Chapter Nine
Reed
I decided to go straight from work to my date that day. The thought of getting ready at home with Kennedy and Trinity watching me made me feel nervous. Also, I didn’t really want to make a big deal in front of Trinity. I called Kennedy quickly to let her know.
“Uh, hi, Kennedy. I just wanted to let you know that I was going to the date straight from work. I’ve . . . well, I haven’t really dated since Trinity’s mom left, and I don’t want Trinity to feel strange about the whole thing. I also don’t to get her hopes up. I’ve told her that I have a business dinner. I just realized that I hadn’t told you that.”
“It’s okay. She told me you had a business dinner, so I put two and two together and didn’t say anything. You feeling nervous?”
“Actually, I am a little. Is that crazy? I’m a grown man!”
Kennedy laughed. “It’s not crazy at all. Want some advice?”
“Definitely.”
“Make sure you order some wine. And if things get really bad, you can always say you have to get back to your daughter. But I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Oh, wine is definitely in the cards. And thanks for taking care of Trinity. I’ve noticed such a change in her this week already.”
“You have? That’s nice of you to say. And no problem at all. We have some fun things planned for later.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“Oh, it’s a secret. You’ll find out later. Trinity is here now, and she says I can’t tell you.”
I laughed. “This sounds exciting. Okay, well, I might be home early, who knows.”
“I’m sure you’ll have a good time. And don’t worry about us. We’re fine here.”
I put the phone down and thought how easy it was to talk to Kennedy. I barely knew her, but I always felt at ease around her. I assumed it was because Trinity kept telling me how much she liked her. I hadn’t seen much of Trinity this week because she was always sleeping when I got home, but we got to talk in the mornings. I hadn’t seen her look so happy in a long time. She didn’t even seem that upset when I left each day.
After work, I got ready for my date and went to see Warren.
“Hey, man. Looking sharp. Is this for the big date?”
“Yep. I’m leaving soon to meet her.”
“I cannot believe you actually said yes to the date. I thought I’d have a much harder time trying to convince you.”
“Actually, I’m surprised too. But, to be honest, it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. It was my brother Ryan who put the thought in my head. He’s become a different guy now that he’s met someone. And I guess it really is time for me to start thinking of myself. It’s weird, though. I haven’t dated in such a long time. I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to do.”
“You’ll figure it out. I’m glad you’re going.”
“I better go before I lose my nerve. See you tomorrow.”
I made my way over to the restaurant to wait for Francine to arrive. All I knew about her was that she had long dark hair and rather generous breasts. Warren’s words, not mine. She’d seen a picture of me so I assumed she would find me first. And when I saw a woman walking toward me that fit Warren’s description, I smiled to greet her. Warren hadn’t been lying. It was hard not to notice how big her breasts were, but that was mainly due to the fact that she was wearing an almost see-through blouse. I had a feeling that she wanted me to notice that about her. The neckline was fairly wide and loose, and when she bent down, pretty much everything was on show.
“You must be Francine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She laughed. “How did you know? Let me guess; Warren told you to look out for the girl with the big rack. I wouldn’t put it past Warren to say that.”
“Oh, no. I just saw you smiling at me, that’s all,” I said nervously. “I’m Reed by the way.”
“Oh, I know. Warren told me all about you. So, you didn’t notice my breasts first?” she asked. Why on earth did she keep talking about her breasts? I was doing my best not to stare at them either, but it wasn’t easy with her constantly bringing them up.
“I . . .”
“I’m just kidding,” she said and laughed. “They’re my finest assets. What would you say is yours?”
“My what?”
“Your finest asset. I hope it’s your backside. I do have a thing for a man with a nice backside. Stand up, let me see.”
I found myself turning red. This woman was too much for me, and already people were staring. Why had I chosen such a quiet restaurant for this date? I shook my head and tried to laugh it off, but she insisted, and I knew she wasn’t going to let it go unless I stood up. Finally, I stood and turned around.
“Oh yes, very fine. Very fine indeed. So, save any people today?” she said.
“Uh, well, I’m not sure. I hope so,” I said. The conversation was not flowing at all. She was just throwing questions at me that didn’t at all even seem to relate to the previous question. Also, she kept touching adjusting her bra as if she wanted me to look at her chest.
“Oh, you doctors are so modest. I’m sure you saved someone today. How much money do you make, anyway?”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, you’re being modest again. Come on, let’s get some wine in you. I’ll get the answer out of you later. Waiter,” she yelled. “A bottle of your house red. And make it quick.”
I tried not to groan. If this was how the first five minutes had gone, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know how the rest of the evening was going. I wanted to run away, but the waiter was already back with the wine. He poured me a glass, and I eagerly took a few deep sips.
“Oh, a man that likes to drink. I like you already.”
“So, Francine. What do you do?”
“What do I do? Other than drinking wine and staring at men’s backsides?” she said and laughed. I laughed politely with her. “I’m into fashion.”
“Oh, nice. What side of the business are you in?”
She laughed again. “I buy clothes. I support the fashion industry that way.”
“You buy clothes? I don’t understand.”
