Chapter 02: Another Surprise
This is a continuation (Ch. 2) of
"What?", said Darla, interrupting my broad grin.
I had a little adrenaline rush, but then blurted out, "Just people blabbing about how bad the mall crowds are today. What did they expect?" I went to the bathroom a little later and responded, "my schedule is clear ;-)". Delete thread.
The long holiday weekend came to an end and the workdays passed, but it was hard to concentrate. Jenny had played into so many fantasies over the last two months I was struggling with a little mania. I had so many ideas that I wanted to test, and nearly all of them could be humiliating for me, or even cause trouble. But every time I started to reign in my imagination I was reminded that she reached out to me, not the other way around.
Finally, on that Thursday evening I received a follow-up text, "I've got a surprise. I'll come by at 8pm tomorrow, okay?" Darla and Susan were catching a train earlier that afternoon at 3pm.
I put all concerns and reservation aside and simply replied, "you bet."
I probably started pacing a full 15 minutes before she said she'd arrive. I dressed casually, but with a collared shirt, in case she wanted to go elsewhere. I opened a bottle of wine and was well into my second glass when I heard a knock at the door. Carrying my glass, I opened the door and saw two smiling faces.
Jenny greeted me with "Hello John (big smile), this is Lauren."
Lauren was almost identical in her physique to Jenny: somewhat athletic, curvy but firm, and light brown hair below her shoulders. Both were dressed a little oddly for early December in Maryland - medium skirts and sparkly, sleeveless tops. They were also about the same height of maybe 5'8" or 5'9".
I stepped aside and said only, "Welcome." I took a deep breath and regained composure.
Lauren entered first, lifted the glass from my hand and started to look around as Jenny lingered just inside the door. As I closed the door, Jenny looked into my eyes and then moved closer, and as she closed her eyes she said, "Play along okay?" and planted a very, emotional kiss - not gentle but certainly not sloppy or exaggerated.
I didn't want to or have to think. "Okay!" I said with moderated enthusiasm.
I followed Jenny into the kitchen where Lauren waited. I could now see Lauren's eyes and a really pleasant smile, and her top revealed more than I noticed at the door. I was navigating this with a little caution and stayed well out of arm's reach from Lauren. Ignoring my open bottle on the counter, she had opened another bottle of wine from her bag. She spun around and then returned, handing a half-full glass to each of us before returning to pour her own.
Jenny explained, "Lauren is a very special friend, and we were talking on the night after her birthday. She just turned 22 and was telling me about her plans and her goals, and one special curiosity."
I turned to look at Lauren who maintained a very broad but somehow shy smile as she glance back and forth between Jenny and me.
Jenny continued, "I immediately thought of you, and realized that I've not been very good about keeping in touch with you. All in all, this seemed like a very appropriate time to reconnect. But! I've got a errand to run, and I'll let Lauren explain!" With that, she put down her glass after only one sip and reached for her keys. "I'll be back!" she said with a big, enthusiastic smile, pivoted and walked toward the door.
Lauren and I watched her walk away, and as she reached the door, Lauren said only, "By sweetie" and then turned to me. Still outside of arms reach she said, "So John, I am sorry to spring this on you, and this is waaaaay outside my norm, but Jenny insisted."
I was playing along with anticipation, and turned to make sustained eye contact. "I'm all ears."
"Well that's just it," she said, "I need a combination of things, and a good listener is right at the top of the list. Jenny said you would be. Let's go back to the kitchen."
I was a little deflated, hoping this wasn't about something legal, or money, or worse, a breakup story. But I tilted my head, trying to seem caring but not paternalistic, "I'm glad to help."
We got to the kitchen table and I sat a friendly but respectful distance, perpendicular to her. "Well!," she began, but taking a big breath to gain composure. "I was telling Jenny, that I'm now 22, and while I absolutely adore her, I have never been with a man and wasn't even sure how to talk to a man about this." She looked down, and there was a sustained pause.
Then she fidgeted a little - a false start - so I interrupted. "You certainly have my curiosity, and I already have lots of questions, but if it's a listener you want, I'll wait for you to invite my questions."
She blushed a little, but quickly replied, "See that's exactly how we came to be here. Jenny said that I could think or talk through this with you out loud, and there wouldn't be any games or big assumptions. I need to ask you something as a man, but not as a date, or a prospective boyfriend or something more. Is that all right?"