“Girl, there is so much eye candy here that I’m about to pass out from a sugar overload!” Todd announced.
“So any takers going your way?” Holly asked.
“We shall soon find out—oh cute guy at table two.” Todd sped off once again.
Holly continued to sit alone as she sipped on her fourth glass of champagne. She hated feeling so envious of the bride and groom. Under a canopy of twinkling white lights, they danced so close that not a breath of air separated them. The two looked so completely and madly in love. Watching them had made her heartache like a wound that had never fully healed. She couldn’t forget how close she once was to having it all. Now here she was with aching feet, as if she had just stepped on a bed of nails, while her homosexual date frolicked around the room as if he was one of the Rockettes. The only thing Holly could think of at that moment was how disappointed her mother would have been to see this pathetic scene. Just when Holly was about to step out and get a breath of fresh air, a handsome man approached her. He had blue eyes and thick blond streaked hair that was swept back from his face.
“Hello, there. Would you care for a quick dance?” he asked.
Holly was caught off guard, but flattered. She hadn’t been asked to dance all night. “Of course, I’d love to.” She followed him to the dance floor where couples were slowly dancing to a hypnotic love song that she couldn’t recall where she’d heard it.
“So—” he said with a smile like butter icing, so rich that she could feel her cholesterol level rising. The two danced cautiously, as though they were at a high school prom.
“I must admit that this is a pleasant surprise,” Holly mentioned, feeling light-footed the moment he placed his hand securely on her hip.
He then looked over her shoulder and asked, “So I was wondering about the bleached blonde sitting at your table?”
Holly glanced over at her table and spotted a young, run of the mill blonde looking hopelessly bored as she picked at her hangnails. “Oh, I don’t know her. Why do you ask?”
He bit his lip in apprehension. “Damn. I’ve been staring at her all night and I can’t get the nerve to talk to her. I was hoping she might be one of your friends.”
And just like that, Holly’s optimism was shot down like lightning. “Oh.” She shook off her disappointment. “Well, I could go talk to her for you.” After all, that was her job, wasn’t it?
“Would you?” he asked, lighting up like a roman candle.
“Yeah sure. No big deal,” Holly said with a shrug.
“You are an absolute angel on Earth,” he replied, ecstatic. “Thank you so much.”
Reluctantly, Holly made her way back to the table and in a non-threatening manner, approached the wearied looking blonde. She whispered into her delicate ear and the girl perked up like a kid in a candy store. After taking one look at the man who was eyeing her as though she were some tasty concoction, the blonde was up and out of her seat faster than a tornado.
All Holly could really do was sit back and wonder when her shitty luck would change. Surely, it had to be soon for this was not the kind of lifestyle she was prone too.
***
June 5, 2013: Date # 12 – Jake
A week after they had met, Jake finally called to plan their first official date.
“So what did you have in mind?” Holly asked him over the phone one evening.
“Probably somewhere no one has ever taken you on a date.”
“Well, that doesn’t answer my question. For all I know, you could be planning to chop me into little bitty pieces.”
Jake chuckled. “Wow. Ever the cynic, aren’t you?”
“No… I just prefer to know things in advance.”
“It’s a surprise. A good one—I promise.”
“I don’t do well with surprises.”
“You’ll have fun. Just trust me.”
The harder she pushed for answers, the more he refused to talk about the date. Holly had no choice but to finally give up. They agreed that he would pick her up at a local coffee shop. Allowing him to pick her up at the office or her apartment was completely absurd and dangerous at that. Obviously, she didn’t want to blow her cover.
The night of their date, Holly was about to walk out the door when Jake called with a change of plans. He explained that a young boy had arrived at the group home late that afternoon. The boy was having a hard time adjusting and Jake needed to stay with him until he settled down. Jake apologized profusely and instead of canceling the date entirely, he asked if she would be willing to meet him at the group home. At first, Holly wasn’t so thrilled about this idea. Driving to Ventura at six-thirty in the evening was not something she aspired to do—ever. Although, if she was going to make this experiment successful she had to put her reservations aside and go outside of her box.
***
Holly pulled up to a three-story green and white plantation style home with a sloping shingled roof. The enormous house had a multitude of steps that led up to the front veranda. A stack of new lumber and a battered pickup truck occupied the front yard. It needed a real good sprucing up, maybe a fresh coat of paint to cover up the trim that was peeling like blistering scabs. Weeds grew like a natural barrier around the house, making it appear that the property had not been landscaped in years. By the front porch was a sign staked in the dirt that read: McClusky Group Home.
Yelps and the noises of children came from inside the house.
“Yes. Can I help you?” asked an older woman, out of breath. She had gray, thinning hair and a mail slot for a mouth. A young boy hung in the crook of her arm.
“Hi. I’m looking for Jake?”
“Oh. You must be Darlene.” She stuck out a free hand and latched onto Holly’s fingers. “I’m Martha. I’m sorry…as you can see, I have my hands full right now.”
The wild looking little boy, with a face streaked with tears, stuck his tongue out and blew air through his mouth.
