"Why don't we all have a seat," Martin sighed. "This is probably going to take a moment." Stephanie and her friends complied, all eyes now focused on the gangly teenage boy before them.
"It was the fall of 1967," he said softly. "The start of my Senior year in high school. Believe it or not I wasn't exactly the most popular guy in school. I was skinny, shy, really not much of an athlete. I never had a girlfriend when I was in high school."
"And for good reason you jerk," Marilyn yelled. Everyone now gazed at Stephanie's closed door, realizing Marilyn was obviously listening.
"And then there was Marilyn," Martin continued, casting a sideways glance towards the door. "She may have only been a Sophmore but she was already one of the most popular girls in school. She was a cheerleader and one of the best actresses the Drama club had ever seen. What chance did I have? Every upperclassmen wanted to date Marilyn McCree. I never stood a chance when guys like George Kirchner the quarterback were trying to date her."
"George Kirchner never magically roofied me Martin!"
Martin sighed, mumbling under his breath. "I swear that woman could hear a pin drop from a mile away." Taking a breath, the awkward teen now tried to compose himself and explain everything. "I was tired of being a geek. Tired of being thr guy the jocks stuffed into a locker. The question was how do I do it?"
"Is that when you went to the Magic Shop grandpa," Stephanie asked. Martin now sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks blushing slightly. "Actually it was completely by accident. I was looking for the Hobby Shop, I was hoping to get a custom made chessboard made. Instead I walked in and that's how I met Merlin."
Stephanie now listened as her grandfather told of his initial meeting with Merlin. Martin was at first confused, finding the elderly wizard to be a bit peculiar. Martin slowly though began to become apprehensive of the old man as he began to reveal details of Martin that no one knew. "He knew everything," Martin continued. "My hopes, my dreams, my secrets. Heck, he knew about that time I stole a pack of gum from the dime store when i was 10, only to feel guilty about it later and leave an anonymous letter and my entire piggy bank on the counter. That's when he said something to me that I'll never forget."
"What," the group asked collectively.
"What would you say I can help you find your true love?"
Martin smirked, the memory of that meeting seeming so fresh in his mind. True love? That seemed impossible for the shy, awkward teen. Martin could barely talk to girls without stammering like a fool. How was he going to find his true love. "Thats when he reached under the counter and presented a bottle to me," he said. "What was it," Stephanie asked.
"Probably the love potion he slipped me," Marilyn yelled. Martin chuckled, shaking his head at his wife's outburst. "It wasn't for you dear," he called back. "It was for me. All I had to do was drink it and Merlin said that when I meet my true love I would be able to talk with her as easily as I am talking with you now."
"So how long before you asked grandma out," Stephanie asked.
"Longer than I thought," Martin grumbled. "A month after I drank it and no true love. I actually had completely forgotten about it. Honestly I was a bit peeved at first, the potion cost me $10. Then out of the blue, presto I finally got a chance to talk with Marilyn."Martin smiled, his eyes brightening as he thought back to the chance encounter. After asking for what seemed like forever, Martin's parents finally allowed him to take Driver's Ed. Finally he would no longer be the, "Senior without a car". As he took his seat, he was surprised when a girl sitting next to him accidentally dropped her books.
"Naturally I went to help," he said. "And when I looked up, much to my surprise, it was Marilyn. She would turning 16 by the time the course ended. After making the honor roll her entire Freshman year, she had begged her parents to let her get her license. I guess her parents got tired of her whining."
"I wasn't whining!"
Martin now turned his head, noticing the grumpy redhead standing on the stairs. "Anyway she thanked me," he smirked. "And we started...talking. I was shocked, Marilyn was beautiful, way, way, way out of my league. In every other situation that I ever talked with a girl I would get tongue tied. I would stsmmer or say something embarrassing or down right strange. With Marilyn, everything just flowed naturally. It was almost like talking to someone who I'd known forever."
Martin now stood, the teen slowly walking towards a still grouchy teenage girl. Placing his hands on the girls shoulders, he offered her a soft smile. "After class you gave me your number, " he said. "You said you never had more fun just talking with someone. I was ecstatic, so excited that a beautiful girl actually liked talking to me. When I got home that night, I found a note and that's when everything came together."
"What did the note say grandpa?"
"I helped get you started you have to do the rest signed Merlin."
Marilyn now found herself gazing into her husband's eyes. Despite being almost 60 years younger, she could see the same love and warmth that she remembered when the pair were teenagers. "So you didn't use a love potion on me?"
"Of course not," Martin replied warmly. "I could never do anything to hurt you Marilyn. I've loved you since that first day. I just needed Merlins help getting out of my own way." Marilyn nodded, standing on tip toe as she placed a gentle yet tender kiss on her husband's lips. "I love you Martin O'Toole," she said before elbowing the teenage boy in the gut. "But you shouldn't have kept that secret."
"Sorry dear," Martin wheezed, a small laugh building between the pair. "Won't keep anymore secrets from you."
"You better not mister," Marilyn smiled coyly. "I didn't write you all those love letters after you got drafted to Vietnam for nothing."
"Daddy you got drafted to Vietnam!!!"
Everyone now turned, shocked to an obviously bewildered Ann O'Toole standing in the doorway. Stephanie couldn't be sure how much her mother had seen or heard yet one thing was for certain. Martin and Marilyn had far more secrets to share.