes indeed Rocket Man does like Woman! Apparently after the ladies left the party, he was talking about Woman to his friends that worked with Fashion Queen. Of course they relayed this information to Fashion Queen. Woman said "I couldn't tell that he likes me. He didn't make any advances or show any unwarranted attention." Fashion Queen said that was because Rocket Man is a gentleman.

For the next couple of weeks Rocket Man and Woman saw each other while socializing with Fashion Queen and the guys she worked with, who were also Rocket Man's friends. Again, he was polite to Woman but not overbearing, a true gentleman. One night after leaving Crossroads where the group had gone to listen to music, Rocket Man walked Woman out to her car. He said, "This is the second time I have walked you to your car. Could I have you phone number?" Woman said yes, and about that time Fashion Queen came over and stated that she and Big Smooth wanted to go to IHOP and would and would Rocket Man and Woman like to go also. So the 4 of them went to IHOP. Now Rocket Man was wondering when Woman was going to come through with the phone number. He said to himslef, "Did she hear me? Why is she making me wait?" What Rocket Man did not know was that Woman did not want her sister to see her give Rocket Man her number. Woman can be very private about things sometimes. But when Fashion Queen and Big Smooth went up to the cash register, Woman quickly took out a slip of paper and wrote her phone number on it and slipped it to Rocket Man. Fashion Queen did not see what happened.

A few days later Fashion Queen calls Woman and says, " Walt really likes you and he is a nice guy so why don't you give him your phone number?" Woman said, "For your information I already gave it to him." And she told her sister about the IHOP number transfer. Fashion Queen was surprised that Woman did that without telling her. "You don't have to know everything" Woman told her sister.

Shortly after, Rocket Man and Woman began dating exclusively, and the rest, as they say, is history. To this day Fashion Queen laughs about how Woman and Rocket Man "hooked up" in front of herself and Big Smooth without them knowing. And of course, Fashion Queen takes full credit for Rocket Man and Woman meeting in the first place!

Remember the slip of paper with the phone number? Last October, on their 8th anniversary trip to Chattanooga, Rocket Man opened his wallet and pulled out that slip of paper.