I woke up the morning after my first 'lesson' with Julie and I swear I was still smiling. I hit the shower, grabbed my clubs and headed for the country club. Made up a foursome with three other regulars and played a leisurely eighteen. Had lunch at the 19th hole, I know, real original on the name, signed my tab and headed out.
The called the office on the off chance my presence was for some odd reason needed. My office manager played her "Who is this?, who's calling?" routine then finally admitted I actually did have an appointment with my tax attorney tomorrow.
I stopped in a the C store to see if Julie was working. She was helping a customer when I walked in. I was next in line and tried to hide behind the guy in front of me. When he left I jumped forward and put my arms on the counter. She squeeked and leaned over the counter hitting my arm with her bony little fist.
"You almost gave a me heart attack Gary, what's wrong with you?" she grumbled.
"Eww, did someone not get enough sleep last night?" I teased.
She blushed and said, "No I slept very well last night thank you." She was trying to be stern but her smile kept breaking through.
I looked around carefully and said softly, "So everything OK, no regrets, no problems?"
"Nope nothing like that. Just a ton of questions," she said, "the biggest one being when is my next 'lesson' going to be."
"Well, if you have the key to the back room, we can start immediately." I said as I leered at her.
She shushed me and motioned me to the side. She had a steady stream of customers for ten minutes. I grabbed a fountain soda and said hi to the other cashier Mary, my ex sister in law. Finally Julie was free and I stepped up to the counter.
"We can't talk here," she said, "first of all someone is going to hear something, two people will start to wonder why you are spending so much time here, and three this is actually my job and I have to be able to do it."
"Do you have a break coming up," I asked.
"Jeez no, I opened today so I had lunch about the time you got up," she said, "I'm actually done at two."
"Tell you what, you go home and take a little nap. I'll pick you up at seven and we'll go somewhere fancy and have a nice meal."
She got a little shy then and said, "You sure you want to go out in public with me? I mean most of the other women you go out with are way hotter than me."
"Are you nuts?" I asked her. "You are the most beautiful, most desirable woman ever."
"No," she smiled, "I think you are the one that's nuts. Besides Danny always said it was a waste of money taking me out. I'm so small I don't ever finish my meal."
"Well, number one, it's my money. Number two, I don't give a rat's ass what Danny thought. Number three, we'll go to that nice French place, they never give you enough to eat . Now, any more objections?"
"None that I can come up with right now. I suppose this calls for the 'little black dress' you men assume we all have hanging in our closet in the desperate hope we will get to wear it someplace a little more fancy than Joe' pool hall?"
"Of course," I laughed, "so long as it includes that string of cultured pearls we assume all you women have stashed away."
"Ha," she snorted, "the last string of pearls I got were from my parents at my confirmation so you'll have to put up with a simple gold chain."
"I had my hopes set on pearls but I suppose..." I left it hanging there until she reached across the counter and punched my arm.
Them she pointed toward the door, "Out".
I made a couple of stops and went home for a nap myself. I took a shower and got into my tux. I wanted this to be special so I got the Porsche fired up. I didn't drive it that much, it is impractical as hell, and wondered for the umpteenth time why I had bought it in the first place.
I arrived right on time and just like last night the door was opened before I got to it. I stopped and just stared at Julie. She was absolutely lovely. She reminded me of someone and suddenly it hit me. You know that scene at the cocktail party in Sabrina. Julie looked just like a long haired version of Audrey Hepburn in her little black dress.
"Is this OK," she asked. Then she gave me a twirl to show me everything.
"Stunning," was the only word I could get out.
"Come in, unless we have reservations, are we late, early or on time?"
"We have reservations and we should leave now but I have to do something first." I pulled a long jewelry box from my inside jacket pocket and handed it to her. "I was going to give this to you at the restaurant but I can't wait, I have to see it on you."
She hesitantly took the box from my hand and slowly opened it. She gasped and pulled out a 30 inch long rope of pearls. She just stared at them for a bit then "How...when...why...why would you do this?"
"What do you mean why?" I asked, "because you are beautiful, because you deserve them."
"I deserve them?" she asked, "why do I deserve them? I suppose you are rich enough you give all your dates jewelry," she sighed sadly.
This is not how I envisioned this at all I thought to myself. "Yes you do deserve them. You are beautiful, sweet, kind, funny, and smart. Did I mention beautiful? The only jewelry I have ever bought a woman was my ex-wife's wedding ring. Ironically, she left it behind when she divorced me."
"Never?"
"Never," I confirmed. "Please just put them on, please?"
She looked at me for a moment then handed me the empty box. "They are so long," she said, "they must be meant to be worn double."
The saleslady said they could be worn single, double or tied in a knot. When I told her how tall you were she recommended the 30 inch instead of the standard 36 inch stand."
"Well," she laughed, "I would trip over a single 36 inch strand."
We both laughed and then she came into my arms for a hug. I was relieved, she seemed to have accepted my gift in the spirit in which it was given. She grabbed her wrap and a clutch purse and we walked out.
We got to the street and she stopped to look over the car. "Whose car did you steal," she teased, "I've never seen you driving this, it must be a special occasion."
"If I'm with you it is a special occasion," I teased her right back.