Irma looked for Victor the next day in the university cafeteria. She asked the supervisor of the cleaning staff when his next shift was, and found out that he'd be there later that afternoon.
She came back after her workout, at about 3 PM, dressed modestly in comfortably-fitting jeans and a sweater. Her cheeks had a rosy glow from the 2 hours of weights and aerobics she'd just pushed herself through.
There he was, in the corner of the cafeteria, awkwardly carrying a load of messy food trays towards the garbage.
Victor was about 5'10" as well, but looked shorter due to his stooped posture. He had an uneven gait, not due to a leg injury, but because of brain damage from the accident. He tended to avert his gaze downwards most of the time, partly due to extreme shyness, and partly again due probably to the head injury. Also he tended to have his neck twisted a bit to the left, a kind of mild spasticity.
"Hi Victor" Irma said, approaching him from the side.
Victor was extremely surprised, and in a typically clumsy reaction, dropped his handful of trays. "Hi, Orma" he said, shyly, as he fumbled to clean up the mess on the floor. She could see his hands shaking coarsely with anxiety.
"Oh, I'm sorry to startle you, Victor" she said, helping him pick up the trays. "I had just noticed you working here, and I was wondering if you had time to join me for coffee..."
He was completely taken aback, of course. She was gently looking straight into his eyes, with a warm smile. He peeped his head up, but was speechless. He couldn't find any words to say, too anxious to say the yes that he wanted.
She understood completely. "Victor, how about if I come pick you up at your house tonight at about 6:00 PM, and we'll go for a bite to eat...you live on 23rd Avenue still, right? I looked you up in the phone book!"
After another awkward pause, she saw his eyes light up a little bit, but again he was unable to say anything. He managed to sort of nod a little.
"Good then" she said, "I'll see you at 6".
He was a quivering mass of anxiety and doubt. He was so shaky that he couldn't really carry on with his work, but he struggled through anyways until his shift ended at 4. Once he got home, he told his parents that a visitor was coming at 6. He still lived with his parents, of course, who were very protective of him. His parents were very conservative, and didn't really understand that it was a beautiful young woman visiting him intending to go with him on a date. They immediately started setting an extra place at the family dinner table, to make room for the new guest.
At exactly 6 Irma arrived and rang the doorbell. Victor answered, pulling the door open slowly. He was wearing loose work pants and a plaid shirt (he was badly in need of some fashion advice from her, among other things!).
She said hello with a big smile, but again Victor was too nervous to say very much. He gestured for her to come in, again quite awkwardly.
The smell of overdone roast beef eminated from the kitchen, where his parents could be heard bustling with activity. The living room was next to the kitchen, and had 70's style plush flowery furniture. Victor sat down on a soft living room chair, and Irma came to sit down across the room on the couch.
Irma knew she was going to be stuck here for dinner, with an anxious silent Victor, and his old-fashioned parents. She knew she had to do something to spice things up a bit.