Will I get a chance to say hello when I call for you?

Chapter 8

"What do they call them? Cougars?" I suggested.

"Or worse," she said. "MILFs comes to mind."

I was only slightly surprised she knew the meaning of the acronym.

"Well, I'm hoping that I won't be tempted then," I smiled. I had a good feeling about Nicole. She seemed very "down-to-earth" and didn't appear nervous. That was a good sign.

"Well, now that we've established that we're both interested, maybe we should have a proper date and see what develops," she suggested.

I nodded. "I agree. I would like to meet Jimmy at some point. If, by good luck, we do find we want to explore a little further, I want to see how he reacts to me and my being around you. Kids can be quite protective I'm told."

"Yes they can, and Jimmy is quite protective of me. So I agree that if we do want to take this beyond a first date that we should introduce you to him."

"So then," I said, "how do you feel about attending a live play?"

That brought about an immediate smile and a "Yes, I'd love that."

"It's the fall season now, so I marked three to choose from," I said, pulling a half page of our newspaper out of my pocket.

"Here are the choices," I said, passing the paper with the circled plays evident.

"Let's keep it light, Will. Not too heavy or dark."

"Then, this one would fit the bill," I said, pointing to Assistance. "It has a theme you'll find familiar and our resident drama critic says it's very good fun."

"Great. Let's do it. When?"

"I can get tickets for either Friday or Saturday evening. Which would be better?"

"Oh ... Saturday, I think."

"Good. By the way, has Jimmy ever been to a live theater play?"

"No, he hasn't."

"I was just thinking, they have children's plays on at the old Vogue and our critic says the kids love them. They're very reasonable and suitable for his age group. Do you think he might be interested?"

"I don't know, but I can ask. When do they put them on?"

"Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Just like the old-time matinees."

"That's sounds like a great idea too," she said. "So ... let's see how it goes next Saturday and then we can decide."

"Sure," I agreed, happy we'd found something we could do together that would include Jimmy.

We spent the next hour getting into more detail about our lives, including our jobs and the people we knew. I learned she was 25 and had become pregnant not long after her eighteenth birthday. Her parents were dismayed, but stood by her and supported her. She had learned a hard lesson when the boyfriend had taken off and not come back.

She loved her job because she believed they were doing something important for the environment. She had interned at Hepplinger while in college and then was hired on graduation day. She liked the people she worked with and socialized with them on occasion. Her parents had made sure that she got out of the house and didn't become a recluse. They were wary of her attempt to find a companion on the Internet, but didn't interfere and trusted her judgment.

I was pretty sure Nicole would enjoy the company of Rich and Fiona. They were a little older but not so much that they would feel out of place with us as a couple. If I was going to be involved with Nicole, I wanted to find things for us to do that would be unusual or unique. It would be a trial-and-error process unless she revealed her interests beforehand. To that end, I would probe to try and find out in advance.

When I looked at my watch I saw it was almost four o'clock. We had been sitting at the little table for two hours, having consumed only one refill after our initial order. Time flies when you're having fun and I was definitely having fun. The longer I spent with her, the more I was convinced that this was the girl for me. What I didn't know was if she felt anything for me. I was going to have to be patient, something which I was not particularly good at.

I walked Nicole to her car, a late-model Honda Civic, and thanked her for spending her afternoon with me. We agreed to talk during the week and set up the timing for the Saturday evening at the theatre. There was no hug or kiss as she departed, but the look she gave me was a relaxed smile and I was encouraged.

I called her Wednesday evening.

"Hi, it's Will," I said, happy to hear her voice, this time on the telephone.

"I was expecting you to call me on Skype," she replied.

"I can do that too. Should I?"

"No ... I've got you on the phone now. But it is more personal when I can see you. Are you calling about Saturday and the play?"

"Yes. Still on?"

"Of course. Wouldn't want to miss it," she said in a cheery voice.

"Excellent. Can I pick you up at seven? The play begins at eight and we can have a drink in the lobby before it starts."

"Okay. What should I wear?"

"Uhhm, something comfortable. It's not a dress-up kind of theatre. More casual, especially at this time of year. Skirt and blouse, maybe?"

"Fine. I'll expect you at seven then," she said, sounding like she might end the call.

"Oh, don't hang up. I wanted to ask you about Jimmy. Will I get a chance to say hello when I call for you?"

"Yes," she chuckled. "He always inspects my dates."

"Good for him," I said, pausing for a moment. "I'm really looking forward to Saturday, Nicole."

"Yes ... me too," she said in a softer voice.

"Okay ... 'till then. Bye."

"Bye, Will."

That felt good. Everything about it felt good. And that comment about seeing being more personal. That surprised me. I was hyped and I didn't know quite how to handle it. I sure as hell didn't want to screw up Saturday evening. I wanted it to be the beginning, not the end. And what about Jimmy? What would I say to him? I remember being told you shouldn't talk down to kids. They pick up on that right away. I wish I felt more confident about him.

You're as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof," Fiona said, almost laughing at me.

"Hey, tomorrow night is a big deal for me. I want to impress Nicole and her son. I'm nervous. I don't want to mess up my chances with her. I'm thinking she might be the right one."