by Naomi Niles
“Yeah, I understand that. I had to be convinced myself, but I just feel like this is the best option for me, especially since I’ve been so busy lately.”
“Yeah…”
An awkward silence filled the phone. I wasn’t impressed by him, and as of right now, the only reason I was on the phone with him was because April sent my number in a message. “So, how was your day?” His question had caught me off guard. For over the past year, I didn’t have anyone to ask me that question after a long day at work. For some reason, I started to unwind. I talked to him about my job and how much I adored the students and other people I worked with.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed, but it only seemed like a few minutes. “My goodness. I didn’t know we were on the phone this long. I need to get ready for bed.”
“Yeah, I do as well. So, I was thinking, Bethany, would you like to go out with me sometime?”
“Oh. Go out? Like… a date?”
He chuckled, “Yes… like, a date. Is that alright?”
“Oh. Yeah. I um…” I found myself looking for an excuse to weasel out of the offer. In my mind, I saw April’s grimace, demanding that I went out with him. She would kill me if I told him no. “I wouldn’t mind a date. Yes, we can go out. We can go out.”
He laughed. “You sound like you are convincing yourself. Are you sure you want to go? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.”
“No, I am fine. Let’s go. Just um, just tell me when and where.”
“How about the steakhouse downtown? Friday evening. Is nine too late?”
“No. Nine is great. I don’t have to work the next day, so it won’t be a problem.”
“Excellent. Friday at nine. I look forward to seeing you in person.”
“Yes, I look forward to seeing me, too.” I slapped myself on the forehead, “I mean, I look forward to seeing you, too. I think I am too tired. I don’t normally stay up this late anymore.”
He chuckled. “I understand. Well, I’ll see you Friday. You have a good night, April.”
“Thank you. You as well.”
The next day, I told April about the date. She was ecstatic, as if she was the one who had been set up. I didn’t know if she was happier about the fact that I finally had a potential boyfriend, or if he would slowly pull me out of her hair for now. Either way, she caused me to find more excitement for the date. Before I knew it, I was at her home on a late Friday afternoon, preparing to get ready.
“What if he is a jerk, April?” I asked while she fixed my hair. “I mean, what if he was nice on the phone, but in person he shows his true colors? What if he doesn’t look like his picture? What if he is–”
“Oh, my goodness, Bethany, shut up!”
“What? These are serious concerns, April! I don’t want this to turn into a disaster. Like, what if he is some psycho, crazy killer or something, and he puts like… a date rape drug in my drink. Then what?”
She brushed my hair, then grabbed a handful of it and pulled it into a bun. “Listen. I know what restaurant you are going to and, more importantly, I know where you live. If I don’t hear from you… let’s say, around 11 pm, I will call you. If you don’t answer, then I will tell Mark to go up to the restaurant and check on you. You know he thinks of you like his little sister, so he will take care of business if the guy happens to be a jerk.”
I sighed. As the time for our date got closer, it felt like the blood left my limbs. A cold, numb feeling set in as I shook my head. “Alright, April. Alright. I’ll take your word for it.”
“Good.” She reached into her drawer and pulled out a small bottle of pepper spray. “But, just in case you feel like he is getting crazy, and you two are alone, don’t hesitate to use this. And right after that, kick him right in his fucking balls with the tip of your heels. That’ll teach him.”
I laughed while grabbing the small bottle of pepper spray. “Yeah, I think I will take this just in case.” I glanced at my watch. “It is 7:45 pm. I guess I better get going.”
“Well, stand up. Let me see how you look.”
I stood up in the mirror. My white skirt stopped just below my knees. My black, tight fitting shirt carried stripes of white throughout, and my high heels lifted me three inches off the ground. “I hope he is not short because if so he will just have to look up to me for the date. Maybe I should’ve asked?”
“Yeah, maybe. But oh well, we will see shortly.” She handed me my purse, then walked me to the front door with our arms looped together. “Well, sweetie, like I said, I will call you later tonight just to make sure you are okay. When you get home safely, call me because I want to hear all about it.”
“I will.”
I extended my hands for a hug as if it was the last time I was going to see her. “Girl, stop with this dramatic hug. You are going to be fine, okay? And who knows? If it doesn’t go the way you expected, maybe, at the minimum, you’ll at least get some dick out of it. I know it’s been a long time since you let anyone visit that box.”
I rolled my eyes. “Bye, April.”
“Bye, girl! Have fun!”
Sex was the last thing on my mind. Besides that, my goal was to make guys wait at least two months before that line was crossed. That would help me see if they just wanted to have sex, or if they were willing to wait it out with patience. It showed integrity and, based on my last relationship, that was something I needed to see up front.
I arrived at the restaurant a little before 9 pm. I sat in the car, debating whether I should just drive away from the scene. I unzipped my purse to make sure I could get to the pepper spray in case I needed it. Come on, Bethany; it’s going to be alright. There is a restaurant full of people, so he wouldn’t try anything there. If he drugged you, somebody would notice. After a few moments, I finally shut the car engine off and opened my car door.
