Fais do-do
This past Sunday, I decided to go to the local fairgrounds for a festival to benefit a local town. I showered and dressed in casual shorts and a "golf" shirt. It was a pretty day outside and I knew I would be outside all day so I dressed accordingly.
I was recently divorced after a 24-year marriage. I was out of the "dating scene" for way too long. Even if I had a flirting personality and I was only 53 years old, it was still a little awkward to be single again.
I arrived at the local fairgrounds and went to the covered pavilion where the band was playing. There was a large crowd, but there was plenty of dancing room. I immediately spotted an older lady that caught my attention. I usually notice a ladies hair first. I guess I feel that if they take the time to style their hair then they are usually someone who respects themselves and has good personal hygiene.
After noticing her hair, I took a quick look of the rest of her. She was about 5 feet tall and a little fluffy. She wore a little make up but she was not overly made up for a lady her age. I estimated she was in her mid to late 60's. She was very attractive for her age. I guess you can say she looked like the typical stereotyped Cajun grandmother.
She wore a pair of dark green slacks with a matching blouse and flats to match. Like I said earlier, she was a little fluffy meaning she was not skinny. I would describe her as a short, fluffy, healthy older lady.
As the band played our typical Swamp Pop genre, I watched as she mingled with another guest. Often, I would see her body moving to the music. I wanted to ask her to dance, but I was nervous to do so. A few times we accidently made eye contact and I would smile to let her know I acknowledged her. I was trying to build the courage to ask her to dance but each time I would start to make a move I would lose courage.
Finally, I decided now was the time. If I didn't make a move soon, I would lose the opportunity completely. I stood up and walked towards her. My plan was that if she moved or I lost my confidence I would continue walking to buy myself a beer.
Surprisingly, as I got near her, she noticed me and made eye contact. There was no turning back now. I introduced myself and asked if I could have the pleasure of this dance. She accepted my invitation and we walked to the dance floor.
Once we faced each other on the dance floor, she introduced herself as Barbara. She told me she had noticed I was looking at her and admitted she noticed me when I walked in. I confided to her that she caught my eye as I walked into the pavilion. I admitted I wanted to approach her but lost courage a few times. She said she was happy that I finally got the courage as she was curious of me also.
After the song was over, I walked her back to the area she was before the dance. We talked a while as the band played the next song. We were really having a nice conversation. Another song came on and it was a slower song so I politely said, Ms. Barbara, can I have this dance? Without hesitation she accepted and we walked to the dance floor again. As was faced each other, I put my right hand on her waist and my left hand in her right hand.
We continued talking as we danced. She told me that her friends called her Barb and she would like me to do the same. She also said I could drop the Ms. in front her name. We were getting along fine and I was really enjoying holding her. I did not want the song to end.
As the song ended and we began walking off the dance floor, the band started another song. I looked at Barb and asked if we could dance again. She smiled and said of course. So, we danced another song. In fact, we pretty much stayed on the dance floor the rest of the afternoon. Time passed by fast and I was not ready to let her go when the band announced its last song.
I told Barb we had been busy dancing and lost track of time. It was later than I anticipated staying and asked if she wanted to join me for dinner at a local restaurant. She responded with, sure let's make it a date.
Since we were both in separate vehicles, I asked her to meet me at the restaurant. Upon arriving, we walked in and were seated immediately. It did not seem like they were busy.
We ordered our meals and continued talking. We talked about what we had done in our lives.
I told her what I did for a living. I showed her pictures of the work I do that I had on my phone and she was impressed as most people are. We were so busy enjoying each other we hadn't noticed the waiter was already presenting our meals. I believe we talked more than we ate. She was such a pleasant conversationalist. She admitted that this was the most enjoyable day she has had in a very long time.
After we finished our meal, we continued talking. We weren't running out of conversation to say the least. She then said she didn't want to be too bold but she would like if I followed her home for more conversation. I did not have any other plans and nothing to do the next day so I accepted her invite. I asked if she wanted me to pick up anything on the way there. She said she had ice tea in the refrigerator and said she enjoys sitting on her back patio sipping tea. That sounded like a nice pleasant evening.
I followed her home. She lived in a nice neighborhood in a neighboring town. She had a nice modest home. It was well decorated like a typical grandmother's house.
As we walked through the house to the patio, I looked at the dΓ©cor and found her taste to be interesting. The patio was nice and comfortable. We sat at a table and talked about everything from the weather to current events.