Nita waited only a minute or two before Amy called her name. Her cozy counseling room had many choices for sitting, including an overstuffed chair and a small sofa. Amy even had a bean-bag chair in the corner that she would pull out for anyone was interested. Amy's credentials were framed on the wall accompanied by many pieces of framed artwork.
Amy sat down, in what, clearly, was her chair. "What brings you to see me today, Nita.?"
"Well, I was at the single's conference and you invited us for prayer and I wasn't able to come that day, so I am coming now."
Without mentioning Elle, Nita explained what happened and described the thoughts that had been worrying her. She described the depression she felt at the loss of two potential friends.
Amy listened carefully and waited until she stopped talking. "Nita, what would you do if a man, whom you thought wasn't right for you, wanted to date you and make you his girlfriend?"
Nita remembered Wes from the mixer. "The last guy was joking too much and I talked to him about it. When he wouldn't get serious, I said that I didn't want to see him anymore."
"So, when someone is interested in you, and you're not interested in them, you just tell them?"
"Yes."
"So, how is that different when it's a woman who is interested in you?" Amy asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Oh... that makes sense!" Nita was surprised at how simple Amy's question was. It led her to an answer, without her having to say anything.
Amy took a different angle. "Now, if you had to choose a man as a life partner, what kind of man would you choose?"
"Actually, I have been working on describing kind of man I think I would like to marry, but, I don't think I'm done yet." Nita fumbled through her notebook.
"That's OK, we're going somewhere with this. Can you describe the kind of woman you would choose to be your life partner?"
"Of course not, you and I already talked about that. I only want women as my friends, not for sex."
"I remember you said that." Amy shifted her position in her chair. "So, if your family doesn't arrange your marriage, then you get to pick who you want to love, right?"
Nita nodded.
"And if someone forced you into a relationship that involves sex, that would be illegal, wouldn't it?"
"You mean, rape?" Nita whispered.
"Mmm-hmm. There are people in this world who choose to have sex with members of the opposite sex. There are people who choose the same sex or either sex. Some choose to have sex alone and others not at all. Whether heterosexual, homosexual, asexual or bisexual, people choose the specific who, where and when they will have sex. That's a lot of choices."
Nita was blown away. She paused to think for a moment, then spoke. "To sum up, a woman chose me, and wanted me to choose her, but women aren't among my options. Wes chose me, but I didn't chose him, although initially, I did. Nathaniel and I chose each other, and so far, so good!"
"Yes, Nita. You know who you are and you are figuring out exactly what you want. You've been doing the work to narrow the field. Keep up the good work!"
Time was up. Nita stepped out of the counseling center and walked by the multi-purpose room, which had been decorated for Thanksgiving. The food pantry had overflowed with donations for the needy and was being organized for volunteers to deliver. Nita signed up as a volunteer and sent a quick text to Hannah to see if she wanted to join her.
As she turned to leave, she heard the footsteps of someone walking in the hall. They were coming from the Counseling Center, which was the busiest part of the building at that time of day. As she headed for the exit, she looked up and recognized Elle as she stepped outside onto the sidewalk, unaware that Nita was less than twenty feet behind her.
Chapter 21
Delivering Baskets
Hannah slammed the door on the last vehicle in a row of vans and S.U.V.s. and headed inside the church. Her Empire Strikes Back sweatshirt was dusty from the Thanksgiving baskets she had helped load. Although most people were wearing coats, hats and scaves on the seasonable autumn day, the hard work kept her from feeling any cold.
The record high number of baskets, which were actually boxes, had been assembled by food pantry volunteers. They were packed and ready to be delivered to needy recipients along the carefully planned routes. After a lunch break, hosted by the church for the volunteers, the caravan was scheduled to depart, with teams of two travelling together. Nita rode along with Hannah in one of the church’s vans.
“I’ve got some good news and bad news.” Hannah announced. “Which do you want first?”
“I guess you can start with the good news.” Nita was buying time to brace herself for what Hannah might have to say.
“OK. KISS-LOVE 91 called Gina to thank her after her heroic actions at the mixer. They asked if they could do something for her. She told them about our group date and they were more than happy to give her free tickets for all of us to attend the 'Love-Songs Live Evening of Entertainment' at Karberry Hall!” Hannah’s voice seemed surprised as she spoke, even though she already knew about the free tickets.
“That’s a wonderful blessing. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic evening. What’s the bad news?”
“Elle backed out.” Hannah sounded disappointed. “She didn’t say why, but she assured me that she would not be changing her mind.”
“Oh.” Nita thought it best to keep her words to a minimum.
“Gina told me that Elle had already canceled with the man she was going to bring with her, so I guess we will be a party of six…”
“Turn left in one quarter mile.” The GPS device interrupted their conversation to guide them to their first delivery.
“So much has gone into planning this. I will miss Elle, but we are still going to have a great time”, she said, sounding optimistic.