“I’m hoping to crack it in the fashion industry. I was hoping to be a model, but with these knockers, I don’t stand a chance. Although I was thinking of creating my own label for those that are a bit more endowed, if you know what I mean. I’ll get there one day. For now, I just spend all the money I got from my divorce on clothes. Learning about the business and all that, you know.”
“Oh, right,” I said. “Well, that’s nice.”
“It is nice. It’s a lot of fun. I don’t think people truly understand the value of looking good and how important it is. I mean, you should know. In a way, you’re like a fashion stylist too.”
“I am?”
“Yeah. You make people look good from the inside, and I want to make people look good from the outside. It’s all the same at the end of the day.”
Was she really comparing the health industry to the fashion industry? The conversation carried on the same for the next half hour. Mostly it was just her telling me about herself, and asking me about how much money I made. Eventually I couldn’t take it anymore. I excused myself and went to the bathroom, and when I came back, I looked at her and sighed.
“This is such awful timing, but one of my patients has taken a turn for the worst, and I have to go and see him. That’s the perils of working as a doctor of course.”
“Oh no. Should I come with you? I don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “No, you better not. It’s a home call, and he won’t want anyone else there but me. The last time I was there for hours, anyway. I’m terribly sorry. Why don’t you stay and order something on me?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” I said. I reached for my wallet and took out enough money for her to have two of everything and put it down in front of her. “I apologize.”
She looked at the money and smiled. “Don’t you dare apologize. As long as you call me back so we can try this again some other time.”
I somehow managed to say goodbye without answering the question. I got home and sighed. What was Warren thinking? Did he have no idea what sort of women I liked? Although I wasn’t sure what kind of women I liked, either. I just knew it would be someone that was absolutely nothing like Francine. I drove around for a while, just trying to clear my head. My first foray into the dating world hadn’t gone quite as expected. Then I made my way home.
“Wow, you’re home early,” Kennedy said. She was doing the dishes when I walked in and turned to smile at me. “Trin has just gone to sleep. Does this mean the date didn’t go well?”
I laughed. “It was worse than I thought it would be, and I thought it was going to be pretty bad.”
“Oh dear.”
“I left before ordering any food.”
“Oh, that sounds bad. Come on, sit down and let me warm up the food for you then. You must be starving.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I said.
“Well, I want to. Anyway, I want to hear all about this date,” she said.
I sat down and smiled at Kennedy. She was obviously very used to caring for someone, and I could imagine why the old man she had worked for before had hired her. I felt instantly better just being in her company. She put a plate of food in front of me. I took one bite and grinned.
“Oh wow, this is amazing.”
“Thank you,” she said. I notice that her pale skin flushed pink at the compliment. “It was a new recipe I wanted to try out. I’m glad you like it. Now, enough about me; tell me about the date.”
“Well, she spoke mostly about her breasts.”
“She did what?”
I nodded. “I’m not joking. Almost every conversation topic went back to how big her breasts were. And let me just mention that it was not me who kept changing the conversation to this. Oh, she also made me stand up so that she could assess my rear end. And she wanted to know how much money I made. Oh wait, one more thing, she buys clothes for a living. She got money from her divorce and her job at the moment is to buy clothes to make herself feel better. She also said that I was a fashion designer because I make people’s insides look better.”
Kennedy burst out laughing. Her hands flew to her mouth as she tried to stop herself from giggling. I shook my fork at her. “I’m glad you found it funny.”
“I’m sorry. But that’s just the most awful thing I’ve ever heard. She doesn’t even sound real. Are you sure this wasn’t just some prank?”
“I wish it was. But I think that people like her actually exist in this world. If that is the indication of how my dating life is going to be, I don’t think I want to be a part of it.”
Kennedy shook her head. “Don’t say that. This is no indication at all. In fact, just imagine how nice the next girl is going to seem next to her. Anyway, you’ll find someone soon.”
“How can you be so sure?” I said.
She smiled. “Because you’re quite the catch.”
I looked up at her and caught her eye, and for some reason, we both went silent. She looked away, and I quickly continued to eat. Then she cleared her throat and stood up.
“Well, I better get going. Have a wonderful weekend, Reed, and I’ll see you on Monday morning again. I’ve had a great first week.”
I smiled nervously. “Thanks again for everything, and for staying so late. Have a good weekend too.”
“Oh, before I forget. Trinity and I made chocolate cake today as a surprise for you. But, there may or may not be two slices missing from it.”
I laughed. “Oh yeah? That sounds amazing. Thank you. That’s a great surprise.”
She blushed slightly. “Well, uh, enjoy it. Uh, good night.”
As she walked off, I wondered what had happened. One minute we were getting along great, the next things had gotten strange with us. Had she meant what she had said about me being a catch? Is that what she thought about me? I shook my head. I was clearly not someone she’d be interested in. Kennedy was gorgeous and completely out of my league. I could imagine her going out with someone like my brother Ryan, but not someone like me. I finished eating and made my way over to my daughter’s room. She was fast asleep and looked extremely peaceful. I kissed her forehead. “Good night, lovely girl.”