I had been divorced for two years when my friend Michael took me on a date. It wasn't supposed to end up the way it did, though...
Let me explain. My ex-husband and I started dating when we were in our teens, and were married for five years, so there I was: a twenty-seven year old who'd never dated as an adult. Michael pointed this out while he helped me repaint my kitchen.
"You're a babe in the woods, Jeanette," he said calmly, from up on the ladder. There was a tray of paint on the shelf. Michael hadn't let me paint from the ladder, not because I'd hurt myself, but because I would have knocked the tray off immediately, all over the hardwood floors we hadn't taped off.
"What is there to know?" I said. "They pay for everything and maybe I let them kiss me on the front porch."
Michael laughed. He looked like me, with dark hair and electric blue eyes, and pale skin. He was a carpenter, though, strong and methodical, and I was the art teacher. As kids, we'd been neighbors, and because he was slightly older than me, he was my protector. He'd been like a brother to me. My ex had been one of Michael's good friends, but the night after I called Michael in tears for the first time over my husband's infidelitiesβ well, Michael showed up at my parents' doorstep with a black eye and gave me a big hug. You should have seen the other guy, he said, and I knew it wasn't right, but it felt good to know he was there for me.
"How about this. Let me take you on a practice date. I'll pick you up at seven on Friday night. We act like we've just met."
Worst case scenario? I'd get to hang out with my best friend. I shrugged. "Ok. Why not."
***
Friday came, and by seven, I was surprisingly nervous. First off, I couldn't figure out what I was going to wear. There were two dresses I had picked out. My favorite was a flirty pink number that set off my tan skin, but the fabric was too thin to wear a bra and if I got even the slightest chill, my nipples were visible. The other was navy with a short hem that showed off my long legs. I got into the latter.
Don't laugh, but I'd taken a shower and for the first time since the divorce, I shaved my pussy. It took a while. That's how my ex-husband had liked it, rubbing his thumb over my bare mons. That's how I liked it, too. Visually it was nice, and shaving made it more sensitive. Sure, this was only a practice date, but I justified it because it made me feel like I was going on an actual date. It's important to be in the right mindset, I told myself.
I answered the door in my jacket, purse on my arm.
Michael frowned. "What are you wearing?"
"A dress," I said.
"Let's see."
After he made me unbutton my coat, he gave a nod. "What else do you have?"
"What do you mean?" I said. "I chose this."
After some discussion, he made me go change into the pink thing. The temperature had dropped from the open door, and my nipples poked out. I pointed out that this dress was a little...revealing. Michael waved away my objections without seeming to notice.
"This time answer the door with no coat. You don't want to look like you were waiting. That'll make you seem too eager, make it look like he has the advantage."
The doorbell rang. I opened it. "Hi. I'm Jeanette."
"Michael," he said, and we shook hands. I let him in, and offered him a drink. Walking to the bar, I got out the rocks glass for his customary whiskey, but he surprised me by asking for a martini. My hand hovered over the gin bottle. Walking around the house with his hands in his pockets, he looked at my art as if he'd never seen it before.
"Olive? Or onion?" I asked as he examined the still life hanging above the fireplace.
"Olive," he said, and lowered his voice. "And make it dirty."
As I sloshed a bit of juice from the jar of olives into the shaker, I blushed. How many secrets had we shared over the years? Yet this was the time I had heard that secretive voice. This is how he sounds to other women, I thought. He's dead sexy.
"I'm going to finish getting ready," I said, handing him the glass, and scampered to the bathroom where I patted down my damp pussy with a tissue. My face was burning. Once I'd composed myself, I went back into the living room where Michael was swirling his drink around his glass with a thoughtful expression. He smiled.
"You have to keep your cool," he said.
I picked up my jacket and shot a cold look. "Ready?"
On the drive to the restaurant, he asked me to tell him about myself. I told him I was twenty-eight, an artist. I liked to travel, and had been to Australia in the last year. My favorite food was Thai. I had an ex-husband who was a lying sack ofβ
Michael stopped me, gently. That wasn't fun to hear about on a first date. The spot he had picked was casual and cozy, with a string of small booths alongside a beautiful bar. I suggested we sit up there, rather than get a table. Michael nodded, and took my jacket to hang beside his on a coat tree. Sitting side by side is more intimate than face to face, and we could still see each other in the mirror behind the bottles of liquor. Michael had another martini, and I got a glass of red wine.
"It'll make your teeth pink," he said, reading the menu.
"If my date doesn't like pink teeth, he can take a hike."
Michael smiled, and we shared a starter plate. The bartender brought a small board with olives, cheese, pate, and some crackers. I didn't mention my ex again. I asked him about himself. I'd never heard Michael describe himself before. I was surprised at how humble he made himself sound, how down to earth. His amazing carpentry turned into mere handyman work, his volunteer job into a casual two hours every week.
"You're selling himself short," I said. "No wonder you haven't had a girlfriend in years. You should tell your dates the truth. You love cooking, and karaoke, and hiking, and helping your friends. You're tall, and fit...and sexy."
"Maybe you think so," he said fed me an olive. His fingertips brushed my lips lightly, and I felt that rush again. Stop. Our food came then, to my relief. We ate and then he suggested we walk through town, get a nightcap.
"I bet you guys have great sex!" the street kid hollered at us, and Michael laughed and handed him a dollar. I blushed, felt a tingle. There was a bar down the street with a live band.
"Let's go in here," I said, pulling him towards the door. Inside was loud, with dim lights and a good band with a small dance floor in front of them. A few people were blues dancing very closely. My ex hated dancing, but I knew Michael couldn't resist, and in a second, he had me against him. Not as tight as the other people on the floor.