Chapter 2: The First Date
I was standing in front of Snookie’s Malt Shop, anxiously awaiting your arrival. It was a sunny day with a nice breeze to offset the heat. I stood near the end of the line with my legs crossed at my ankles but began to feel awkward after several questions about whether or not I was in line. I stepped aside, checked my watch, and then the parking lot, and then my watch again.
After a few minutes, a loud, booming car turns into the parking lot. I was secretly hoping that wasn’t you; the car appeared to be a breakdown waiting to happen. It was old and clunky: a darkly colored 1990s Toyota Avalon. Even worse, the music coming from the car shook the interior of it; people looked in your general direction as you sped into a parking spot.
A tall guy with a blue Rocket Referrals t-shirt and shorts got out of the car; the door shut with a bang. He was tan and handsome with long legs. As soon as I saw you, the car ceased to exist.
Within a minute, you had walked up to me, and I could tell that you were nervous. The first few moments were very awkward. You seemed shy, and I didn’t know what to say to fill the silence. We talked about the menu, and that was the extent of the conversation while we were in line. I felt rigid, like a board had been tied around my spine, and it was hard to do much more than stand there.
I started to feel like the rest of the date might struggle to reach fifteen minutes, much less the length of a normal date. I only had so many topics to talk about, and I was approaching the end of my list quickly. I started digging around in my brain for more questions to ask you when we sit down to eat.
I ordered an ice cream cookie, and you ordered a malt. When you pulled out your card to pay, the cashier told you that they only take cash. Your face became flushed as the line behind us grew with every second that passed. I’m not sure what kind of a business only takes cash in a busy city in the 20th century, but luckily, I remembered that I had cash in the console of my car. “I’ll be right back!” I said and took off jogging toward my car. I returned with a $20 bill and handed it to the man behind the window. “I’ll pay for our next date,” you said apologetically.
After we got our ice cream, we walked toward the parking lot and found a table with three chairs underneath a tall tree. The sun was beginning to set; it was “golden hour”. The bugs knew that dusk was upon us and came out to greet us by buzzing in our ears. We swatted at them as we sat down at the table. I licked the melting ice cream off of my hand as you talked about your first day at your new job, your recent visit to Florida, and which school you had just graduated from. I talked about my college experience and my job at the pool. The conversation continued to become more natural as time marched on. I relaxed into my chair.
I asked what one of the most interesting things to ever happen to you was, and without any hesitation, you told me a very detailed story about the crime committed against your mom when you were in high school. It was shocking, of course, but also intriguing.
A: “Where were you when it happened?”
H: “I was on a bus on the way to football camp. Kids were telling me that my mom was dead, but I didn’t beileve them because kids say stupid stuff all of the time. Then my coach called me to the front of the bus, and that’s when I began to get scared. He told me that my mom is safe, but something bad had happened, and that I needed to stay on the bus and ride back with the bus driver to go see her in the hospital. The only thing I really heard him say is that she was safe.”
A: “How did it feel to go back in that house after the incident?”
H: “It was eerie. A lot of stuff was taken as evidence. Most of the couch was missing, floorboards were ripped up, and parts of the wall were cut out. It didn’t feel like home anymore.”
I felt like I got to know you better as you answered each one with grace. I continued to listen as you proceeded to describe what sounded like an episode of Dateline.
The subject was eventually changed to how much you liked your job, and as you continued talking, I noticed how lovely your eyes are; the sun’s light was bouncing off of them, emphasizing their brilliant shade of green. It felt like a scene out of a movie; I was locked in on their unique beauty and hadn’t realized that I was no longer paying attention to what you were saying. Time appeared to slow down; I wish I could’ve captured these fleeting moments in a bottle and revisit them.
After we finished our ice cream, you asked if I wanted to go for a walk. As much as I wanted to, I was a little bit nervous about going on a walk with a stranger that I had spent less than an hour with. I hesitantly said yes, but my mom’s voice kept ringing in my ears: “don’t go anywhere with anyone you don’t know that isn’t in a very public place.” Normally, I would’ve listened to that advice, but my gut was telling me that you were safe, so we walked down the street and into a neighborhood. We continued to talk about our childhoods and our likes and dislikes.
The sun was very low in the sky, and the street likes had begun to come on. We came to a crosspoint in our walk, and you asked if I’d like to go back to the ice cream shop parking lot or keep walking. I was having a great time, so we continued walking. It was a long walk, but one of my favorites to this day.
Once we got back to our cars, the sun had completely set. We were walking back to our cars, and I got the familiar knot in my stomach. Is he going to kiss me? I was so nervous.
We arrived at my car, and I could tell that you were thinking about what you should do. “I had a great time.” I said as I looked down at my shoes shyly. “Yeah, me too. We should do it again sometime!” You replied. I looked up at you in a moment of bravery, and you pulled me in for a quick hug. I was a little puzzled by this and actually questioned whether or not you actually had a good time on our date because of it.
But you texted me as soon as you got home. You asked if I was free the following Friday.
