It was September, and a tradition in our company that a social gathering for the employees was held in the fall of each year. Our office was a regional center for an insurance company, and we had about forty employees. Most of us knew each other, and I really didn't socialize with my fellow workers much outside of office hours.
My name is Joe - really, Joseph Carnavo. I'm twenty four, and been with the company for two years. I was never much of a extrovert, and my social life after college has really been pretty limited. I live alone in my own apartment, and I suppose people think of me as a bit of a nerd - in the last couple of years I've rarely dated, and girls don't tend to call me. I'm a bit smallish, and surely no athlete - nothing anybody would call a "hunk". My time is spent on my computers, a few male friends, and my bicycle club, which I joined a few weeks ago to go some outdoor activity. Most of the group are either older people or married couples, though.
In our office we have more women than men, though most of the women are either married or at least matched up with somebody. There's one girl, Diane, who's a real class act, and I suppose I might be attracted to her - she doesn't seem to be attached, but she's popular and has a rugged social life. I suppose that the real reason I never approached her is that I'm just afraid she wouldn't be interested in me. I don't have that much to offer. There's another unattached girl, and that's Susan. She's maybe a little older than me, and I didn't think she ever went out with anyone. She's in a wheelchair, and can't walk at all. She's really not bad looking; but she's no beauty, either; and she has this one leg that's a bit deformed. I suppose that's why she can't walk. I never asked. She's friendly enough, but I didn't think she had much social life. How could she?
The manager, that's a Mr. Evans, told us this year he planned a Saturday evening party for us in a special place - about fifty miles away. It seems he had a friend, or an old client, or someone, who had this big house out in the country, on the river bank. It sounded like a really classy place. Anyway, he was going away on a vacation in Europe or somewhere, and had offered to let us have the party in his place, and Mr. Evans took him up on it. So now the boss has arranged a catered dinner, with waiters and maids, and an open bar (though he warned us to go easy on the drinks if we're driving home), and a band with some singers. He told us just a couple of weeks ahead, and really wanted all of us to come.
Well, last year I didn't come. I didn't have anyone to come with, and it seemed I would be just a kind of an extra- just an embarrassment to everyone else. Two years ago I did attend, and it really wasn't bad. So now I had to decide if I would go.
I mentioned it to my friend Bob, who had the next cubicle. "Oh, come on, Joe - liven up a bit. You'll have a good time. Most of us will be there, and you won't be bored!"
"Yeah - most of us. Anybody you think is not coming, besides me, if I don't get there. I mean, will I stand out later because everyone knew I didn't show up?"
"Oh, come off it, Joe. There may be a couple of people who won't show up - maybe because they have other engagements. On somebody like Susan, who probably never goes anywhere, anyhow. Be there - you'll be sorry if you don't!"
I thought about it. Then, what started making my mind itch a little was what he said about Susan. Now, there's a thought. Nobody probably asked Susan to go anywhere. If I did ask her, she'd probably refuse, anyway; but wouldn't it look great if some guy invited that poor girl? She probably would have a hard time getting there anyway - I don't think she drives, and she gets to work by riding with a woman friend who works in another office.
The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. So what if Susan rejected me? I didn't really expect her to say yes, but it would make me look like a good guy if I did ask her.
So I gave it a try. I went over to her desk, when no one else was near. "Susan", I asked, "you know we have the office party coming up next Saturday - at that classy place Evans has been talking about. I'm thinking about going, and, well, right now I don't have anyone going with me, and I just wondered if you might like to--"
I stammered a bit. I didn't want it to sound fake. It wasn't, after all, the best worded invitation to a date. I suppose it even sounded like she was about the last choice. Well, she was the only choice, for me. I was really afraid to ask anyone else.
Susan stopped her work and sat up straight. She looked me straight in the eye, staring in what I took as unbelief. "You are asking me to go with you?" she said, obviously surprised.
"Of course, if you already have a date, or something else to do--" I probably didn't sound too organized.
"Oh, no! Not at all. Joe, I'd love to go with you! I'm just surprised you asked me!"
It seemed I had a date for the party. I did get organized enough to check with her later about where I should pick her up, and how I could manage her wheelchair. She wasn't worried at all, assured me she could get from the chair into my car, with just a bit of help from me; and that we could put her "wheels", as she called it, in the trunk.
I figured it would an adventure. I didn't really see her as anything particularly sexy, but she would be female companionship, and really all that I was sure I could get. I did feel good about asking her.
Saturday came. I was to pick her up at five o'clock, as the party was set for seven and we had a long drive. The affair was kind of formal, at least not casual, so I dressed in a good suit. I did have sense enough to get her some flowers, and I went to get her. I was, in fact, a bit early.
I learned she lived with a female roommate in a small apartment. I arrived, and knocked on the door, expecting to wait a bit. She was ready, and did she ever look different from the way she was in the office!
She had on this long white dress, and a matching jacket. Her hair was fixed up in a way I had never seen it before, and it looked really nice. Her messed up leg was covered by the long skirt of her dress, and to look at her you wouldn't know it was anything but normal. She was wearing a bit of make-up, more than I had noticed in the office, and she had the biggest smile I ever saw on her.
"Joe, I want you to meet Frankie, my roommate!" Frankie, standing behind Susan, offered her hand. Quickly, Susan started wheeling herself toward the door. "Now, it's quite a ride, so let's go before you decide to trade me in for Frankie!" she joked.
She was turning out to be a more attractive companion than I had anticipated. She needed little help, and took little. We went down the lift, and to my car, Susan wheeling herself with no help from me. We got to the car, where I opened the door. She managed to slide herself into the front seat, asking me only to hold the door for her and steady her by one arm. Once inside, she instructed me on how to fold up her wheelchair, which I did and then stowed it in the trunk.
We were off. She was the most attractive date I'd had in a long time, which really isn't saying much for me, but I was glad I had asked her. She looked quite attractive, and was turning out to be interesting to talk to, as we went on the drive.
By the time we arrived at the party site, I felt I knew her a lot better. She was turning out to be a lot more fun than I had thought. With just a little help, she got into her chair and then we went up to the house.
Inside, we immediately joined the party, as a number of the people had already arrived. Many of the employees came with a spouse or significant other, so the number included a lot of people I hadn't met. I stayed at first with Susan, but it became apparent that she could manage quite well without me, so at times I strayed, trying to circulate a bit, or at least look like I was socializing.
The party included an open bar and a buffet. Susan declined any of the hard stuff, so I got her a large soft drink. As for myself, I needed to avoid alcohol because I was driving and I had a special concern this night for Susan - I didn't want her to think I was irresponsible.
Every time I got back to Susan, someone had given her a soft drink, or fruit juice, or something to munch on. She seemed to be mixing in well - much better than I was.
I explored the place a bit. The party was mostly in a large room on the ground floor, but the house was a split level with several rooms up a few steps, and some of the party was spilling over into that area. On the higher level was a room people were obviously using to store coats and things, and the bathrooms were there, too. There was an upstairs, but most of that was closed off, although a sign indicated there were two more bathrooms up there the guests were free to use.
By eight, there were close to a hundred guests there, and the place was jumping. The band was playing, the food kept coming on, and the catering staff kept plying the guests with drinks. Everybody seemed to be having a good time. Even I was, as Bob had told me. I liked to look around the house, and I did so in the company of one of the women guests. She pointed out things to me I might have missed, like the art work on which she seemed to be a bit of an authority. As we passed the stairs, I noted several people going up. "Is there anything up there to see?" I asked her.
"No, not really. Mostly bedrooms, and they're closed off. People are just going up to use the bathrooms. There's a line for the ones down here!" she pointed to the middle level.