On my way inside, I gave Gavin a call. His voice was warm and inviting when he picked up the phone. “Bethany? I was just about to call you. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, everything is fine. I am on my way into the restaurant right now.”
“Great. When you get inside, just let the hostess know that you are here with Gavin Wallace, and she will direct you to our table.”
“Okay. Will do.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, a young man opened the door. “Welcome to The Steakhouse,” he said with a smile on his face.
“Thank you.”
He extended his hand for me to walk further into the restaurant. The young hostess’ grin was wide when I walked to the small table. “Hello. I am here with Gavin Wallace.”
“Gavin Wallace,” she slid her finger down a sheet of paper. “Ah, there he is. Table 114. Please, follow me.”
She led me through the seating area of the restaurant. Couples dined under small candle lights as I tried to keep my pace behind her. She weaved around tables and other waiters as if it was second nature. Finally, we arrived at Gavin’s table. When he stood up, he was at least three inches taller than me, and he looked better in person than he did in his pictures.
Suddenly, my apprehension went away. The fear that bubbled in my heart dissipated as soon as he reached his hand out to mine, “Wow. Your pictures cannot hold a flame to your pulchritude now that we are face to face.”
I blushed. I had no idea what he meant, but it seemed too nice for me to say anything other than, “Thank you, Gavin. You look very nice.”
He pulled my chair out for me, and from that point, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. It seemed like we picked up exactly where our conversation left off a few days ago. I felt comfortable with him, but I tried to keep things in perspective. The last time I moved too fast, I ended up with a man who turned out to be the exact opposite of what I expected him to be.
Before I knew it, we were the only two people left in the restaurant. One of the workers swept the floor, and that is when it hit me. I looked at my watch, “Wow, I did not know it was this late. It’s just about 12:30 am.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t notice the time, either. It is funny how time flies when you are truly enjoying yourself.” I smiled and avoided eye contact with him. It felt weird that I was able to connect with him as quickly as I did, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. He slid a twenty-dollar bill onto the table on the table after he paid the bill, then stood up and extended his hand to me. “Shall we?”
I delicately placed my hand inside of his, and with that, we walked out of the restaurant together. The moonlight shined down on us as the stars twinkled in the distance like they were in a battle to see who could shine the brightest. “I wish this night didn’t have to end. I’ve had such a great time, Bethany. You were like a breath of fresh air.”
I led him to my car. “Likewise, Gavin. Let me tell you,” I reached into my purse and grabbed the pepper spray, “this is what I thought I might have to use with you tonight.”
He laughed. “Wow. Pepper spray? Did I really seem that bad over the phone?”
“No, you didn’t. But, these days, it is hard to tell by appearance. It was just in case, though. But judging by what I’ve seen and heard from you tonight, I think this is the last thing I would have to use with you.”
He smiled as we got to my car. I pressed the alarm to unlock the doors, and after that, he reached for the handle. “Well, since we are being honest, I must be honest with you, too.” My heart stopped. He’s married. That was the first thought that came to mind, and it was the most logical. Why would a man this successful and handsome still be single at his age? He had to be married. I prepared my heart for the let down as he continued, “I left something off my profile.”
I folded my arms over my chest, waiting for him to explain.
“I have a son. He is seven. Me and his mother will never be together. She is out of the picture, so I don’t want you to worry about anything like that. But, we had a son together, and he lives with me.”
I waited for him to say something else that would deter me from getting to know him more. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he said, solemnly. “That’s it.”
I put my hand on my chest and took a deep breath, “Wow.” I laughed at the fact that what he left out was minuscule to me. “That is a relief. I thought you were going to tell me that you were married.”
“Married? No. Not even close. I’ve never even been engaged.”
“Good. Well, your son? He is seven?”
“Yes.”
“I love children, Gavin. I don’t see a problem with the fact that you have a seven-year-old son. The fact that he lives with you already says a lot because most children live with their mothers. So that is not a problem. If the opportunity presents itself later, I would love to meet him.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I would like that.”
I stood by the door as crickets chirped in the midst of our silence. I would’ve been lying if I said I didn’t want him to kiss me on the lips. I felt that our chemistry was strong enough, and if he tried it, I would’ve allowed him the touch. As he leaned forward, my heartbeat sped up in my chest. I closed my eyes, and right after that, I felt his lips press against my cheek. I opened them in a world of surprise. “Goodnight, Bethany. Please call me when you get home so that I know you made it safely.”
“Oh. Um, yes. Yes, I sure will, Gavin. Thank you for the wonderful night.”
“You’re welcome.”
I got inside my car as he closed the door behind me. I watched him walk to his car, and once he made it safely, I pulled out of the parking lot. I wanted him to kiss me, but the fact that he took the safe route made me appreciate him even more. As soon as I drove away, I called April. Her voice was groggy when she answered. “Hello?”
“April, are you up?”
“Bethany. It is nearly 1 am. No, I am not up.”
“Well, wake up! The date with Gavin was AMAZING! I want to tell you all about it!”
I knew that I would be talking to myself halfway through the conversation because April was known to fall asleep at the drop of a dime, especially after she had gotten pregnant. But I didn’t care. I had to share my good news with someone, even if it was just me listening to my own thoughts.
