Consent Is Sexy

This story is based on true events.

“I feel sorry for my son. I mean, can a guy even say hello to a girl in a bar anymore without being accused of sexual harassment?” The women around me all shook their heads and mumbled their agreement. “Girls these days are so suspicious. They assume that every guy is gonna assault them when most of them are probably nice, you know?” Nods from the heads nearby.

My circle of new friends had grouped together earlier in the day, strangers summoned for jury duty, waiting to see if we’d be impaneled at some point this week. This was my second time being called and sitting in the holding room with the 200 people making up this week’s jury pool. The last time was about 15 years ago. I had waited through four long days of not being selected before the remaining 30 or so of us were thanked for our patience and dismissed on Thursday afternoon.

I hadn’t told my principal back then that we’d been dismissed a day early. She knew I was supposed to be gone for at least a week and had arranged for a substitute teacher to cover my class. A surprise Friday off! What a treat!

I was hoping I’d get selected this time. Anything to relieve the monotony of retirement. Endless days with nothing to fill them but my husband, Ed. I missed the energy of students and colleagues around me; talking to people who weren’t...