Tina arrived at work in good spirits. She told Tommy that Greg would be picking her up after work. It bugged the young man that she kept telling him about Greg, but he wasn't sure what to do about that. If he told her, she might not talk with him at all.
Things were slow at the inn. Halfway through the night Tommy, in a free minute, phoned Donna. The phone rang three or four times, then someone answered.
"Hello?" The voice was feminine, but it wasn't Donna.
"Ah, hello. Is Donna there?" Tommy asked.
"Who may I say is calling?" the woman asked. Whoever she was, she wasn't very friendly, the young man thought.
"Ah...Tom...Tom Jackson," he replied. "I'm...I'm a friend of hers."
The woman said, "Just a minute." Tommy heard the phone being laid down and voices in the background.
"Tom?" Donna's voice came on.
"Ah...hi," Tommy said. "I-I was, you know...ah...wondering if, ah, if you wanted to go out with me after I get off work."
Tina had walked over and was listening. Tommy wasn't sure why, but it bugged him.
"Tonight?" Donna said. She sounded hesitant. "I..."
"Look, if you don't want to," Tommy said. He was confused by her hesitance and assumed she didn't want to go out with him again.
"It isn't that," Donna said quickly then her voice dropped to a whisper, "I have to convince my folks I'm going out with one of my girlfriends. They...they don't want me dating guys they haven't met...you know?"
"Oh," Tommy said. He'd forgotten her parents were stricter than most. "Look, I don't want to get you in trouble."
"I can't get the car," she said, "but I want meet you."
"I'll go home and get my car after work," Tommy said. "Where do you want me to pick you up?"
"How about down at the mall?" Donna asked. "Mom and Dad don't complain when I go down there. They think all I live for is shopping, anyhow."
"OK," Tommy said. "I'll see you at the mall a little after eleven." He put the phone down and turned.
Tina was grinning at him. "Hot date?" she asked.
Tommy felt his face getting hot. He nodded and said, "Sort of."
"Anyone I know?" Tina asked.
Tommy found her concern interesting. "Remember the girl in the sports car we saw the other night when I walked you home?" he replied.
"The skinny blonde?" Tina said.
"Yeah, that's her. Her name's Donna," the young man replied. He was pleased there was a trace of disapproval in Tina's voice. Could it possibly be she was a tiny bit jealous? "She's a friend of my cousin's."
"This something serious?" she asked.
Tommy shrugged. "I've only seen her a couple of times, " he said. "I don't know. We're just friends, I guess."
A customer signaled, and Tina left, ending the conversation. They didn't get a chance to talk any more that night, then Greg showed up near closing time.
"You ready to go?" he asked Tina, who was helping set up the tables for the next day.
"I'll be ready in a minute," she replied. "I've got to finish this."
Greg frowned. "Why don't you let the kid do it?" he said. "I have reservations for us at the Biloxi."
"I can't let all this work for Tommy," Tina told him and continued working. "You'll have to wait until I'm done."
Tommy already didn't like Greg, and the man's attitude this night didn't do anything to win him over. "Why does she let him boss her around like that?" he wondered. "I wouldn't treat her like that...that asshole does." He continued working, taking his time. He glanced across the room at Greg, who was pacing and looking very put out. "He's such an asshole!" the young man thought.
They finally finished and Tina left with Greg.
"Tina's new young man, he is very impatient, isn't he?" Mr. Dreisbach commented as the door closed behind them.
"I think he's a jerk," Tommy said. "I don't know what she sees in him."
"Some girls, they think that they can't be so choosy once they get divorced," Mrs. Dreisbach commented. She'd just come out of the kitchen. "I was worried after my divorce that no other man would want me. Then I met Poopsie, here..." She gave her furiously blushing husband a hug. "I was lucky, I tell you."
"Ah...yeah, I guess you were," Tommy said. "Look, I have to get going. I have a date."
"Sehr gut," Mr. Dreisbach said. "I wondered about that. You work too much, I think. A young man your age, he needs to play sometimes. Play is good for you."
"See you tomorrow night," Tommy said, heading for the door.
"Come, Poopsie," Tommy heard Mrs. Dreisbach say, "let's go home, yes? We're not so oldt. We can play, too."
Tommy was surprised to find his aunt's house dark when he got there. He wasn't sure how his aunt would react to his taking the car, but it didn't seem to be a problem since she wasn't there to object. He went inside to get the keys and found a note.
"Tommy, Bud and I have gone out for dinner," the note said. "We might not be home until late, so don't wait up," it continued. His aunt had signed her name, followed by a little happy face. Tommy grinned. Maybe introducing his aunt to Bud Murtagh was a good idea.
Tommy got the car and headed for the mall. He parked the car in the huge lot and walked to the mall's main entrance. Donna was standing just inside the entrance, looking a little nervous.
"Hi," she said softly when Tommy approached. She was wearing a light tan shirtdress that buttoned down the front and had a black belt around the waist. Several of the top buttons were open, and when she walked toward him, he noticed quite a few of the buttons on the skirt were undone as well. A lot of shapely tan leg showed as she moved. He could see why her folks worried about her. He was glad she'd come. It was time he started going out with girls his age.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, "cleaning up took longer than I expected."
Donna smiled. "I don't mind," she said softly. "Besides, you aren't that late."
"Want to go for a walk?" Tommy asked. As late as it was, there weren't many places to go. And he didn't feel like sitting in an all-night diner or donut shop.