The Most Memorable Date

It was a cold and rainy night as I walked across the grass common area of my apartment complex, dressed in casual khaki pants and a black collared shirt. I was ten minutes late, and slightly stressed about it. I hate being late. I did have a good excuse, though (if there is such a thing). I had been at my parents house doing laundry and tending the kids. My laundry finished and I was out the door like a bullet. I broke about every speed limit law getting back home.

The show was starting at 7:30, doors opened at 7:00. It was now 7:10. I walked quickly. I was a man on a mission: get the girl and don't look like you sprinted to her apartment. I slowed down as I got closer to her place. I mounted the steps to go to the second floor and approached the door. I knocked my classic knock dut-da-da-dut-dut, put my hands in my coat pockets, and took a step back from the foreboding portal. I listened, as is my habit, for the approaching footsteps. Were they rushed? Were they heavy steps or light? I noticed a semi-rushed, normal weighted foot step approach the door and it opened, pouring light onto the stairway.

It was a face I had never seen before, one of the roommates. "Hi" I croaked. I mentally slapped myself for not getting a drink of water before I left my apartment and swallowed to relieve the dryness in my throat. "Come on in. She'll be out in just a sec" the woman says. I step inside onto the green carpet, close the door behind me, and stand by the door trying to relax.

I'm still a bit flustered from being late, but at least I sent her a text letting her know. I look around the apartment casually and notice a beautiful chair sitting on the table. It's about 2 feet tall, an off-white shade, with an intricate hand painting of flowers and vines spiraling up the legs and back rest. "Ah, this is the kind of art she's interested in" I think to myself. I admired the chair for a minute, then went back to my study of the random things lying about the apartment.

I heard a toilet flush. "You feeling better?" I hear the girl who answered the door say. I don't hear a reply, but feel sorry for the poor dear who must have just been worshipping the porcelain god Raulph. A sink turns on in the bathroom, and I hear someone brushing their teeth. Raulph must have been given quite the offering. The sink turns off and I glance towards the front bathroom to see the victim of the stomach ailment. (I'm sure you can guess by now who walks out, if you can't, read on)

Just then, to my surprise, my date walks out looking a bit pale and at the same time absolutely stunning. Two thoughts went simultaneously through my mind: "Wow! She said yes to me?" and "Poor dear. Why'd she agree to come if she was sick?". Her hair is in large curls, she apparently spent some time getting ready, and she is wearing black pants with a thigh-length black shirt, and a black jacket with a fluffy trim on the collar. She had on dark eye-shadow, and she just looked good. She greeted me, "Hey, Brian, sorry you had to wait. I think I have some food poisoning, but I'm feeling a lot better now". "You sure?" I skeptically responded. "Yeah, I think I'll be ok." she replied. We departed the apartment into the dark and drizzly evening. The time is 7:13.

We walked back across the complex to where my car was parked and began our drive to the theater. We had a pleasant conversation on the way over. I was trying to keep the conversation going and not let anything turn awkward, so I kept asking questions about her life. She lived in Germany up until she was 10, though she was born in the United States, then moved to Michigan. She lived in Michigan for a while, then moved to Australia, moved back to Michigan, briefly moved to Utah, then back to Michigan, then to Australia again. She moved back to Utah a few months ago, and runs her own arts and crafts business. The decorated chair was indeed hers, but she was making it for a client.

We arrived near our destination, parked the car, and walked about a block to get to where we were going. And thus we arrived, The Center Street Musical Theater. Now playing "Pirates of Penzance", a show I've wanted to see for a while. We entered the theater and were greeted by the central heating system as the temperature climbed about 40 degrees in a signal step. We hopped into the back of the line and waited patiently to pick up the tickets I had reserved.

"I can help whoever is next" the attendant calls. "Two adults under Armstrong" I respond. "That's $9 each, so $18 total." she replies. I hand over my debit card, she runs it through, and I sign the receipt. She hands over the tickets and we proceed into the stage room.

