They hadn't met. She was a single mom. He was a college professor. Only in the halls at their children's elementary school had their paths crossed. He always sat alone, along the rear wall, during plays and concerts; she was always busy with her daughter's hair, or substitute teaching. There lives were a world apart.
Yet that Spring Tuesday she had worked at school a bit late, and he came a bit early to the concert (she found out much later that he had to see Steven's coach about what constituted 'legal' shoes). When she ran out the door to her car, they collided and her armful of manila folders flew everywhere. He pardoned himself, introduced himself as Joel, and gallantly flitted here & there, picking up papers tossed by the wind. His self-demeaning attitude wholly unwitted her, and when the last paper was collected, his offer for dinner, "To make up for my clumsiness," was so charming she couldn't say no. They exchanged phone numbers and addresses, and Deb, blushing, slipped into her car and went home. She couldn't decide what it was about him that suddenly had her cheeks crimson. She also couldn't deny the fact that she was, suddenly, attracted to him.
For his part, Joel had tried to make the incident seem a game. His wide smile belied his laboring lungs as he lunged about collecting papers. Deb appeared to be a handsome woman, though for some reason she tried to hide it behind horn-rimmed glasses and a thick, pleated blouse with a high collar. As he went on to the coach's office, his thought strayed to their Saturday night date, and he decided that pleasant conversation was all he would likely have with her. He thought to himself, "What else is new?" and recalled his recent attempts to visit with women in the local bar scene. Decided disasters! When he finally arrived at the coach's office, he got the date entered into his pocket calendar, then nearly forgot about it.
Thursday morning came & went without incident for both of them, but when Steven came home he said, "Dad, Chuck's having a team sleep-over Friday night. It's ok if I go, isn't it?"
And Deb's daughter, Tiffany, came home with similar news, "Mom, Amber's mom is letting her have 6 girls over Friday, its ok for me to go isn't it."
When Joel got his calendar out to make the appropriate note, he rolled his eyes, worrying about how he could have come so close to forgetting about Deb. In any case, she would have to be called, because he would be later than they'd planned picking her up. When Deb's phone rang, Tiffany answered. "Mom, it's for you!" she yelled, before wandering over to the TV.
Deb picked up the receiver, expecting yet another tele-marketer, half cross already that her macaroni might boil over. Yet when Joel asked if she remembered him, her mind raced to her own calendar note, and she offered an off-hand, "Of course," then added, "But I'm going to have to ask you to pick me up an hour later, if that's ok. I have to take Tiff to a party. I'm sorry, I didn't know about it until an hour ago!" Of course Joel was delighted, and explained his situation to her, and commented that it was quite a coincidence that their schedules had 'just worked out' so well. Friday dawned, and for once, Deb wasn't needed at the school. She mused, "I guess all the teachers have used up their personal days!" On the spur of the moment, she called the Beauty College. "Yes, we do have an opening if you can be here at 9:30 sharp." When she got there, the beautician suggested a new hairdo, fuller than she normally wore, but she decided on the spot to be adventurous. When the job was done, she was surprised! Just for once, the hair on her head looked just like the hair on the model. And it even complimented her face! What she thought was overly-wide cheeks were slenderized, and her skinny chin made to blend in nicely.
When she got home, she went immediately to her closet. Her thoughts were bent on finding the right outfit to compliment the new highlights in her hair. Most of her clothes would do for school. After all, the only thing they asked was that you dress "proper". She laughed to herself… color coordination was NOT required! But in honor of her new hairdo, she wanted to be perfect! And there was that little number there in the back…
When Tiffany got home there was an hour of hectic activity before Deb was able to get her packed up & ready to go. Driving her over & back was a little crazy, because of all the town traffic, and took 45 minutes. "Oh well," she thought, "there's plenty of time."
In any case, it gave them a chance to talk, and Tiffany noted, "Nice do, Mom! Goin' out on a date?" The two of them laughed, because they both knew how seldom Deb dated. And Deb, suddenly remembering the heat in her cheeks last Tuesday, didn't want to change her daughter's perception. And she eyed her daughter, wondering just when would be the 'right time' to have 'the talk'.
Back at the house, Deb began to scurry, changing clothes, adding make-up and running the brush through her hair one last time before setting down in the living room, ready for Joel to come.
For his part, Joel had less to concern himself about. The dinner would be at the Country Club, and he would wear his blue sports coat. The trip across town to take Steven over to Chuck's house took longer than expected, but if he was quick, he could still make it to Deb's on time. When he arrived at her address, he was momentarily confused… which apartment was it? Was that a 6 or an 8 he had printed so tiny on his calendar? After he deciphered it (apartment 6) he ran up the steps lithely, his 6'2" frame betraying his athletic history.
And so it was, when she answered the doorbell, he still seemed the gallant warrior, while she had transformed her slender figure into a photographer's dream. They gazed at each other briefly and, unknown to them, shared a single thought, "He/She's hot!" Both were embarrassed at their own thought… and the attention their date gave them… and glanced away immediately, tints of rose tingeing their cheeks.
He offered her his arm, and their date began. The walk to his car was too slow… the trip to the club seemed too slow… their meal came & went too slow… and all the while the merest eye contact between them seemed to cause their breath to catch, their cheeks to beam, and their bodies to heat. Yet they each were so self-conscious that neither noticed their effect on the other.
On the way back to Deb's home, Joel wondered whether Deb would accept another date.
On the way back to her home, Deb wondered if Joel would ask her out again.