––Who asked who out, and how?

Bohjalian: We met at a real “Carnal Knowledge” anachronism, an honest-to-God mixer at her house (or dorm) at Smith. In theory, it was a wine tasting party. That’s how old I have suddenly become: When I went to college, they actually encouraged first year students to drink. At the house, I saw a lovely blonde woman near the fireplace chatting with an acquaintance from my dorm, and he was clearly trying to pick her up. The woman was wearing a V-necked white linen blouse that fell untucked to just below the waist of her jeans, and her small feet were bare. Around her slender neck and her collarbone – a neck and a collarbone that struck me as both elegant and a just tad wanton – was an antique silver necklace with moonstones that matched her eyes. I decided I would help this fellow’s cause. I put my arm around his shoulders and asked how he was doing. Before he could respond, the woman asked if the two of us were friends. I said we were. “Well, then” she observed, “you’re a bigger idiot than he is if you’ll admit that in public.” Then she walked off. And I was entranced.

Henkin: Oh, who knows. Maybe she did. Except she didn’t know it was a date. I’m not sure I did, either. “Hello, Mom and Dad, this is Laura. She’ll be joining us now for the motzee.”

Ireland: He asked his friend to ask my friend to ask me if I would go with him, and I told my friend who told his friend who told Next Door Boy, Yes.

Kyle: I’m a little fuzzy on this part. What I remember is that I thought that Randy was the cutest boy in the whole seventh grade. He played the cello and had a hyper-color tee-shirt (it was orange, but when you touched it, it turned yellow) and when we were paired together for the dance unit in gym class, I would have had to be blind not to notice his natural abilities involving the Virginia Reel. Also, my best friend was “going out” (that’s what we called it) with Randy’s best friend and it seemed an obvious choice that Randy and I should “go out” as well. Our flirtation started slowly—Randy made me a Valentine out of a paper bag and I went to his house after school to jump on his trampoline. Eventually, it just seemed natural that we take things to the next level and consummate our relationship with mall pizza and Orange Julius.

McMasters: I don’t remember exactly, but I imagine he must have asked me. Most of my memories with John involve me chasing after him and trying to impress him and planning out possible scenarios in my head involving things to say and do. But overall I’m sure I was pretty passive. I imagine he probably asked through a letter, since that’s how most of my romances were initiated until about eighth grade, when girls and boys started actually talking to each other. John was on the macho side, usually in a sweatshirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a look I still happen to love. Based on the evidence and my foggy memories, I am guessing our love was of a very traditional flavor and he asked me.