Jeremy Saint's hand hovered over his telephone...tonight was the Spice Festival downtown and he had an extra ticket for it. He knew there was only one person he wanted to ask to come with him; Barbara, but the nerves were still there...what if she turned him down? What if he blew it...again...with a woman he fancied. He shut his eyes, gulped and picked up the phone receiver. Opening his eyes but feeling his heart beating ever faster, he dialled Barbara's number. One ring, two rings, three rings, the heart was beating faster and he was starting to sweat. For rings and then a soft, feminine voice said "hello" at the other end.
"Hi...It's Jeremy. Would you like....I mean, I have an extra ticket for...for the...I mean, would you like to, you know, erm, go with me to the Spice Fes-"
"Yes!" Barbara consented before Jeremy could finish asking her.
"OK, great. I'll pick you up in an hour?" he ventured.
"I'll meet you there; it's near where I live. Outside Waterside Warble" she said.
Jeremy put down the receiver and punched the air in triumph.
"I love Asian food!" said Barbara, heading straight for the sample curries, rice and noodle dishes. "There's so many good places to eat around here, I'm spoiled for choice"
"I tried it out for the first time last month" said Jeremy. "I'm warming to it" he said, taking a bite of something that was a bit more spicy than he was expecting...warming to it was an apt comment.
They tried the Spice challenge: Jeremy made it to curry #3, Barbara could only manage half a portion of #4. The evening was going smoothly and Jeremy was more relaxed than earlier, but, worrier that he was he couldn't escape a nagging feeling that at any moment she could go right off him and leave. He felt this more when, at one point, the conversation went quiet as if they'd already run out of things to say to each other. He suggested, hesitantly, to head over to the Warble for a drink. Barbara readily agreed.
"I wasn't a patch on your version of 'You Really Got Me"" replied Jeremy.
"I never miss open mic night here" said Barbara. She stretched her arms in front of her "Hmmmm, I'm having a good time but I had an early shift today and I'm starting to flag" she said.
"Oh, I hadn't realised it was that late" said Jeremy.
"I've had a great time tonight, Jeremy" she said, patting him on the arm. "We must do this again and soon" she added.
Their eyes locked on each other and without saying anything they held their gaze. Then they started to move closer to each other. At that point a wild thought possessed Jeremy and he leant forward to kiss Barbara.
He broke off seconds after he kissed her...did he cross the line? Had he blown it? Barbara took his hands and smiled.
"That was lovely" she said, smiling. They kissed again and then one more time.
"Well, I guess we'll be seeing each other again" said Jeremy, suavely.
"I think so" she nodded, smiling.
Jeremy walked her home. Outside of the apartment block where she lived they kissed one more time. Barbara was about to invite him in but she was tired. "Jeremy...any other time I'd invite you in for a night cap but I'm so, so tired and am just going to flop in my bed"
"Oh I understand!" he replied. Frankly, he was too nervous about going to a woman's apartment after only one date; his small town morality kicking in. He saw her go into the building safely and walked to the subway station, whistling a merry tune to himself.
I'm rooting for this couple. Jeremy and Barbara are cute together. I feel like she has just enough spice to push him out of his comfort zone so that he can enjoy more of life without pushing him to the point where he's truly uncomfortable.
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