“Tommy!” Martha reprimanded. “That’s very rude.”
Holly silently snickered in amusement.
“Why don’t you come in. I’ll go get Jake.”
On the inside, the house looked like some sort of playground. Young children ran through the living room, screaming with glee as a few adults tried to take control of the situation.
The tone of the interior was dull, uninteresting, and free from excitement from beginning to end. It had old furniture that had seen better days and bookcases filled with worn children’s books. The place was dusty, decrepit, and the air smelled of mothballs. A broken chair slumped in a corner; children’s toys littered the floor. Holly was almost afraid to touch anything, as if some sort of creepy crawler would come out and bite her.
“Hey there,” Jake said, stepping into view. He wore a flannel shirt, khakis and sneakers. Holly suddenly remembered him mentioning earlier that the date would be causal. “Sorry about all the chaos.”
“It’s no problem,” Holly said with a reassuring smile. “What is this place exactly?”
“It’s my safe haven for orphaned and abandoned children.”
“You actually own this place?”
“Yes, and we are totally non-profit,” Jake explained. “Let’s just say that my mom wasn’t too thrilled that I spent half my trust fund on a dump like this, but it’s not about me—it’s about the kids.”
“Wow. It must cost a fortune to keep this place running.”
“Yeah, it is hard, especially when the city won’t support your cause. Thank God for the kindness and generosity of strangers and their donations.” Jake took her hand. “Come on. Let me give you a tour.”
The house looked like a worn down mansion in need of repair and new paint. They walked up a gray-carpeted staircase that felt as though it would concave in the middle of each step.
“This place used to be owned by one of the richest men in the city back in the early 1800s. He abandoned the house and left it for dead. The only people that occupied this property before I found it ten-y
ears ago were squatters, druggies, and hobos,” Jake explained.
“So you’ve been running this place for ten-years?”
“Not exactly. After all the restoring, licensing, and red tape, yada, yada, yada, I finally managed to open it three-years ago.”
“Wow. What you’ve done is very commendable.”
“Thanks, but I just feel it’s kind of like my civic duty.” Jake approached a door that anyone would have assumed led to a bedroom. “This is one of the rec rooms that we have for the kids. Many come to the group home after school because they have nowhere else to go.”
Holly entered the room and caught a glimpse of a young woman finger painting with a handful of children. Crayons, books, and kids playing with toys that talked, whirled and jerked, filled the busy playroom. The scene before her was truly a humbling experience. These youngsters looked frail, gaunt and hollow-eyed with what she assumed was probably from nights of disturbed sleep and hunger. A little boy with bug-eyes and a face that looked like sun-scorched clay, tugged on Jake’s shirt. Tucked securely under the little boy’s arm was some sort of picture book.
“Hey Cole. What’s up?” Jake asked, bending down to his level.
Cole’s eyes shifted back and forth like a shy young pup. He looked down at the book and whispered in Jake’s ear, “Can you read this to me?”
“Sure, buddy.” Jake took the hardbound book from the boy’s delicate pink seashell like hands. “Darlene, would you mind hanging around a few more minutes?”
These children were in dire straits and she knew she had no right to be selfish. “Go ahead. Take your time.”
“Jake, I have city councilman Danny Ramirez on the phone for you,” Martha said from the doorway.
“This is a really important call.” Jake took a long jagged breath. “Can you take over for a minute? I promise we’ll leave when I get back.”
“What me? I don’t think so. I’m no good with kids,” Holly said, waving him off.
Jake chuckled as if her reluctance amused him. “I promise it’s not going to kill you. Just try to keep him entertained.”
Holly glanced at the sad face of the little boy who stared back at her like a faint dying flame. “Sure. Why not.”
“Darlene is going to read to you for a while. I have to leave for a couple minutes, so be on your best behavior, okay?” Jake said to Cole.
Cole nodded in agreement, like the perfect obedient child.
“Okay. I really have to take this call. Be good.”
With a watchful eye, the little boy handed Holly the book.
“Okay, so let’s see what we got here.” Holly read the title aloud, “The Lost Puppy and Friends.”
At the recognition of the title, a handful of children clapped their hands together in delight and made their way over to Cole.
“One day, Maurice the puppy poodle wandered from his home and ended up in the woods where he met—” Holly pointed to the left-hand picture and waited for one of the children to respond.
“A turtle!” shouted a little girl with stringy brown hair that hid most of her face.
Seeing these kids so enthusiastic and engrossed in the story tugged at Holly’s heartstrings quite mercilessly.
“The puppy poodle then met Tomas the bobcat. He tried to scare Maurice with his big sharp teeth.”
Jake came back and stopped in the doorway, observing Holly from afar. He believed she looked like a natural out there. The children really seemed to be enjoying her company from the looks of it. By the animated and enthusiastic way she communicated the story to the kids, he knew there was something different about this woman.
***
“So are you going to finally tell me where we are going?” Holly asked.
Jake drove the two of them to undisclosed location in his beat up Chevy truck. “I keep telling you that it’s a surprise.”
