***
With several hours of contemplation about what to wear David had finally found the perfect attire; so he thought. Not far from his everyday casual clothes of blue jeans and white t-shirt, he decided on a dark blue polo shirt and some dark brown sneakers that looked a bit dressier than his white running shoes he normally wore. Not to be late, but not too early either, he exited his front door at exactly 6:57pm as he estimated the walk to take between forty-five seconds and one minute, if he really went slow about it, he would arrive at a respectable time. David had it all planned out; possibly too much so.
With a rap on the door David took a half step back and looked around a bit just trying to relax. After about a minute, which felt like an hour to him, there was still no answer. David saw that Amy's apartment lights were on and thought he heard a faint radio, so assuming she was home he rapped again, harder this time. David heard Amy yell from the back of the apartment, "Just a minute".
Exactly thirty-four minutes and twenty-one seconds later, by David's count, Amy answered the door in a bath towel. Well, two bath towels one wrapped around her head and one wrapped around her chest hanging just above her upper thigh. Nice, thought David about the show, but then thought are we going to dinner tonight I'm starving.
"So sorry hon," said Amy with a frantic tone. "Just been a hectic day I guess, overslept".
David thought, overslept until 7:00pm, hmm did I smell liquor on her breath from three feet away? Well I guess it is after five o'clock.
"Well come on in and I'll be ready in a jiffy David," said Amy while spinning around and slowly slinking back to the bathroom. She strategically glanced back to David just before entering the doorway, and yes David was watching. Forty-five minutes later David was opening his car door for Amy. While scarcely covered she had politely matched her attire to David's choice of casual. Amy had a look of horror on her face when she realized this was his car.
"Umm, thanks ? I think," said Amy, getting into the passenger seat, as if making a point; a point that was understood by David right away. No need to repeat, thought David, not many girls like my car ? but I do.
David closed the door politely and walked around the back of the car to his door. When he reached there he realized she had not leaned over and unlocked his door. He rapped on the window softly out of instinct really to see if she would unlock the door for him, but she must not have heard him while she was touching up her makeup in the rearview mirror. He used his key to unlock the door and get in.
David was pleased when the car started on the first try and with nary a backfire one. Amy told David the directions to the steakhouse and proceeded to make numerous facial expressions of disgust each time she had a look about the car. She spent half the ride wiping her elbow off after putting it on the passenger door armrest. Amy was used to better. Scratch that, Amy demanded better.
"Nice car," said Amy as she stepped out in front of the Capital Steakhouse. Again, David got the point.
It was getting late and David was starving so in they went and luckily straight to a table. With no hesitation, and without discussion with David, Amy ordered them both whiskeys, straight up. "Make them doubles," shouted Amy as the waiter was walking away. Amy smiled at David and began fidgeting with a lipstick tube she had removed from her little purse.
After a couple of awkwardly silent minutes David decided to start things going; "So how's your weekend so far," David asked simply to begin some polite small talk?
"Oh just fine really, and yours David," asked Amy in return with charm and allure?
David immediately thought, now that's the Amy from the pool. Maybe she's starting to relax after running around to get ready tonight. "Real nice," replied David.
"Good," said Amy. David initially thought she was referring to his real nice weekend but then realized she was watching the waiter approach the table with their drinks.
"Merci beaucoup," Amy told the waiter as she reached for her drink; near perfect diction thought David.
Before the waiter could take his fifth step from the table Amy had consumed her drink and was eyeing David's. He thought for a second she was going to ask him if he was going to finish that. David began with a small sip of his drink and set it aside, as he really just wanted a beer; he was driving after all.
"So what's good here," asked David then realizing that asking what's good in a steakhouse is probably a dumb question? Amy seemed to ignore the question as if it were not a question at all, but more of a joke. Instead Amy raised her left hand and glared across the room catching the waiter's eye as he exited the kitchen.
"Another one of these please and let's have more whiskey than water this time," Amy said to the waiter with a little slur already in her voice. David ordered that beer he wanted.
After her second drink Amy seemed to relax, who wouldn't, and settle in to the conversation with David. Conversing very well as they ate their meals, Amy appeared to be genuinely having a good time. David found the conversation enjoyable and with Amy's beauty she was a fine dining companion. Witty and funny she had David in stitches most of the evening.
The main course past and it was on to dessert. Amy ordered the cr?me brulee and David had a simple bowl of vanilla ice cream and a slice of apple pie. David thought Amy's choice apropos, as she was smoking this evening. The desserts were fine. In fact David was impressed by Amy's choice in restaurants as the entire meal was terrific. It's always nice to find a steakhouse that actually knows what a medium cooked steak is. Oh, and the stuffed baked potato was to die for.
