Thriller Night

I met Katrina a few years back through some mutual friends, and I liked her immediately. She is a perfect example of a crazy Greek chic: always rambunctious and outgoing and her family is straight out of the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” For the most part, I always loved her outgoing, nutty personality. That is, except for the times that she liked to use her wild personality to embarrass me.

She and I went out one night bar hopping in hopes of having a few drinks and meeting some new people. I was on the rebound and looking to meet some new men in my life to get over my old one. Sure enough, I met a really cute guy named Pat at one the bars we went to, and he and I hit it off immediately. He had a certain little boy look to his face, kind of like Tom Brady or Brad Pitt, and he was really funny and nice so I continued talking to him at the bar.

He and I exchanged numbers and agreed to meet up the following weekend.

Well, the weekend came and I agreed to meet him at a bar where he was going to be with a few of his friends. I decided to bring a few of my friends so that way it would be a fun group get-together, and if I decided I didn’t like him, I could always just leave with my friends.

I brought Katrina and my other friend, Jen, with me to the bar. We were all having a good time and decided to go to a different bar where a few of Pat’s friends were. Pat and his friend piled into Katrina’s car with us and we all drove to the bar.

This was the point where Katrina decided it would be really funny to blare Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and start doing the Thriller dance to put on a show for not only all the Boston pedestrians, but for everyone in the car with us. Including my new date.

I could feel myself sinking further and further into the backseat as she swayed her arms up in the air dancing to “Thriller”, laughing hysterically.

Neither Pat not his friend seemed amused by this. Katrina, however, lives to embarrass me, and seemed to be really enjoying herself.

Luckily, Pat still called me after that night, and we continued to date for the next nine months, so I was relieved he didn’t categorize me as a complete nerd judging by my group of friends.

At least now when I hear “Thriller”, Katrina and I can laugh about it. But at that time, when I was trying to make a ‘cool’ first impression on my date, it wasn’t so funny.