Chapter 2

Around five minutes later the door reopened with my youngest sister looking beautiful at 8:30 in the morning.

Realizing why I was there, she said, “Yes, can I help you?”

“Could you please step outside for a moment Miss Pennsyls?”

She stepped outside looking me over.

“My name is Paul and I’ve noticed you and I think you are very pretty.”

She smiled really big.

“I live in the same building five apartments to the north. I was just about to leave and get some breakfast at the Denny’s down the street. I wondered if you’d like to join me?”

“How old are you, Paul?”

“Twenty-one, that’s not too old for you, is it?”

“Probably not,” she said with a fabulous giggle.

“So does that mean you’ll go with me to breakfast?” I asked never realizing how difficult I had thought this would be.

“Just a moment, Paul,” she said opening the door slipping on some tennis shoes and yelling, “I’m going to breakfast see you later!” and pulled the door closed behind her.

I offered her my arm and she took it.

I wasn’t sure if it was necessary to keep up this role-playing, as I believe it is called.

I decided to be quiet and enjoy a very pretty girl on my arm.

The Denny’s was close enough to walk to but I had my car keys with me.

I led her to my retro VW bug, opening the passenger door for her.

After I got in she said, “It’s so nice to see a young man who understands good manners are important. Your parents must be very proud of you, Paul?”

“I sure hope so. I try to be a good son but I have an older brother who is sometimes something of an asshole.”

She giggled loudly and gave me a slight tap on the shoulder and a quick remark of “I completely understand that Paul!”

I started up the car and took us on the very short drive to Denny’s! I parked, went around and opened the door, getting a kiss on the cheek from her.

“I hope that wasn’t too forward of me,” she said,

I simply smiled and opened the door hearing ‘Welcome to Denny’s’ from a few different people at once.

That’s new.

The sign was up that said seat yourself, so I put her in a booth and sat right next to her instead of what I typically do which is to sit across the way.

She handed me a menu that was already on the table and took one herself.

We both looked for a moment until a waitress came to us and said, “Are you ready to order?”

Anne, possibly without thinking, asked me, “See anything you like?”

“Give us a few moments. please?” I said to the waitress, and she stepped away.

“Actually Miss Pennsyls, there is something I would like ... You!

That seemed to fluster her and so she closed the menu and said, “Could we stop this silly game, please?”

“That’s fine with me, but I really am on a date for the first time with somebody I could fall in love with!”

I punctuated that with giving her a kiss on the lips! She sent me no signal to stop, so it lasted about thirty seconds!

“Paul,” she said. “I don’t understand why you don’t have lots of girlfriends with the way you’ve been so charming to me in the last thirty minutes?”

“That’s because I have a secret to tell you. Ever since I turned fifteen and you were thirteen I thought you were the prettiest girl I would ever know my entire life.”

“Is that a line or do you really mean that?” she said as our waitress came back. I caught her nametag this time, it was Audrey.

“She would like two eggs sunny side up, a side of bacon not too crisp and some dry toast with butter on the side, please?”

“I would like four eggs scrambled, a side of sourdough toast with extra butter on it, a side of bacon extra crispy, and a stack of four pancakes with lots of butter on top!”

“We would like water to drink and a large glass of milk but not until after you deliver the food, you got all that, Audrey?”

“Yes, thank you sir,” and she stepped away.