Yeah, you risk saying "hi" and getting noticed...

He approaches and I seem to go stiff. It used to be that only girls could make me feel this way, but over the past four years slaving away on this campus and seeing so much sweaty, meaty college boys has sorta made me realize that I can swing both ways.

"hey," I say as he is getting just close enough to hear me.

"hey," he says and then actually stops to chat.

"you've been workin' here for a while, haven't you?" he asks me.

"yeah," I smile as I keep working, "i guess i'm sort of a semi-permanent fixture around here. How 'bout you? You a student here?"

"me? nah. I go to a community college on the east side--been goin' for about a year and a half now, ever since i got outa high school."

"so," I say as I put down the bag of fertilizer I was opening, "you just come around to visit a girlfriend or something?" I smile as I ask.

"no," he embarrassedly smiles as he replies, "what makes you say that?"

"oh, its just the usual excuse non-student guys have for hangin' round here, that's all. so you planning on attending or something then?"

"nah, I just like using the courts and warming up with the team."

"that's cool," God I just wanna rip into him and take him into my arms and passionately kiss him and hold him to me tightly.

He begins to look as if he's ready to end the chat and go on his way...