“Obviously, I have no say in the matter, do I?”
“Nope.” Jake felt laughter bubble up in his throat, but sternly held his amusement in check.
A short time later, they pulled up to a vaguely familiar shack like structure. The squat little building, that looked like it had seen better days in the 80s, was in the middle of a wide desolate parking lot. People of all ages roamed the outside of the venue like flies around food.
“LA Roller-Skate Center?” Holly asked, completely taken by surprise. From the passenger side window, she caught sight of a flashing neon sign. Teenagers hurried along the side of the building while others were idle or loitering. An acne-scarred man enjoyed a cigarette. The flickering flame of his lighter briefly lit up his face like a jack o' lantern.
“Huh-oh. You hate it?” Jake asked, disappointed by her response.
“Oh no. It’s just that I haven’t been here since I was like a pre-teen.”
He cut the engine. “Well, I thought why not just enjoy an evening where we can let loose and act like kids again.”
“You weren’t joking when you said this would be a surprise.”
Holly had no qualms about his choice of destination. Her only concern was that she hadn’t been on roller-skates since she was twelve.
The minute she stepped inside the venue, nostalgia hit Holly like a wave crashing down on her. There was no way to keep her mind watertight. Memories of the past seeped into the smallest crevices of her brain and flooded it with a helpless longing. Nothing had changed since the last time she stepped foot in this place. The rink was still a large, shabby structure of wood with a circular arena for roller-skating. An eclectic assortment of people glided to the beat of cheesy, loud ‘80s pop music and strobe lights. Across the way were the cubby lockers made of plastic laminate, which looked to have deteriorated over the last decade—or two. In the middle of a cluster of lockers, guests sat on benches as they laced up their skates. Time had never touched this place, nor did a remodel. Holly knew the layout of the rink like the back of her hand. Toward the entrance were the cash registers and the roller-skate rental area. Some distance from the rink, thick burgundy carpeting led to the snack bar and lounge. She remembered the concession stand having a scarred, filmy glass-case that displayed cookies, muffins, and Danish pastries.
“Let’s go get our skates,” Jake said.
Holly took in her surroundings as Jake made his way to the counter. Suddenly, it was 1993 again and she was at Amy Hasting’s thirteenth birthday party—the last time she ever stepped foot in this joint. Everyone thought they were too cool for roller-skating after thirteen, and sought out other means of entertainment such as smoking pot, or drinking.
Holly’s mother had planned many birthday parties for Holly at this skating rink when she was a young girl. As much as she loved her life now, Holly sometimes missed those carefree times.
“Darlene—hello—” Jake said, waving a hand in her face. “Are you okay?” In his hands were two pairs of white roller-skates with red and brown laces.
“Yeah, I’m fine. This place just brings back so many memories.”
“I know. The good old days.”
She smiled in reminiscence, like an old woman reflecting back on her youth. “Yeah—the good old days.”
The two walked to the locker area where Jake plopped himself down on a wooden bench and started lacing up his roller-skates. “Get ready to be stupefied.”
“What? Are you saying that you’re like a pro or something?” Holly slipped a foot into a skate.
“Nah. I’m just teasing you,” Jake replied. “Although, I’m not that bad.”
“Well, be prepared to watch me fall flat on my face. I’m just giving you a fair warning.”
He smiled at her adoringly and without warning, kissed her forehead. “You’re cute.”
That simple kiss somehow made her feel tingly on the inside. She ignored her gut and replied, “Yeah. It won’t be so cute when you watch me eat it out there.”
They finally rolled on over to the rink. One step inside and Holly’s legs wobbled like those of a marionette with loose strings. She held
onto Jake’s arm as though her very life depended on it. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” Holly said.
“I got you. Don’t worry.” He clutched her hand tightly with his own hand and slowly led her to the middle of the rink.
“I haven’t done this in years. I need practice,” Holly warned him.
“It’s easy. Just bend your knees, lean forward, and slowly push one leg in front of the other.”
She slowly gained her confidence back as she held onto his hand and skated in slow baby steps. “I’ll just latch onto you until I get the hang of it.”
“It’s all muscle memory. Believe me. Soon it will be like you were here yesterday.”
As they slowly skated around in a circle, people breezed on past them like mid-day traffic. After about a dozen laps or so, Holly finally started feeling as though she was getting the hang of it.
Holly released her hand from Jakes. “I think I can try this by myself now.”
“Great! Now you can start going a little faster,” he said, impressed by her confidence. “But not too fast. Take it easy.”
Holly pushed herself forward and sped up. Once she realized she didn’t need Jake to support her anymore, she found herself having the time of her life.
“Watch this.” Jake thought that maybe it was a good time to show off his skills. He skated backward into a figure eight.
Holly was never one to pass up a little friendly competition. Faster than she had done all evening, she skated hurriedly and caught up with Jake, but she was too brave for her own good. Holly lost control of her footing and nearly missed slamming into a passerby. Instead, she tumbled to the polished hardwood floor, rear-end first, her hands slapping to the ground in attempt to break her fall.
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