Nita kept her eyes on the list of deliveries. “That’s too bad about Elle, but it is really great about the free tickets from KISS-LOVE 91!"
Nita told Hannah about Mrs. Foster and her garden. She shared some of what she was learning in her counseling sessions with Amy. Their conversation seemed to make the deliveries go faster and feel less like work. The women enjoyed bringing smiles to the faces of the people who received the baskets at each home they visited. Doing good in the community was so much more fun when done with a friend.
Chapter 22
Hannah’s Surprises
“Surprise!” Hannah’s voice shouted through Nita’s cell phone. “Look out your window.”
Nita went to her window and looked out onto the street. “Is that you in the limo?”
“Yes, ma’am. Your chariot awaits!” Hannah faked an aristocratic sounding accent.
“I’ll be right down.” Nita was ready, except for putting on her jewelry. She grabbed her earrings, necklace and bracelet, dropped them into her purse and ran down to meet her friend.
With the gift of free tickets Gina received from KISS-LOVE 91, the group’s budget had a surplus. Hannah asked the ladies if she could add something else to the group date, but she did not say what. She negotiated a great price for a limousine to pick up each woman from her home and take them to all of their destinations as well as bring them back at the end of the night.
The driver opened the back door and assisted Nita onto the luxurious seat.
“We have about 15 minutes to get to Gina’s in time to surprise her.” Hannah said. “I have another surprise, but it will have to wait until she joins us.”
“This is great! Thanks for doing this, Hannah.” Nita crossed her legs and positioned herself elegantly on the pastel leather seats.
“You can call Gina, if you want to. We’re almost there.”
Nita tapped Gina’s contact information and her smartphone dialed the number.
“Hello, ma’am, did you call for a limousine?” Nita tried to disguise her voice.
“No, I didn’t… wait… is this Nita?“ Gina recognized her voice anyway.
“Come look out front!”
Gina’s face lit up as she came to the window. She rushed out to the car and let the driver help her as she stepped inside. “Hello, ladies! Let the date begin!”
Hannah produced three boxes and handed one to each of her friends. Picking up her own box, she said, “Dear friends, I brought each of you a surprise. You may open your boxes now.”
Nita and Gina fumbled to open their boxes. At the same moment, they recognized the contents and exclaimed, gleefully, “Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes!”
Nita looked at Hannah and said, "You're so generous. You know how to make everyone feel special!"
Suddenly, Hannah asked the driver to pull over. “That’s Elle over there!”
Gina and Nita had been preoccupied with discovering all the limo had to offer as they enjoyed the goodies Hannah brought for them.
The car pulled in front of the jogger who was running along the shoulder next to the road.
Gina rolled down her window and stuck her head outside. "Hi cousin!"
Hannah hopped out of the limo before the driver could walk back to open her door. "Hi, friend. I am sorry you can't join us tonight, but I want you to have this. I got it for you before I knew you wouldn't be going on our group date." Hannah put a cupcake box in Elle's hand, gave her a warm hug and got back into the car.
Gina reached out and offered Elle a fist-bump. "See ya tomorrow! I'll tell you all about it!"
As the limo pulled away, Elle stood alone on the side of the road and waved good-bye.
Hannah outlined the itinerary to get everyone on the same page. "Here's the plan: The men will be meeting us at the Karberry Grill where we will eat dinner and have dessert. We have three hours, once we arrive at the restaurant, before the show starts. This will give us enough time to eat and still be early for the show. Then we're off to see 'Love-Songs Live'. At the end of the evening, the limo will return to the restaurant where the men will be reunited with their cars. Finally, the limo will drop off Gina, then Nita, then me. Are there any questions?"
Hannah felt like a drill sergeant as she barked out the information. It was working, so she stayed with it. "The names of the men who will be joining us are Jeremy, Rich and Arthur. You will not be assigned to one of them, and should feel free to spend time talking with all three."
"Ma'am! May I take one, two, or three of the men home with me, after our date, Ma'am?" Gina shouted.
"NO!" Hannah and Nita shouted back.
Nita joined in. "Ma'am, May I insist that they treat me like the rare, valuable treasure that I am? Ma'am!"
"YES!"
"Ma'am! Are these men responsible for the awful things done to us by the men from the past? Ma'am!" Hannah added.
"NO!"
"Then, it sounds like we've got a group date!" Hannah started a chant and the others joined in. "Group Date! Group Date! Group Date!"
The limo pulled in front of the restaurant.
Chapter 23
Group Date
The group got a lot of attention from diners who saw them get out of the limousine. People speculated whether celebrities had arrived. Even though the group did not go out of their way to draw attention to themselves, strangers were caught staring at them as they were seated at their table.
Servers noticed the attention they were receiving as the men joined them. They offered them their best service. The chef sent a complimentary tray of samples to the table. And when the strolling violinist began to play, he spent most of his time near the table where Gina, Hannah and Nita were seated with their companions.
