By Paris Waterman
Copyright 2003
Eight – The First Date
Rosa had Kathy's dinner ready almost an hour early, prompting Kathy to ask what was going on. Having no idea that her daughter had witnessed her and Dutch frolicking in bed earlier, Rosa was a little flip in answering.
"Got a date."
"With the guy you were screwing this morning?"
"What!"
Kathy blithely ignored her mother and turned a page of People's magazine.
Frozen in time and space, Rosa forced herself to react and firmly said, "Kathy, what did you just say to me?"
The teenager closed the magazine and looked directly at her mother. Her eyes were defiant. "I saw the two of you this morning," she said coldly.
Rosa recovered well enough to respond, "Did you? Well if I have anything to say about it you'll be seeing a lot more of him."
"Well I hope he has his clothes on when I do," she spat out and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her and fell sobbing on her bed.
Rosa gave her a minute then entered the room. She sat on the edge of the bed and tried to comfort the girl. "Kathy, I didn't mean for you to see us like that. But it happened. We may have something beautiful going. His name is Bob, but he prefers Dutch. We like each other very much and God knows we could use a man around here."
Still full of rebellion, Kathy went for the heart, "Yeah, you were sure using him this morning, mother."
Angered by her daughter's attack, Rosa forgot to be diplomatic and shot back, "He may be moving in with us, so get used to it." Then left the room slamming the door behind her for emphasis, with Kathy's crying ringing in her ears.
Rosa took a long, hot shower and when she came out she had calmed down and was ready to deal with Kathy, but her daughter remained in her room until Rosa left for her date with Dutch.
***
Dutch Perry was on time, and to his surprise, Rosa was ready to leave when she answered the door.
"You look great," he said, as he held the door of his battered Volvo open for her. She was looking into her purse when he viciously kicked the driver's side door and startled her, causing her to drop her lipstick.
"What the hell?" Rosa blurted out, "Are you hurt?"
He smiled at her. "No, I have this habit . . . a superstition really, that by putting a dent in the car every time I get in or out brings me good luck."
"And . . . this denting, does it work?"
"I met you didn't I?"
"I can't argue that," Rosa said, unable to contain a smile. She got into the car; made sure he got a good glimpse of her legs, and found herself laughing by the time he was turning the ignition to start the car.
He noticed her amusement, but promptly forgot it as he recalled her present. "Oh, almost forgot. I got you something," he said handing her a single white rose.
Rosa melted. "Oh, I love roses of any kind, but I think the white ones are the prettiest."
"I got it in honor of your name," he said softly.
"Thank you, Dutch, it's beautiful," she felt her eyes tearing.
"Its nothing compared to you," he grinned and kissed her free hand.
Her heart leapt.
Pleased with how the date had begun, he asked, "So, how was your day?
"I'll tell you, but I wish you hadn't asked."
Dutch kicked himself for having asked what might have been a very dumb question.
"That bad, eh?"
Rosa hadn't heard him. She was busy formulating her recent experience so that she didn't come out the bad guy.
"My daughter, Kathy, she just turned eighteen . . . she caught us last night. She waited until this afternoon when she got home from school to throw it up to me." Then she gave him all the details.
"Ouch!" He said, picturing the conversation and rubbed his jaw.
She leaned to him and kissed him on the cheek. "She'll get over it. I just wish that the two of you might have met under better circumstances. I know her hormones are running wild and I'm doing everything I can think of to keep her a virgin for at least another year. And look what I do as an example."
"I'm sure she'll understand. I bet she tells her best friend about it and they rationalize it and tomorrow she'll act like nothing happened."
"And you expect me to let her actions pass?"
"It seems to me you lost any momentum you had when you stormed out of her room and took that shower. Furthermore, you didn't reopen the subject after the shower, now I'm not saying you're at fault here, but allowing her to stay in her room until you left might have been a tactical error."
She bit her lip and studied his face. "I suppose you're right." But she was thinking, 'This guy seems to understand women to some extent; that bears watching.'
"Hey, I could also be dead wrong. Just remember sweetheart, time wounds all heels."
Not sure she'd heard him correctly; Rosa started to say, "Isn't that . . ."
"Just checking," he laughed. "Its time heals all wounds, but I like my version better."
Starting to feel much better about things, Rosa relaxed for the first time since the confrontation. "So . . . where are we going on our all important fist date?"
"There's this terrific motel with mirrored ceilings . . ."
She cuffed his arm and began to laugh. "Come on, really."
"You ready for a movie?"
"You bet," Rosa smiled.
They made small talk on the way to the theatre. The theatre was only a mile away, so they didn't say all that much. After the movie, a romantic comedy, they decided to get something to eat at a place roughly three miles away.
When he finished parking the car, Dutch put his arm around Rosa and moved as if to kiss her. She met him halfway. It was a short one, but the kiss left Rosa wet between the legs.