day?”
“I haven’t given it much thought.”
“I thought girls always wanted to get married.”
“Some women choose not to.”
“Are you one of those women?”
“I suppose if I were to find the right guy, I’d want to get married.”
“So, you aren’t opposed to getting married?”
“No, I’m not opposed.”
“Good,” he said, and nodded toward a little family, two tables away. “I went to high school with him.”
Alley glanced over at the guy about Justin’s age, a brunette girl, doubtless his wife, and two children – one a girl about seven who seemed to be struggling to sit still in her chair and an infant, banging against the high chair. They had so easily blended into the background for Alley. When she walked into a restaurant in Dallas, she rarely looked at faces. When nothing was out of the ordinary, she allowed the public to blend into the scenery. Justin proceeded to tell a story about him and Justin and the local football team. She only half listened.
She was confused. Why was he asking her about marriage? Was he implying that he wanted to marry her? No, surely not. Guys didn’t do that. He was doubtless merely asking because his friend was there, married with family.
Halfway through their wine, their entrée arrived and Alley bit into the best fried shrimp she’d had in years – which was saying quite a bit since she considered herself something of a connoisseur of fried shrimp.
“Good?” Justin asked.
“Delightful,” Alley said, eliciting a satisfied smile from him.
As they ate, the noise in the restaurant increased, limiting their conversation. After they finished eating, Justin paid the check and they stepped into the relative quietness of the parking lot.
Alley was still trying to decide how to ask him why he had brought up the whole marriage question when they got into the car and they began talking about types of music. Flowing with the conversation, she decided to let it go for now.
By the time they pulled into Justin’s driveway, he had her laughing so hard she couldn’t stop. “Please tell me you’re making this up,” she said, taking a deep breathe.
“No, I really did it.”
“How does a seven year-old figure out how to record music on an answering machine?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you were just precocious.”
“I like to think I’m adventurous.”
“So, do you still have the tape?”
“I’m sure my mom has it somewhere. It was the talk of the town for weeks. My parents couldn’t figure out why people kept calling and hanging up when they answered. ”
“I’d love to hear it.”
“You’re just perverse.”
She laughed. “Maybe a little.”
“Wait here,” he said as he jumped out of the car.
He surprised her by opening her door and holding out his hand to help her out. “Thanks,” she said, giving him a smile. She’d read about guys who did that. Now he’d done it twice. Even her dad, whom she considered to be the ultimate modern-day gentleman, had never, to her knowledge, opened her mom’s car door for her. Getting in, yes, but getting out, not once.
He walked her to the back door and waited while she fished her keys out
“I haven’t given it much thought.”
“I thought girls always wanted to get married.”
“Some women choose not to.”
“Are you one of those women?”
“I suppose if I were to find the right guy, I’d want to get married.”
“So, you aren’t opposed to getting married?”
“No, I’m not opposed.”
“Good,” he said, and nodded toward a little family, two tables away. “I went to high school with him.”
Alley glanced over at the guy about Justin’s age, a brunette girl, doubtless his wife, and two children – one a girl about seven who seemed to be struggling to sit still in her chair and an infant, banging against the high chair. They had so easily blended into the background for Alley. When she walked into a restaurant in Dallas, she rarely looked at faces. When nothing was out of the ordinary, she allowed the public to blend into the scenery. Justin proceeded to tell a story about him and Justin and the local football team. She only half listened.
She was confused. Why was he asking her about marriage? Was he implying that he wanted to marry her? No, surely not. Guys didn’t do that. He was doubtless merely asking because his friend was there, married with family.
Halfway through their wine, their entrée arrived and Alley bit into the best fried shrimp she’d had in years – which was saying quite a bit since she considered herself something of a connoisseur of fried shrimp.
“Good?” Justin asked.
“Delightful,” Alley said, eliciting a satisfied smile from him.
As they ate, the noise in the restaurant increased, limiting their conversation. After they finished eating, Justin paid the check and they stepped into the relative quietness of the parking lot.
Alley was still trying to decide how to ask him why he had brought up the whole marriage question when they got into the car and they began talking about types of music. Flowing with the conversation, she decided to let it go for now.
By the time they pulled into Justin’s driveway, he had her laughing so hard she couldn’t stop. “Please tell me you’re making this up,” she said, taking a deep breathe.
“No, I really did it.”
“How does a seven year-old figure out how to record music on an answering machine?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you were just precocious.”
“I like to think I’m adventurous.”
“So, do you still have the tape?”
“I’m sure my mom has it somewhere. It was the talk of the town for weeks. My parents couldn’t figure out why people kept calling and hanging up when they answered. ”
“I’d love to hear it.”
“You’re just perverse.”
She laughed. “Maybe a little.”
“Wait here,” he said as he jumped out of the car.
He surprised her by opening her door and holding out his hand to help her out. “Thanks,” she said, giving him a smile. She’d read about guys who did that. Now he’d done it twice. Even her dad, whom she considered to be the ultimate modern-day gentleman, had never, to her knowledge, opened her mom’s car door for her. Getting in, yes, but getting out, not once.
He walked her to the back door and waited while she fished her keys out
Similar Books