The daters chose a bottle of wine for their table. They discussed entrees and side dishes that interested them; they asked their server about those that were unfamiliar. Although each of the women was acquainted with at least one of the men, this was the first time they were getting to know any of the women in a way that resembled friendship.
Jeremy asked Hannah if she would like for him to order for her. She agreed, on the condition that they would discuss what they liked on the menu first. Both Arthur and Nita were interested in the vegetable tempura appetizer for two, so they agreed to share it.
The men got to know all three women, instead of one, and there was no pressure on anyone to start a relationship or be physically intimate. When one of the men attempted to impress the women, another would follow with his own idea. Soon, the third man was trying a unique approach to find favor with them and exceed the efforts of the man who preceded him.
The women stepped away to the restroom to freshen up and talk, compare notes and assess how things were going. When they returned to the table, Rich stood up. Immediately, the other two men were on their feet. Jeremy stepped out and pulled out Hannah's chair for her. Arthur hurried to assist Gina before Rich could casually grab Nita's chair.
When they left the restaurant, they got more attention than when they arrived. The men only permitted the driver to hold the door as they assisted the ladies stepping inside. On their way to the concert, the men accessed the limo's bar and poured drinks for the women. Although Hannah and Arthur had brainstormed a list of questions and topics, in advance, that would keep the conversation going, they never needed them. It was easy and comfortable to talk in this group.
The limo followed a scenic path to Karberry Hall. Their route took them through the historic district, then beside the river. Holiday lights had begun to go up around town; they made the evening seem even more festive. Music played inside the limo and no one allowed any interruptions by their smartphones.
The KISS-LOVE 91 V.I.P. booth had been reserved for Gina and her group. Inside, they found back-stage passes and an assortment of complimentary CDs by artists who were performing at the event. A refrigerator, stocked with canned and bottled beverages, was unlocked and available for everyone in the group to enjoy.
As the music filled the venue, it called those in the audience onto the dance floor. While dancing to the music of the live band was fun, it was also another opportunity for the men to compete. But, all competition ended when a slow song started and each man got to dance with one of the women, holding her in his arms.
Gina had begun flirting with Rich from the moment he arrived at the restaurant. She sat next to him in the limo and slipped her hand under his thigh without anyone noticing. When he escorted her to the dance floor, his composure had already begun to deteriorate. She pressed her cheek against his and began to whisper in his ear as they danced. He became so overwhelmed by the feeling of her breath on his ear, he began to get dizzy. He tightened his arms around her, hoping no one would notice he was losing his balance, but it was too late. He toppled onto the dance floor, taking Gina with him. Mortified, they untangled themselves and retreated together to the privacy of the V.I.P. booth.
Arthur took an opportunity to speak with Hannah, privately, as they walked back to the booth. "I can tell you are the leader in your group of friends. They seem to respect you and look up to you."
"Yes, I guess I am." Hannah replied. "It all started when I began serving and caring for them."
"I like that. There is too little of that in the world." Arthur put his arm around Hannah's shoulders as they continued to walk. "I noticed your earrings. Are they Jedi inspired?"
Nita considered her budding friendship with Nathaniel. She wondered if she should try to build friendships with two men at the same time. Although Nathaniel had a head start over Jeremy, she still didn't know him very well. As she was organizing her options, two strong hands gently grabbed hers.
"Nita, this group date has been fun, but we don't know enough about each other yet. I would like to fix that. I'd like to take you on a date where it's just you and me. May I call you sometime and ask you out?"
"Sure" Nita replied. "And I agree, we don't know one another well enough from this group date, but I look forward to your call."
During the ride back to the restaurant to drop off the men, everyone had a prospect for future friendship. At the end of an enjoyable evening, all seemed to agree that the group date was a success.
When the men left the limo, the women, too tired to talk, stretched themselves out across the newly emptied chairs and waited to be dropped off at their respective homes.
Chapter 24
Sitting in the Sun Room
Nita re-read her observations from the group date that she had written in her journal:
"It's a funny thing about a well-planned event. It has a good chance of being successful. Fellow diners were curious about our party when they saw us arrive at the restaurant in thhe limo. They seemed genuinely excited about our evening. Everyone felt special because something special was happening around them.
How interesting that group dates can bring out the best in people. The men tried to be perfect gentlemen, not only because they wanted to impress the women, but also because they were in competition with the other men. One act of chivalry was quickly replicated, then surpassed. The men had not planned to compete, they just do it naturally. When men are together, one of them is always trying to win. During a one-on-one date with a woman, he is likely to cut corners and get away with it, since he is not challenged.
I wonder why people feel less anxiety and social pressure on group dates. Each person carries a smaller share. Two people, on a date, are either talking or listening at any given time. People on a group date have more flexibility in a conversation. The more people there are, the less frequently anyone needs to speak, and only one has to be listening."
The Romantic Misadventures of a Modern Woman Page 6