I was warming up for my Saturday long run, just an easy mile or so, when I came up behind another runner. Looked vaguely familiar. As I drew even, she turned and it was Sandi Lipscomb, a former classmate from high school. We exchanged greetings and I said I didn't remember her as a runner.
"That's right, Jeff. Running is part of the new me. What do you think?"
"You look very trim. Have you lost weight?"
She smiled. "Thanks for the compliment. Dieting is a pain, but I only have nine more pounds to go."
I had slowed to her pace and was enjoying the conversation. She gave me a strange look and said, "Frank divorced me. Said I was a fat cow who couldn't screw, and he already had a new girlfriend."
"Wow, that's pretty nasty!"
"Almost from the start of being married to him, I knew it wasn't working, but the divorce was like a barrel of cold water."
"You are surviving?"
"Yes. Mom sat me down for a horrible lecture about being on my own. Said I had to turn my art into a living, and do something about the lousy body."
We went along for a ways, not talking. Finally, she said, "The formula for the new me says I have to ask a guy for a date. Waiting around for them to ask won't work." She looked across at me with inquiring eyes.
I decided to mess with the formula and said, "What if I asked first? I think I remember having a crush on you in sophomore year."
She laughed and waved a fist at me. "Liar! We have to do this my way. The book on divorce says I have to suck it up and not be afraid to ask."
"Ok. You've asked and I've accepted. When and where?"
"Oh dear, I'm so stupid. I'm supposed to have figured that out, aren't I?"
"Just this once, you get a pass. I'll pick you up at six on Friday night. Destination is a surprise. You are required to dress like we are still in college."
As I sprinted away, she was saying, "But..."
Thirteen miles later, I was winded, but still smiling from my encounter with Sandi. Should be fun, pretending we were back in school. I could revive some of my more boorish behaviors.
She looked great. It was a cool evening and the sweater set was perfect, along with the bobbed hair and skirt just longer than her knees. I dashed around the car to open the door.
"Gee, Nanci, you look really great tonight." She did a doubletake but folded into the passenger seat. By the time, I returned to my seat, she was in role.
"Oh Marc, this is such a perfect night. Are we going to eat outdoors?"
I had left the restaurant decision to now, trying to decide between the beer joint in the hills, and an upscale place in the redwoods. On a hunch, I decided upscale was in.
"Settle back, Nanci, we are definitely eating out tonight."
Ten minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot at Theo's, a well known eatery where my parents went for special occasions. Sandi/Nanci looked at me, eyes stricken. "Marc! We can't go here. It costs a fortune!"
I leaned over and whispered, "My dad is a fan of yours, Nanci. His credit card is in my pocket and he called the Maitre d' about not carding us."
Mario's greeting was warm, "Good evening, my young friends. So nice of you to visit." We were guided to an outside table with a wonderful view down an alley of tall trees. The waiter was there to hand out menus. A few minutes later, two icy cold martinis arrived without our having asked. Nanci looked at it, and then at me. "It's a martini. I've never had one!"
I couldn't tell whether she was putting me on or not. Our crowd wasn't into gin much anymore. But I raised my glass and touched hers, "To us."
My toast and a long sip just about demolished Nanci. "Oh Marc, this is too lovely for words. The martini is so smooth!"
The food was great and we chattered inanely about college things. The gin was working. Her big eyes got bigger and the voice softer. The chocolate decadence cake with raspberry puree was the final grand touch. We held hands while the mystery credit card was charged and we were free to go.
When we got to the car, I said, "It's very private here in the back of the parking lot, Nanci. Would you like to get in the back seat for a few minutes?"
My date carefully got an arm around my neck and hissed, in a low venomous voice, "I don't fuck in back seats, buster. Take us to my house and be quick about it!"
I drove fast, noticing the rigid posture in the seat next to me. I stopped out in front and she said, "Open the door for me, asshole, and follow me inside."
The date had fallen apart. I wondered what next. She slammed the front door behind us and pulled me along the corridor to her neat as a pin bedroom.
"The shrink said I needed to express my feelings openly, not bottle them up."
I couldn't believe the attack. Knocking me down on the bed, hitting me wherever she could. Screaming oaths about my miserable sexist self.
I ducked my head under a pillow and lay quietly until the blows ceased. In a couple of minutes, she said, "Stand up." Fingers undressed me. I finally opened my eyes to find a naked woman laughing at me.
"Scared you, didn't I? No back seat nookie? No thanks for the meal you couldn't afford? Get in that bed and close your eyes. I will be back."
In five minutes, she was pulling the covers back and straddling my hips. "You can open your eyes now. Take a sip of this."
The eyes were smiling and devilish. Things couldn't be all bad.
Holding the glass of fizzy something to the side, she leaned in for a long gentle kiss, then relaxed back against my raised knees.
"The longer we played those roles at dinner, the more riled up inside I got. It brought back all the lousy memories of frat guys hitting on me and expecting instant sex. So I decided the new role of vengeful coed feminist was needed. Besides, it fitted with my hard feelings about Frank."