I was eighteen when I met Sean for the first time. I had just finished high school and was preparing to begin my first year at university when my father invited him home to have dinner with us. The 'us' in this case being my father, Robert Francis who worked in the same office as Sean, my mother Marjorie and me, Natalie. My father had started with the company right out of high school and had worked his way up through the ranks into a managerial position. We were comfortably well off without being wealthy and, because of this I had a part-time job asking people if they would like fries with their order and would they like to up-size from a standard burger to a Big Mac. My friends said that I was preparing myself for when I graduate.
During the pre-dinner chat Sean told us the reason that he had transferred from head office was that his wife had left him, he thought that she was with relatives in Ireland, and he need a change of scenery, a new challenge to take his mind off his problems.
There was a moment of embarrassment for me at the beginning of the meal after Mother had served us, Sean started to eat seconds before Father began to say Grace. He stopped chewing until Father had finished before resuming. Grace was a fact of life in our family, it was part of belonging to a devout Christian family. I was a member of the church youth group and all of my friends were in the group and had attended the same Christian high school as I did. We were a group of young kids who were friends without there being any items, the truth was that I had never had a boyfriend and was still a virgin (hard to believe, huh?).
I found it easy to talk to Sean and he seemed to be interested in my future plans, so we got on fine during the evening and he made it a point to say good-bye to me separately from my parents when he left. I liked him but thought that I'd never see him again.
I was just about to finish my shift on the Friday night after that dinner when he walked into the restaurant and stood at the back of the queue at my counter. "Good evening sir, what would you like this evening?" I asked as per instructions.
"Hi Natalie, I would like a Big Mac and fries and a diet Coke. What time do you finish tonight?"
This caught me by surprise and it took a while to compose myself enough to submit his order on the touch screen. "That will be $5.95 thank you sir. I finish in about fifteen minutes." I wondered why he wanted to know when I finished.
"Fine, that will give me just enough time to eat this delicious meal." He waited for his tray to arrive from the production line and carried it to a table where he could sit and watch me. Every time I glanced in his direction he would smile at me and it wasn't long before I smiled back at him.
He was waiting for me as I left with a couple of other girls who finished at the same time. "Natalie, can I give you a ride home?"
Glenda gave me a dig in the ribs. "Go on, I dare you." She was my closest friend and we had sort of grown up together, going to the same school and the same church although she wasn't as 'churchie' as me. We had often discussed boys, in particular the boys in the youth group, but neither of us had actually had a boyfriend and certainly had never been involved in anything sexual. She was drooling at the car that he was standing next to, the badge on the back told me that it was a Nissan GT-R, although this meant nothing to me.
Sean held the door open for me and I slid in. "Do you like it?"
"What?"
"The car, I bought it especially for you."
"What, why would you do that?"
"I thought that all girls liked to be seen in fast cars, your friend seemed to like it."
"She would, she has brothers that have fast cars and she's always telling me about how fast they drive but I'm not that interested." I could see that he wasn't happy with my response. "It is nice." I said, patting the leather seat.
"I suppose that I'll just have to accept that it's 'nice'." He put it into gear and drove towards my house. "What are you doing next Friday?"
"I'm working until 7.00 and then I'm going out with friends, why?"
"Would you like to have dinner with me?"
I was shocked by his invitation. While deep down I was flattered by it my first reaction was; I can't do this, what would my parents say? "I don't know, I don't think that I'm sophisticated enough for you."
"Oh I don't know about that. We got on fine the other night, didn't we?"
"Well yes I guess so, but surely you have women friends more suited to you."
"You mean more my age don't you? Natalie, I like you and age is not such a big deal for me. What about it, will you come?"
"Yes." I sort of whispered my answer because I still didn't think that it was right and because of that I'd have to go behind my parents' backs and have them believe that I was out with my friends.
"Good. I'll pick you up after work on Friday then." He dropped me off at the bus stop a hundred metres from home and I thought that it was to save me from having to explain to my parents that he'd given me a ride home. I didn't feel right about this deception but then all I was thinking about how it would be exciting to do something naughty and go out on a date with an older man.
On Friday I was in the staff change rooms putting the finishing touches to my make-up when Glenda came in. "You're not getting all dolled up to go out with us guys are you?" There was a note of envy in her voice. "Who are you going out with? Don't tell me it's that old guy with the GT-R?"
"Not a word of this to anyone but yes I am, he's taking me to dinner."
"You be careful with him and his fancy car, I hope that he's just not taking you out to, you know, get into your pants."
"No, it's nothing like that, he's new in town and just wants the company of someone he knows. He works with my father."
"Does your father know about this?"
"No, and I don't want him to know, at least not yet."
"You don't honestly think that he can be looking to a long term commitment do you?" She looked at me. "Oh no, tell me you're not."
"Well, a girl can dream can't she?" Maybe I've been reading too many of the soppy romance stories that they print in those girlie magazines where true love always wins out and I could see eternal bliss in my future. "Not a word to anyone, promise?"