"Now that she's moved away, I'll just have to find other fish in the sea. She was a kinky little thing, though. One time she even asked me to-"
"Stop!" I interjected, waving my hands. "TMI!"
Jim looked at me. "Come on, man, didn't you have sex education in school? I can give you some keywords that you can look up and figure it out."
Everyone laughed.
"Har, har," I replied. "Look, it's not that. I just don't want to embarrass a girl, even if she is gone. Other women pick up on that, and they become less likely to ask for what they want. There's already enough pressure on women as it is. I don't want them nervous, I want them horny."
"I'll bet," drawled Amanda, one of our group. "And what do you want them horny for?"
"A gentleman never tells." The group laughed again. "But if a lady wants to be a little bit naughty, or even a lot bit naughty, I want her trusting enough to express it. She needs to know that her partner wouldn't laugh, or tell stories about it."
"What if it's something you don't want to do?" Amanda continued.
"That's unlikely," I deadpanned to giggles from the group. "I'm a horny guy wired for fun. But if it did happen, I would gently let her know and maybe suggest something that came close to her desires but stayed inside my boundaries. Where there's a will, there's a way."
"Well there you have it, ladies," Amanda said, sweeping her arms to include the group. "Fantasies R Us."
Everyone, including me, got a good laugh out of that one. Amanda had a quick wit.
"Let's change the subject to something I have a chance of actually doing," I said, to a few teases from the circle. "Who's going to the show next weekend?" A band we all liked was coming into town.
That started a long discussion and set of plans, putting my love life safely behind us. Or maybe not, as I learned at the end of the party.
"Hey, Bryan! You mind escorting a girl home?" It was Lauren, who lived a bus stop away from me. We had both taken the bus to avoid driving.
"Sure. Let's blow this joint." Everyone laughed, and wished us a good night.
We chatted as we walked to the bus stop and waited. Lauren had formed a part of the extended circle of friends I got to know when I moved to the area. She was friendly and intelligent, but not as boisterous as some of the other women in the group. I also heard that she kept herself in good shape, but I didn't know the details. In fact, I really hadn't gotten to know her that well.
We kept talking on the bus, and I learned that she ran and competed "for fun" in some local triathlons. As the bus slowed to her stop, she turned.
"Could I take you to dinner sometime and continue the conversation?"
"I'd love to," I answered, before I really knew what was going on.
Lauren was getting up. "I'll text you details. Thanks for the escort. Bye." And she was out the door.
That was quick. Did she just ask me out?
I replayed events and wondered to myself as I walked home. Lauren had given me almost no time to answer, so I had said the first thing that came into my head. No time to craft a diplomatic response. In fact, she was in an excellent position to detect hesitation or uncertainty. Almost like she had planned it. At the same time, her offer could be simply a way to finish our discussion. Very crafty. I resolved to be a bit more careful around her.
The next day, we texted to go out Friday, since the band was playing Saturday. Lauren chose a good place with outdoor dining by the water. I had been before and liked it.
Friday evening, Lauren rang my doorbell at the appointed time.
"Hey, Lauren, you're looking good this evening."
A big smile appeared on her face. "Why thank you, Bryan. You look very nice yourself. Shall we go?"
"Let's," I said, closing the door. "This is fun, to be picked up. Is this a date?"
"Is it?" Lauren looked right at me. My playful question suddenly took on a new meaning.
"It feels like it to me."
"Well then, I guess it is."
"Good. This should be fun."
"I've been looking forward to it all week." And then she opened the car door for me.
Lauren sparkled throughout dinner. She was much more animated than she was in large groups, and I found myself pulled into her world. I had a habit of focusing completely on my partner during conversations, and I found that she did the same. The evening flew by, and all of the sudden we realized that the restaurant was closing down.
"Should we go, before they ask us to help with the dishes?"
I laughed. "Let's do it."
Lauren drove me back, and I wondered what to do. Should I invite her in? I realized that women had a lot to think about on the first date. I looked over at Lauren, and she had a small grin on her face, like she knew what I was thinking.
"Join me for a glass of Port to finish out the evening?"
"I'd love to, Bryan."
We kept up the conversation, talking late into the night.
"Oh my. I've been here a long time," Lauren exclaimed, looking at her phone.
"It's been a pleasure, and it felt much too short," I replied. "Do you have plans before the show tomorrow?"
"Nothing definite."
"Care to join me for dinner beforehand?"
"I could probably make that work."
"Excellent. I'll get in touch tomorrow."
"Please do," she answered, getting up and collecting her things.
I walked her to the door and followed her out. She turned, uncertainty on her face. I had a grin on mine, thinking she was getting a taste of what a man usually goes through.