“Show Him Your Teeth!”

(Steve Wassom, Mechanical Engineering Student, Man of My Dreams)

This is my favorite story of all!  One that will never cease to bring a smile to my lips and tears of joy to my eyes.  It was the best day of my life—the day Dr. Flammer gave me to Steve Wassom.

It was late October, 1977.  I had been given a priesthood blessing before starting college that fall.  In the blessing, I was told that I would meet my husband that semester.  It was almost mid-term and my faith was being tested.  I still hadn’t met my Prince Charming.  I calmed myself remembering that God knew us both better than we knew ourselves and to be patient.

One beautiful fall morning I was sitting at my desk in the Honors Program office where I was a secretary.  In walks a handsome young man I had never seen before.  He approached my desk and before he had spoken a word there was a deep awakening of my spirit.  The sensation I experienced was one that I will always remember.  It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment.  It felt like my soul wanted to leap out of my body and embrace him.  My spirit was recognizing him from heaven!

He told me his name was Steve Wassom and that he needed his file reactivated because he had been on a mission for two years and was re-entering the Honors Program.  I remember thinking that his last name was very strange.  I retrieved his file and he left the office.

Steve came into our office almost every day that week.  He was very nice and seemed interested in me.  I made sure that my name plate was front and center on my desk so that he could maybe learn my name.

I went home and told my roommates that I had met this guy and moaned how awful it was that he would probably never ask me out.

One of my bosses, Dr. Philip Flammer was a real character.  He was such a prankster that there was a mini-war raging between him and the secretaries in our office.  When I knew he was coming in I would hide my pencils because he would karate chop them into pieces, grab my stapler and staple my hair and clothes.

In revenge, I hung a newspaper article on the Honors Program bulletin board announcing that he had been caught bathing in Old Faithful.

Once when he saw me doing a work errand on campus he “gave” me to a socially awkward underclassman and insisted that he take me for ice cream immediately.  He gave the poor mortified freshman some money and instructed us to go to the student center and since I was still on the work clock, I obeyed.  The poor boy and I had a weird but nice visit.

About a week before BYU homecoming I had been lamenting with the office staff because all of the tickets to the football game were sold out.  Crazy Dr. Flammer took the opportunity to embarrass me again.  He announced that he had found me a date to the football game and grabbed a student named Norm.  He told me that Norm had two tickets on the 50-yard line and that I would be his date.  Norm looked like he had swallowed a spider.

It was at this exact moment that Steve Wassom walked in the office door and stood behind Dr. Flammer and Norm.  I was seated at my desk.  I leaned forward, staring at Dr. Flammer trying to send him a telepathic message pleading, “Please, Dr. Flammer, you have tortured me for two years.  Please, for once, do something useful!”

Then as if by magic, Dr. Flammer turned around and left Norm standing dumbstruck.  He grabbed Steve by the arm and said, “Are you married?”  Steve said, “Not yet.”  Dr. Flammer then proceeded to tell Steve to forget everything–his fiancé, his girlfriend, or whatever and that he was going to give him something.  He then pointed at me and said, “Debbie, show him your teeth.”

I was delightfully embarrassed.  Being a farm kid I knew that ranchers often checked an animal’s teeth before buying livestock.  But, I didn’t care–I was in!

They continued to bargain over me,  and then Dr. Flammer left.

Steve had come into the office to look at some University Scholar Projects other students had done.  I showed him where they were and then began a conversation with Norm, who was still standing there confused.  Norm had no tickets to the football game.  I somehow knew that I had to let Norm know (within earshot of Steve) how sad it was and how fun it would have been to go to the game.

Miraculously, Steve overheard and just happened to have two tickets to the Homecoming game on the 30-yard line and no date!  He decided to have mercy on me and said, “I have two tickets to the game if you want to sit by me.”  I told him that would be very nice.  I quickly left the room and went to my desk.  I needed to sit down because I knew that he would be able to hear my pounding heart, and I didn’t want the blush on my face to betray me.  I needed to play it cool, but in my heart I knew that if given the chance I would win him over.

He asked for my address and phone number and said that he would pick me up.  I wrote it on the back of a phone-message note and gave it to him.

The day of the BYU Homecoming football game arrived.  I watched nervously, peeking through the curtains of the living room window of our apartment.  The cutest guy in the cutest little orange sports car pulled up and got out.  It was very apparent that Steve Wassom was out of my league.  I laughed out loud to myself, “You better enjoy yourself today, Debbie.  This will be your last date because he is out of your league!”

We had a great time at the game.  I helped him sell programs for the service fraternity he belonged to that had given him the tickets to the football game.  He was so easy to be with and so fun!

At half-time the BYU Marching Band played what? . . . MacArthur Park!  I accidentally sang along.  He accidentally learned that I could sing, and I accidentally played my Young Ambassador album for him after our date.  He was hooked and I reeled him in.

The priesthood blessing I had received that fall had literally been fulfilled.  We were engaged before the semester ended.  It had begun!