14
Kristin
I threw myself onto the bed as soon as I got home, so pleased with how well things went with Wes. He proved to be such a wonderful man and was witty, charming and gentleman through and through. I felt like I would burst and had to talk to someone, and thankfully it wasn’t long until Karen sent me a text asking if I was still out on the date. I told her I was home, and my phone rang about five seconds later.
“Hello?” I answered casually, pretending nothing important was going on.
“Don’t hello me,” Karen said smartly.
“Who is this?” I replied.
“Kristin, you better start talking, or I’m coming over there right now,” Karen told me with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
I proceeded to tell her all about my dinner with Wes, how the meal was at Angelo’s, and how much we talked so we could get to know each other more.
“He’s a pretty incredible man, Karen,” I sighed into the phone as I got undressed and into my pajamas. “I could have talked to him all night long. He has lived a very interesting life and seen a lot of places, a lot more than a little Southern country girl like me.”
“Are you sure you could have only talked to him all night long? Is all you two did was talk?” Karen asked, hoping for some juicier details.
“Well, he did kiss me goodnight,” I said honestly.
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Karen said, anxious for specifics. “What else happened?”
“That’s it,” I told her as I sat down on my bed. “We kissed a few times, and then I went into my apartment.”
“Really?” Karen told me, disappointment in her voice.
“Really, Karen. Did you honestly think I would do more than that the first time going out with him? That doesn’t speak to well of your opinion of me.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Karen said with a hint of ruefulness in her voice. “I’m just surprised is all, I guess.”
“Surprised at what?” I answered. “That I’m not jumping into bed with him right away?” I was enjoying giving her a hard time.
“Not at you,” Karen said, exasperated. “I guess I figured he would at least make a move to see if he could do anything. I mean, he is a rich sports star.”
“I think everyone thinks just because he has a lot of money and is a good-looking sports hero that they assume he is just bedding women left and right. He’s not like that Karen. He’s sweet, sensitive, very polite and very much the gentleman. It’s been a while since a guy has made me feel like a special woman, and he did that tonight, without having sex with me.”
“Wow,” Karen said to me.
‘Wow, what?” I replied to her.
“I think you’re falling hard for Wes Martin very fast,” Karen said to me.
I thought about what she said for a moment as I laid back on my bed. I had never felt this emotional about any of the guys I had dated in the past. Granted, my dating history wasn’t very long, but I had a few what I would call serious boyfriends in college. But even thinking about them didn’t quite measure up to the way Wes made me feel, and we had only known each other for a day. All of a sudden, I felt a little scared.
“I think you might be right Karen,” I said into the phone.
We were both quiet for a moment before Karen said something.
“Are you okay with that?” she asked me.
“I’m not sure,” I said to her honestly. “There’s so much about Wes to like, and I feel like he swept me off my feet, but there’s a lot to be worried about too.”
“Such as?” Karen questioned.
“To start with, there’s his career. He could start playing for another team at any time and pack up and go. Where would that leave me? Second, he’s got a teenage daughter in his life. How is she going to feel if her father suddenly has a girlfriend? Or how will his parents feel? Then there’s the fact that he’s thirteen years older than me. He’s seen and experienced a lot more of life than I have. Maybe I’m not enough for him. Or maybe he just wants someone to have a fling with.”
Thinking about all those things made me realize there really was a lot to worry about. Maybe my sister Lucy was right about everything. But there was still a part of me, a big part of me right now, that didn’t believe any of that. Spending those hours with Wes gave me the chance to get to see different sides of him that I didn’t think many people had the chance to see, and I really liked what I saw there.
“You still there?” Karen said to me. I realized I had been quiet for a while.
“I am,” I said to her, snapping out of my haze. “I guess I’m just tired. It’s been a long day; a wonderful day, but a long one.”
“Do you think you’ll hear from him soon?” Karen asked.
“Well, I gave him my cell number, and he texted me right after I got inside to say thank you for the date, so I think I will. At least I hope I will.”
“I’m glad you had such a good time tonight, Kris,” Karen said with a yawn. “I should go. I’ve had an exciting night too you know.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, perking up a little. “What did you do tonight?”
“It was a big night. A man showed up at my door,” she said in a hushed tone.
“Really? Who was it? What did he want?”
“He wanted $12.00 for the pizza and salad he brought me,” Karen told me. “After that, I watched a movie. It was more excitement than I could take. I’ll bet your date with Wes Martin can’t top that!”
I laughed hard for a bit. “Thanks, Karen. Have a good night; I’ll talk to you later.”
“Good night Kris,” she said as she hung up.
I put my phone down on my nightstand and turned off the light. I lay in bed for a few minutes, pulling the covers up to my chin, thinking about my date with Wes.
You’re all wound up. What have you gotten yourself into Kris? I asked myself.
“Something good, I hope,” I whispered out loud.