After dessert David was on to a decaf coffee while Amy indulged in a few more drinks. Sticking with whiskey this evening; at least she's consistent thought David. However, consistency did not equate to predictability in Amy Helmer's personality. She could be consistently unpredictable you could say.
When Amy excused herself to the lady's room to powder her nose, David noticed a slight list to her port side. He laughingly thought to himself, I hope she doesn't go down like the Titanic as I really don't feel like carrying her to the car.
As David had ignored his whiskey Amy ordered for him earlier, and really only sipped on his beer through the evening, he thought it would not be inappropriate to just slide his whiskey drink over by Amy's empty glass. When the waiter came to the table to place the next round Amy had ordered just before the trip to the restroom David whisked him away with the drink asking for him to hold onto it for now. Whisked him away with the whiskey, David thought this a funny choice of words he used. When Amy returned she didn't notice a thing, just started back in on the nearly full glass of whiskey.
"It's always nice to return from the loo and find a fresh drink," Amy said with a substantial English accent. David thought, wow, she acquires and English accent after 'X' amount of drinks, interesting. She also carries on a pretty good conversation with 'X' amount of drinks in her.
After paying the relatively large bill David escorted Amy out to the car just as the Capital Steakhouse was closing up shop for the evening. A good evening, thought David, just what I needed. Amy was funny, we laughed, we talked; she's so very pretty. The evening was warm and his spirits were high.
The ride home was far more enjoyable than the ride over. Perhaps it was the warm night air after a good meal, or more likely the numerous double whiskies, but Amy didn't seem to mind the car this trip. With no looks of disgust or fears of dust on the passenger door armrest, Amy seemed entirely content. David was as well. As they pulled into The Villa parking lot David made absolutely certain not to pull into any front parking space. In fact, he parked in the farthest parking spot away from The Villa he could find. He thought it better to walk a few more steps than get in trouble by Frank the parking police. He wondered if Frank might be watching from his apartment window just in case someone parked in the wrong spot. It was a nice evening for a little stroll anyways, especially with such a pretty companion.
Walking across the parking lot David
was staying decently calm. He felt like he was in charge and cool. He had the gumption to ask Amy Helmer out on a date, just walked right over to her apartment and she said yes. He was relaxed and conversational during the date and he was sure she had a good time. There was no reason to be nervous, right? However, as David got closer and closer to Amy's apartment he felt those butterflies coming round.
It was late but I just happened to be out by the pool and I saw them come in. My wife Elizabeth had called me real loud, but with a whisper voice, a few minutes earlier to come to bed. "Oh, what are you doing Sammy? Won't you just come to bed," she said suspecting I might be up to something. She knew about my hobby of observing folks and sometimes thought it was a bit intrusive. But what she doesn't know won't hurt ? and up the stairs Amy and David went. David bringing up the rear, with a nice view I bet.
As David reached the top three or four steps the butterflies turned into a whirl wind and he became a bit dizzy even. Young men sometimes get nervous about the end of the first date. Do you shake her hand, do you hug her like she's your little sister, do you give her a soft lip kiss, do you slip her the tongue, or do you swing for the fences and hope to get lucky. Yah, young men often think these thoughts and get pretty darn nervous about it. See if a girl's expectation is that you'll kiss her and you shake her hand, then she can get pretty ticked off at you. Hell hath no fury like a ? you know the rest. If you tick her off on the first date you have little chance for the homerun later on. I can't be sure what was going through David's mind at the time, but when they reached Amy's apartment door he sure looked nervous.
Lucky for David, Amy has that aggressive personality, even without all the booze. She didn't say a word just gave him this alluring stare and stepped right in. It was very sensual, she stepped her right leg in between David's legs, sort of straddling him. She let her right hip brush against the front of his pants, and then she slowly put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his hip. She kissed him passionately and long, really long. David didn't seem to mind.
David enjoyed the kiss very much; it actually calmed him down a bit. This was a nice surprise. David thought to himself, while the kiss was a bit messy, probably due to the excessive alcohol consumption earlier, it was still nice and he liked it. Damn! He almost said out loud just after the kiss.
Amy, being ever the seductress, didn't say a word she just gave him bedroom eyes and kind of smelled his chest then turned and went into her apartment closing the door and leaving David there in a daze. He stood there for like three minutes just stunned kind of. Amy's apartment lights didn't come on while he was there and he wondered how in her drunken state she would make it through to her bed. People usually have their apartments memorized though, he thought, she'll be fine. As he made his way back to his apartment a warm feeling set into his stomach and he was sure the butterflies were gone for the evening.
A Modern Love Page 11