by Layne, Lyssa
The rest of the week was a mixture of joy. My new supervisor was very impressed with my work, I was meeting new co-workers who were super fun and also embarrassment because Sean caught me on more than one occasion staring at him. By the time Friday came I knew I should probably write him off. No sane man would go out with some weird chick. I ran into Melody on Friday and as she was rubbing it in that she was leaving for the weekend, she casually asked if Sean had asked me out yet. I snorted and started laughing.
“I doubt he’s going to ask me out, he keeps catching me staring at him and probably thinks I’m mentally challenged.”
“Um, well, you are mentally challenged but regardless of that I heard he thought you were cute and was going to ask you out.”
“Are you serious? That is so friggin cool! But why hasn’t he asked me out yet?” I wondered out loud.
“Well little sister, not everyone is as obnoxious and outgoing as you are. He’s very shy so you need to chill. He’ll ask when he’s ready.” my sister chastised.
“Yeah, well, okay. I just hate waiting.” I whined.
“What else is new? You need to learn patience, life will be a lot easier. Off for home, sucks to be you.” she rubbed in as she walked out the door.
I watched her go, wishing that I was still on first shift so that I could go home and ride. But if I was still on first I wouldn’t be working with Sean. The trade-off was worth it. I walked over to my station and began to plan on how to make it easier for Sean to ask me out. I would make myself “available” to him, be friendly and approachable. Which is exactly what I did the entire shift. I went over to his work area to get some rubbing alcohol to clean my station. I accidentally spilled the jug of alcohol and he was such the gentleman and helped me clean it up. It was then that I noticed I was still wearing my wedding ring! Damn! I was so used to wearing it I had forgotten to take it off. I whipped my hand back as quickly as I could and felt my face blush.
“Thank you so much for helping me clean up this mess.” I stammered.
“No problem.” he answered.
When he turned back to his work I grabbed my alcohol bottle and made my way back to my station. I pulled my ring off and stuffed it in my pocket. So stupid! I can’t believe I forgot to take it off. Oh well, hopefully he thought it was just another ring. I did wear rings on my other hand so maybe he wouldn’t notice.
I finished out my shift and he never came up to ask me out. I put all of my stuff in my locker, grabbed my purse and started to walk out towards the front. Maybe I could still get some study time in. I blushed again as I saw Sean start walking towards me, actually towards the locker area since it was the end of our shift, and I smiled and moved to the side to let him by. He slowed slightly then moved in front of me. He still had his reflective safety glasses on so I couldn’t see his eyes. He didn’t smile and because I couldn’t see his eyes I couldn’t read his emotions. Did I mess something up or not put the alcohol back? I didn’t have long to wonder, he began speaking really fast and I had to focus to understand what he was saying.
“Hi, your sister Melody said that you were single and I was just, uh, wondering if you would like to go out sometime. Well, if you would, here’s my phone number, give me a call sometime.” then he half threw, half handed me a sticky pad. Not just the note, the entire pad, with his name and number written on the top page.
With that he was gone. As quick as his words were his movements were quicker and I was left wondering in his wake. Had he just really asked me out? I made it out to my truck and sat there with his number in my hand. I was going to wait until he came out so I could ask when it would be a good time to call him. Working second shift I found that some people went home and went right to bed while others stayed up until morning and then slept until their shift started. It was a very different world working second shift. While looking for him I saw him come out the door, then a woman I didn’t recognize followed him out. They were talking to each other and I watched them both get into the same vehicle. I frowned and started my truck. Melody had told me he was single and he just asked me out, was he a player? I felt a nibble of pain in my gut. As much as I try to think that I’m okay with social dating I’m not. When I’m seeing a guy I want him to be seeing just me. Then I reminded myself that we weren’t dating, he was going to be my one night stand. I was not doing the relationship thing again! I drove home to get some sleep. The enigma that was Sean was going to have to wait until Monday.
***
One thing about me is that I’m not a procrastinator. If something needs to get done or has to be faced, I jump right in and get it done or face it. In my opinion, the sooner I get it over and done with the better. I showed up to work fifteen minutes early so that I could stop Sean and find out when would be a good time to call him. I didn’t have to wait long and he strode through the front doors. I smiled and stopped him before he could escape onto the floor.
“Hey there! Thank you for your number, I would love to go out with you sometime but I forgot to ask what a good time would be to call. I’m finding out on this shift everyone sleeps at different times.” I smiled and talked softly, flirtatiously.
“Anytime, I’m usually up by seven in the morning so you can call me anytime.” he replied.
Sensing he was uncomfortable, I smiled again and nodded. “Great, I’ll call you in the morning?”
“Sounds good. Talk to you then.” and he walked away.
