I shimmied into my shorts and assessed my outfit in the mirror. The striped tank top showed off my38H chest perfectly. My new bright blue shorts drew attention to my long legs, which were shapely enough to make up for my firm, but small, ass. Sweater in hand I grabbed a necklace from on top of the dresser and ran out the door. At 5'10" this was admittedly a fairly large amount of skin to be showing on a first date, but I had spent too long nit-picking over my outfit and was running late.
The butterflies in my stomach were working overtime as I sat on the train wondering what Lee would be like. We had met online and only talked briefly; neither of us really believed in prolonging that sort of thing. 'I just want him to be interesting!' I thought, reminiscing on the last few dates I'd been on. Trying to force all thoughts of my continuing dry spell back into the recesses of my mind where they belonged. Failing, my best friend Angela's heckling voice popped into my head, telling me that if it lasted much longer I might end up celibate forever. Not helpful. The conductor's voice over the intercom interrupted my thoughts and I left the red line, butterflies still in tact.
The worst part was always trying to identify these people for the first time. Of course, I always had an idea what they looked like prior, but that never seemed to make it any easier. Walking up to the courtyard I was happy to see that most of the people already there were in groups of two or three. Bingo! Lee's beard and short black hair gave him away..
"Hi, you must be Lee! I'm Jenna."
"Hey Jenna, nice to meet you. I thought we could go to this outdoor bar near the water; it's really close."
"Ooh, that's a great idea! The weather is amazing and I've been trying to soak it all in before fall comes."
"I have a friend that works there. I think it's supposed to sucker people into taking those whale watching tours, but it's nice during the off-hours."
We got a table at the small outdoor patio and ordered our drinks. Conversation was pleasant. I talked about moving into my new place and getting ready to start my final year of graduate school. He told stories about the rugby team he played with when he wasn't busy working and ordering pitchers of mimosas at road-side diners. Finishing our cocktails we paid our tab and left for an indoor bar with delicious champagne cocktails and a delightfully large appetizer list. We continued, things felt relaxed and easy; I noticed my butterflies had long since disappeared. It was easy to feel comfortable around Lee, his short beard and dark hair contrasted with his green eyes and friendly smile. His black t-shirt hugged his fit chest in a way that made me bite my lower lip unconsciously. Deciding that rugby was a fabulous sport, I appreciated his strong, but not overly muscular 5'11" frame.
"So, uhh, I think I'm going to head home. I've got work tomorrow, you know how it is. I've got beer at home though, if you'd like to join me for a drink. If you can't, I understand" he offered. The sweetness and underlying awkwardness he clearly felt melted me into a puddle instantly.
"Yeah, that sounds nice" I answered dripping off my stool and pooling onto the floor.
The cab ride was short and we were soon at his apartment. As we walked up to the third floor, I quickly realized that allowing me to go first was less about being a gentleman and more about getting a good view as we climbed the stairs. Trying to make it a good show, I made sure to wiggle my ass as I went. He showed his appreciation by giving me a pat on the ass as he stepped by me to open the door. Drinks and conversation continued as we sat in his room, growing more comfortable with each other.
"I have a rooftop deck," he mentioned as he mixed our second drinks.
"We can go up there, if you want."
"I'm in!" I said, not a girl who can turn down something as impressive as a rooftop deck.
