Saturday evening, Nov 4, 2028
I had just arrived at the house, the blind date that Michelle had arranged for me, trying to get enough courage to actually press her doorbell button. My mind wanted to turn and run, all the way back to Boise, then lay in my bed alone until some long time in the future, when morning came. My legs were too damn wobbly, though. I'm not sure I'd have made it to the Jeep.
I had surprised myself a lot in the last months. I've had lovers, four to be exact, four beautiful women. But always with Addie there to encourage, to catch me when I fell. I had never felt so alone as I did standing in front of that door with my finger an inch from the doorbell. Every insecurity I've ever had about women was back, times ten!
It was actually getting worse the longer I stood there, holding that vase of red roses. Why red, I wondered? The flower girl had specifically insisted on red. Why? I was just about to give up, force my legs to work enough to get me back to the Jeep when the door opened.
"Matt?" her sweet, melodious voice asked.
My God, she was beautiful! I'm not sure how long I stood there, my mouth gaping, being a complete fool; exactly what I feared would happen. I handed her the roses.
"Thank you, they're beautiful. Come in?"
My mouth still hadn't been able to form a word. If I'd thought my heart rate was bad a few minutes ago, it had multiplied by probably a factor of ten in the last few seconds.
I stepped across her threshold and finally found enough courage to utter a single word, "Ginger?"
"Mmhmm, that's me," the beautiful creature said. Her voice sounded like 'ginger'.
She took my hand with one of her soft hands and led me inside where she set the flowers down on a little table. "That was thoughtful, I love them."
Some actual words, "You're welcome." I'm not sure how it sounded, probably like I felt, scared to death.
She giggled. Why do girls do that? She turned toward me and kissed me on the cheek. God, she smelled nice, so feminine, but different than Addie... or any of the women I've known. I can't even begin to describe it, except maybe, heavenly... like her.
"You're a little nervous. It's okay. So am I. I've never done this, either."
"Thank you, it's just..." I didn't even know what to say, "I've always been a little intimidated by a beautiful woman."
"Why thank you! I'll take that as a wonderful compliment."
She was, too. Beautiful, I mean. She had on a long green gown with a slit up to her thigh, teasing at her legs... and even higher... even a little past her thigh. Long, shiny red hair all the way to her waist, covering her very bare, back, all the way to a deep 'V' reaching even below where her panties would have been... if she had been wearing any. Between that 'V' and the slit up her leg, there was no way.
She looked older, but I'm a lousy judge of a woman's age. All I knew for sure was that she was beautiful... and that long red hair...
I wanted to touch her, anywhere, even her arm. I'd felt her hand on mine briefly and it was so soft; long, thin fingers. She wasn't as tall as Kayla, but close.
She caught me staring. "You like what you see?" I saw her eyes quickly scanning me up and down. I started to answer her, tell her that I liked very much what I saw, when she went on, "So do I. You're a very handsome man." Her hand, the one that had touched mine a couple of minutes earlier, rubbed up and down the front of my jacket, "Very nice. It feels good," then a smile crossed her face."Sexy," she said.
My mouth finally began to function, at least a little. It was suddenly so dry, "I never expected... for you to be so beautiful. Your dress is..." I couldn't even think of a word. "Incredible," I finally said.
It was, too: green and shimmery like an emerald, a thin strap halter style around her neck, shoulders and arms bare, back, bare, triangular opening exposing a tight, bare tummy.
"You're kind," she said, "I haven't worn this for a long time. Thank you for the opportunity, I like it, too."
"May I?... Touch it, I mean?"
She took my hands and placed them on each side of her waist, rubbing them up and down a little. So soft, silky. Hell, who am I kidding... sexy!
"That feels nice. You have a nice touch," she said.
'I' have a nice touch? God!
"Shall we go?" she asked, "I think you have a reservation?"
Her suggestion broke the trance I was in. "Yes, let's." I took her hand. God, even that small gesture seemed like a giant leap into the abyss. I led her to the Jeep. Thankfully, I'd cleaned it out and vacuumed it. I opened the passenger door for her.
"I love these, always wanted to ride in one," she said, sliding in. I tried to not obviously stare as that slit on her dress gaped open revealing her bare leg and hip in all their sexy glory.
I closed her door, then walked around to my side, elated. This was going to be an incredible evening! I already felt like even if I made a fool out of myself, she'd laugh it off and enjoy the little joke.
She'd rearranged her dress so her leg was covered again by the time I got in my side. But the damage had already been done. My blood flow had already been redirected and I was struggling to not show the erection that had developed. "You know where Michael's is?" I asked her, trying to be nonchalant about my horniness.
"I do. It's on George Washington Way, down by the river."
I followed her directions, only a couple miles and easy to find, once you knew where it was, that is. When we arrived, I marveled at it. It looks like an old-time railroad car, what were they called? I couldn't think of it, but it was gorgeous, sitting on a section of railroad track.
I parked and opened Ginger's door as a gentleman should, at least when he's trying to impress the pretty woman that he's not a klutz. I escorted Ginger, with my hand on her bare back, feeling a surge of adrenaline in my nether region when I touched her.
There's a plaque on the wall by the front door saying it's a restored 1947 Pullman dining car. Once inside, it was fabulous; polished wood walls, straight out of a Cary Grant movie scene. It overlooks the Columbia River Parkway with a beautiful view. The lighting was dim, tables set with a white tablecloth and flower setting, with soft music playing in the background. I don't think I'd ever seen a restaurant more cozy and romantic; perfect for accompanying the beautiful lady with me.
The hostess, an older woman with a gorgeous gown, I assumed matching the era of the railroad car, seated us at a table along the wall overlooking the river. "I used to come here once in a while with my husband," Ginger said, "we loved it."
"Used to?" I asked her, "you don't anymore?"
She got a brief very sad look on her face and told me, "Unfortunately, my husband, Eric, passed away four years ago."
Oh my God, I thought! "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" I'd assumed she had a husband and they enjoyed her dating others as Addie and I did.
"It's okay. I still miss him, but I'm pretty well over his death. He was a high school math teacher. We'd accompanied a group of students on a field trip to the State Capital, in Olympia. While we were there, he had a heart attack." She looked down, "He didn't survive it." She smiled, "But don't worry, I'm not going to try and steal you away from your wife. Michelle told me you're very happily married to a beautiful woman."
"I am and thank you for telling me that... about your husband, I mean."
We had a wonderful dinner. It was hard keeping my eyes off of my date. I couldn't ever remember seeing a woman with prettier hair. And those green eyes were mesmerizing.
We talked about how Addie and I had met Robert and Michelle. Ginger said that she and Robert had gone to high school together and how she'd had a crush on him but was too bashful to do anything about it; then when they met several years later, found out he'd had a crush on her, too... and been too bashful.
I found that interesting. The Robert we met certainly hadn't seemed bashful.