I made it through my shift without staring too much at him. I was more focused on what we would talk about when I called. Usually I can talk about cars to guys but you get the few that when they find out you’re a chick who knows how to work on cars, it’s their job to quiz you to make sure you really know what you’re talking about. I hate those guys and refuse to waste my time with them. Sean didn’t come across as that kind of a person but you never knew. I’d figure out something to talk about.
SIX
I had stayed up later than I had anticipated trying to get some homework done. I was struggling with philosophy and I was watching my 4.0 start to slip. I woke up early to get chores done and have time to call Sean before my shift but the lack of sleep was fogging my brain. I no longer felt witty or flirtatious and a stone in the pit of my stomach started to sink. I certainly wasn’t in the mood to describe how to rebuild a four barrel carburetor. Then again, the mood I was in, if he was the type to question me I would probably just hang up on him. Forget the one night stand.
I grabbed a cup of coffee, my cordless phone and went out onto my porch. It was one of my favorite spots. Dad had built me a redwood deck off of the front of the house, which faced west and the foothills. Towering pines and Ash trees gave shade when the sun was headed into the west but were tall enough not to encroach upon the view. A bench swing, a couple of chairs and a small patio table adorned the space and I chose the bench swing to sit on and make my call. He answered on the third ring and though he didn’t sound tired, I still worried that I had woke him.
“Hi, it’s Celeste. Did I wake you?”
“No, I’m just out in the garden. How are you doing?” he asked.
“Good. Still trying to adjust to the schedule so I can get all of my things done. It’s tough sometimes.”
“You have a lot of stuff?” he asked hesitantly.
“Yeah. I have horses and taking care of my property and I’m also going to school part time. Keeps me pretty busy.” I explained.
“Wow, you are busy. You have a lot on your plate.”
“I like staying busy though. How about you?” I asked.
“I usually work out in my garden or hang out. Nothing as busy as you sound.”
I wasn’t sure where to go with the conversation. I didn’t want it to sound like I was too busy to go out with him and I hoped that I hadn’t turned him off already. “I was really happy when you asked me out. I’m really glad you did.” Damn, I was starting to sound like a star-struck teenager!
“Great! Are you free Saturday night? We could go out to
eat and then a movie. Does that sound alright?”
“I would love to do that. What movie do you want to go see? Where do you want to eat?” I was thrilled we were finally getting down to the details of our first date.
“Well we could go anywhere you want. Do you like the Olive Garden?”
“I love the Olive Garden. That’s sounds great.”
“Ok, well, what movie do you want to see? You can pick it out, whatever you want.”
I tried to think of what was playing but was at a loss. I had been too busy quitting my career, starting a new job and studying. “I’m not sure what’s playing. It’s been a couple months since I’ve been to the movies.”
“Okay, well look at what’s playing and let me know. We can go see whatever you want.”
I felt like he was wanting to get off of the phone so I told him I would look today and let him know tonight when our shift started. We said our goodbyes and hung up. I sat there for a moment replaying our conversation. I couldn’t get a feel for him, whether he was playing me or was a nice guy. Usually, I get a feel right away but he was unlike any other guy I had been out with before. This was definitely going to be interesting. I grabbed the paper and started looking through the movie listings. I found several action movies, which I enjoy completely, but I also found a chick flick that had rave reviews and I will admit was tempted. My evil little mind started turning and I was tempted to pick out the chick flick just to see how he would react. Would he complain or tease me about it? Would he be a gentleman and agree without prejudice? Would he be a weasel and back out all together? The possibilities were endless. In the end I decided to give him a break and I picked out Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Satisfied that we would both be happy with my decision, I went back into my house to take a shower and get ready for work. Knowing that I would be seeing him and talking with him in just a few hours caused the butterflies to stir in my belly. I could tell it had been a long time since I had flirted with a member of the opposite sex.
I was at work fifteen minutes early, sitting in the break room when Sean walked in. I’d like to say it was because of him but truth be told, I hated being late for anything so I ended up being early for everything. I’d rather dawdle around for a few minutes before an appointment or obligation than to have to be rushed, stressed and then late. Being there in the break room before he showed up gave me time to figure out what to say, how to play it cool and smooth. Men aren’t the only ones who try to be suave.
He saw me through the glass windows and smiled but continued on to his locker. I thought for a second he wasn’t going to come talk with me but I saw him grab his jacked and grounding straps and walk towards me. He sat down and asked how I was doing.
“Great! I picked out a movie for Saturday night.” I smiled.
“Cool. What did you pick out?”
I will admit, I was on the verge of telling him Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood but I just couldn’t do it. That was too cruel. “I wanted to see the new Star Wars movie, is that okay?”
He smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s great. Have you seen it yet?”
“No, but I’ve wanted to. Have you?” I was thrilled we were holding a conversation and that he wasn’t rushing off to work on the wave machine. I saw that we were minutes away from being late to our areas but I didn’t want to let him go yet.
“No, but it looks good. Do you want to just meet in the parking lot here? Then we can go together to dinner and stuff.” he suggested.