Chapter Seven
GAVIN
I asked Mike to stay at my place with Vinny until I got home from my date. Vinny usually liked to stay home on Friday nights and stay up all night reading or playing video games. As soon as I got home, I saw Mike in the front room with his foot on the table the same way he relaxed when he was at home. “Mike, get your dirty ass foot off my shit.”
He laughed. “Oh, for Christ’s sake, man. You sound like my fucking ex-wife. See, that is why I prefer to stay single. I don’t need that shit in my life anymore.” I smacked his foot off the table and then took a seat next to him. “So, how was the date?”
I smiled when I thought about Bethany. She was nothing like what I expected, but then again, I went into this date blindly. I mean, I knew how she looked, and based on the phone conversation, she didn’t seem like she was anything out of the ordinary. But, what I got in place was someone who was not only beautiful, but charming and witty. She was a bit aloof at times, but that was okay. I didn’t mind the touch of silliness that came along with her. “It was good. I am happy I went.”
He tapped his finger on the arm rest. “And?”
“And what?”
“Geez, man, do I have to spell it out for you? Would you bang her or not? That’s what I want to know. I mean, don’t try to play this old ‘nice guy’ role with me. You may have to play it with her or somebody else, but I know you are not in this to settle down. No way.”
“Well, you might be wrong on this one, Mike. I told you that I am looking for something more stable these days. You’ve had the chance to experience married life, and that’s how you knew it wasn’t for you. I need that moment of clarity for myself.”
He sighed. “Alright man, but hey, when you get into that shit storm, don’t say I didn’t warn you. But tell me about the girl. Was she as cute as the pics?”
“Yeah, she was cute. Cuter than the pics I saw. I was very pleased with who she was. We were laughing the whole night, much like we did when we spoke on the phone the first time.” He folded his arms across his chest. “It was cool. Conversation flowed smoothly. It never seemed awkward or anything. It was nice. I asked her out again next week.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah, no shit. I want to keep this going and see what it turns into.”
“Yeah, I hear you.” He finished the rest of his beer, then stood up. “But, before you go making dates again, I think you need to check on Vinny. I was talking to him earlier, and I could tell that he wants to spend a little more time with you.” He crunched the beer can in his hand. “I told him that you are a busy man, and the kid is smart, you know, so he kind of picked up what I was saying. But, between me and you, I think you need to focus on him a little more.”
I sighed as he walked to the kitchen to toss the empty beer can away. Mike was right. Here I was planning another date with Bethany when I had just canceled quality time with my son this weekend. I should’ve been planning time to hang out with him instead of Bethany. When Mike came back, he grabbed his keys from the table. “Thanks for reminding me, Mike,” I said as I stood up.
“Reminding you of what?”
“About needing to spend time with Vinny. I should plan that before I take Bethany out again.”
“Well, I think that would be a good idea. I mean, if this chick is as good as you say, she’ll understand that your son should come before her right now.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure she’ll understand that.”
“Alright. Well, I don’t know about you, but I got some vagina on its way to my house. So, while you work on being in a committed relationship, I’ll continue having sex with every woman I want.” He laughed on his way out, “Man, I don’t know why anybody would willingly allow themselves to be locked down for the rest of their lives when there is SO MUC
H MORE PUSSY OUT HERE TO GET!” He yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Mike, man, keep that shit down! You’ll have these folks calling the police around here!”
“Ooops. My bad, my bad. You enjoy the rest of your night, man.”
I closed the door as he got into his car and drove away. After he left, I locked the door and walked down the hallway to Vinny’s room. He sat on his bed playing video games while I leaned against the door frame. “How was your date?”
I folded my arms, “It was good. She seemed nice.”
“That’s good.” He pressed a few more buttons on his controller. “So, I heard you are going to see her again next weekend.”
“What? And how did you hear that?”
“Dad, you and Uncle Mike talk louder than you think. My door was cracked for a little while after you came home.”
“I see. Well, yeah, I was going to do that, but then I thought about you, and I figured I’d rethink the plans with her and spend time together to make up for breaking our quality time together tomorrow. What do you say?”
He ignored me for a few seconds as I waited by the door. I expected that. I was sure he believed that I was just talking out of my ass again. “I’m serious this time, Vinny. I won’t break this date with you for anything. I don’t care if the damned president of the United States says he wants to do business with my company. I am going to tell him that he has to wait until Monday.”
Vinny finally looked in my direction. A smirk escaped the corner of his mouth. “Okay, Dad. BUT… if the president calls you, I think you better take that meeting.”
I laughed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. But anyway, I’m gonna head up to my room. If you need me, that’s where I’ll be. Don’t stay up too late, alright?”
“Okay, Dad.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I left his door cracked and headed to my room to wait for Bethany’s call. I figured that she would wait until she got ready for bed until she called me. I regretted that I didn’t kiss her on the lips when I had the chance. In the back of my mind, I knew that there would be another opportunity for that to happen, so I didn’t rush it. A few minutes later, my phone rang. “Hello? Hey, Bethany, I was just waiting for your call.”