We are greeted by the combined smells of several hundred people, a dinner that was served at 6:30, and by the temperature increase associated with them. The temperature is at least 20 degrees higher in this room than the last. We find our seats and sit down. Front row seats, behind the tables, and sandwiched in between everyone around us. I open up the program and begin to read, out loud, the synopsis of the play.

Kelly listens for a minute, then says "I'll be back in a sec, I have to go find the restrooms." I feel terrible. I dragged her all the way out of her apartment to this play and she's still sick. Well, if she's still feeling sick afterwards and just can't handle it, I guess we'll just leave. I finish reading the synopsis and begin reading the actor bios when the lights go out and the announcer comes and begins telling us to turn our cell phones off, etc. I wonder where Kelly is and keep an eye out for her while pirates begin to walk in the audience talking with people and stealing napkins and glasses from the tables.

Just then I see Kelly working her way back to our seats. I also notice a pirate begin to follow her, but he doesn't stand a chance, she's back at her seat before he even gets close. "Brian, I got your money back, I don't think I'm going to make it" she says and hands me some cash. I still haven't counted it. I grabbed my jacket and we made our way out of the theater. She apologized once we were back outside in the cold. I can tell she feels awful about it, but it really doesn't matter to me. I'm more concerned about her than I am about seeing a play that I will be able to see next week if I really want to. It's all about priorities.

We walked slowly back to the car as I reassured her that it was not a problem that we had to leave. It was blasted hot in there, and I may have suffocated halfway through the play anyway. We drove back and talked a bit, but she was concentrating on not throwing up the last bit home, but she invited me over to her apartment to watch a movie if I wanted to. I dropped her off as close to her apartment as I could and watched her walk semi-quickly towards the stairs.

I drove around the back-side of my complex and parked my car near my apartment. I walked inside chuckling to myself about the irony of the night and, as soon as I entered my apartment, was greeted by my surprised roommates wondering what had happened to my date. I briefly explained, grabbed my "Over The Hedge" DVD and began the walk back over to her apartment.

It was like deja vu, only this time I was carrying a DVD. I walked slowly across the grass common area of my apartment complex in my casual khaki pants and my black collared shirt and once again approached the door. It was standing wide open, so I walked up, poked my head in and said in a semi-loud voice "knock knock". I was hoping for a "who's there" response so I could crack a corny joke, but she just invited me in with a yell from the bathroom area.

She appeared shortly thereafter with a tooth brush in her mouth. "Give me just a second" she said, and finished the cleansing of her enamel. She came out and I got the DVD set up and working. However, rather than sitting down to watch the movie, we just stood by the counter and talked. It turns out she was scared she would throw up again if she sat down. About fifteen minutes passed and one of her roommates came home with her "honey".

We chatted with the two new comers for a bit and then Raulph, the aforementioned porcelain god, demanded another offering. However, seeing as everything had already been offered, there was nothing to offer, but an attempt was made anyway. We must not anger the mighty Raulph. Kelly grabbed a cup of water, so that she would not have to experience the dry retching again, and we went outside in the cold to talk for a bit. Apparently the cold is soothing to a rebellious stomach.

We decided to call it a night, and went our ways. I, once again, walked across the grass common area of my complex in my casual khaki pants and black collared shirt. (on a side note, I don't know at which point I would have changed, so the description is kind of a moot point) I got home and explained to my roomies why I had again returned early, and realized that I had left my DVD in Kelly's apartment.

"I do realize I just left my movie. I'll just use it as an excuse to drop by sometime." was the text I sent when I realized this. I think it's a good idea. I think I'll check up on her tomorrow and see how she's doing. Hopefully everything has straightened itself out by then. Surprisingly enough, I actually enjoyed spending the time with her, even with all the surrounding circumstances. After sending the text, I sat down at my laptop and worked on my biology paper. When I got tired of that around midnight (which is when I would've stopped anyway)... well, I'll give you three guesses to try to guess what I did for the next two hours, and the first two don't count.

Life Is Good.