“Yeah, that would work. You live in Lindsburg, right? Because I live on the north side of Farris. I’m quite a ways so here would be a good middle ground.”
“Yeah, I rent a house with two other people on the north side of Lindsburg.” he hesitated. “I live with two girls.”
I felt my throat catch. I knew there were many co-ed roommates in the world, I just never met any that hadn’t tried being roommates with benefits. I hoped he was the first.
“Oh, well that’s cool.” I lied.
“Abby works here, she’s one of my roommates. You should know her, she does the parts for add on.”
I did know who Abby was. She was petite with short brown hair and cute but seemed older than Sean. “Yes, I do know her. She seems very nice.”
“She is. Her boyfriend is pretty cool too. Sometimes we all go out to dinner.”
Whew! A boyfriend! One down, one to go. I thought to myself. And since he brought the subject up, I’ll just continue the conversation. “So do I know the other roommate? Does she work here too?”
“No, she works at a vet clinic. To be honest I don’t even know why she still lives there. She moved in seven months ago and I think she’s stayed the night in her room maybe three times. She’s always sleeping over at her boyfriend’s house so I really don’t know her that well.”
I felt myself do a little happy dance in my mind and relaxed. I know it was silly but this guy was sexy, tall and I really wanted to get to know him. I wouldn’t mind if we had a couple of dates instead of just a one night stand. Wow! Did I really just think that? Yes, I did. Looking at him while we got ready for our shift, I felt like I could listen to him for hours.
“Well, we better get to work. Our shift started five minutes ago and we don’t need the floor supervisor to write us up.” Sean stood up and smiled.
“Yep, I’ve got boards to fix. I’ll talk to you later.” I replied and walked onto the floor and over to my station.
The night flew by which was great. I had a lot of boards to fix and quite a few of the parts I needed were located over by Sean’s work area. We would chat for a few seconds about how machines were running or how many boards were damaged and in need of repair and then go back to our stations. It was nice having that little interaction with each other. I often glanced up from my station to see what he was doing. I loved how laid back and confident he looked while he was working. I was happy to see that he was glancing at me too. I didn’t want this to be a one way street of infatuation; it felt good to have it reciprocated.
When the shift ended he hung around to walk me out to my truck. Because it was ten-thirty at night it was dark out and I was glad to have him beside me. Being this close made my body warm and tingly and even though we just made small talk, I didn’t want to reach the truck as quickly as we did. I hit the remote lock on my truck and threw my stuff onto the passengers’ seat and turned to him.
“Thank you for walking me to my truck. What time do you want to meet here tomorrow?” I was hoping he would suggest an early dinner so that we could have some time to talk over dinner and before the movie. While movies are nice, they really don’t give you a chance to get to know someone.
“How about six? Will that time work for you?” he asked.
“Six is perfect. I’ll meet you here then.” I smiled.
“Okay, have a nice night and I’ll see you tomorrow.” he grinned at me before he walked away.
I climbed in my truck feeling giggly and extremely happy. He was so cute and his dimples were adorable! I wanted to touch his face while he was smiling. Geez, I had to get a hold of myself! I started my truck and headed home, wondering what outfit I was going to wear. I wanted to be sexy but not overly so, to exude confidence but not pretentious, I wanted to look perfect and have a perfect night. Little did I know how perfect it was going to be.
SEVEN
The next day I blew through chores, made supper for my father and jumped in the shower to get ready. As I was putting my make up on, Dad came in to talk with me.
“So you are really going on a date?” he teased.
“Yep, after five years can you believe it?”
“He must be pretty great for you to want to go out with him.”
“He seems to be but I really don’t know him that well. I guess tonight I will find out if he’s a jerk or not.” I laughed.
“Well I hope you have a great time. Remember, curfew is at eleven.”
I turned around and gave a playful punch in his arm. “
Dad, I’m thirty-two years old and this is my house too. I don’t have a curfew anymore.”
He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “I know but this way I know what time to have my girlfriends out of the house.”
“Yeah, well, just make sure they don’t mess up my kitchen.” I laughed. “See ya later, Dad.”
“Have fun, honey.” he called as I went out the door and on my way to my first date in over five years. Oh, man.
***
I pulled in to the parking lot at work and was surprised to see how empty it was. Normally the parking lot is packed and cars are parked all along the street. Today there was only one other vehicle in the lot, an older Bronco II that appeared to have seen better days. The copper-colored paint was pocked with rusty spots and scratches. I saw a person sitting in the driver’s seat and was excited that Sean had shown up, and then my heart dropped a little in my stomach. It was ninety-seven degrees outside with humidity and I was riding in a newer truck with tinted windows and the a/c blowing full blast. The vehicle Sean owned didn’t look as if the A/C worked but I didn’t think it was appropriate to insist on taking my truck since he was the one who asked me out. Time to suck it up and let him drive.