Chapter 10: Date Night

Even though short, it had been an intense day and I was exhausted. I stumbled into my apartment, stripped off my clothes and a moment before I went to sleep, followed Darlene’s advice and set an alarm. Two hours later it woke me as though I hadn’t slept at all.

I stepped into the shower and for good measure shaved again, though my beard can go two days without being noticed. I felt revived and set off at a brisk pace up the hill to the faculty lounge. I nearly tripped over the leash stretched across the sidewalk. The little shih tzu squeaked and, as I came to a precarious stop, began to dance around me. Attached to the other end of the leash was a cute blonde in a yellow sweater and form-emphasizing black leggings. Her high-heeled boots stopped just above the ankle and her smile lit up the block.

“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t see the leash.”

“They said a dog would help me meet people,” She laughed and reached down to pick up the little dog. “I wasn’t planning the rope and hogtie method, though. Really, I just got her and we haven’t learned to stay together and not block the sidewalk. It’s me who should be apologizing.”

I smiled back at her. I had seen her in the neighborhood before, but it seemed only recently.

“Are you new in the neighborhood?” I asked politely.

“Just a month. I moved over here especially because it’s a pet-friendly neighborhood. I’ve always wanted a dog.”

“Well, you almost got one there,” I joked. “You are right, though. There are lots of animal-lovers in the neighborhood. Hang out outside the Analog on Sundays and you’ll see lots of them.”

“Hmm. Maybe I’ll try that. Will I see you?”

“I like the coffee but my building doesn’t allow dogs. Have a nice evening.”

“Ta-ta. See you around.”

Get it together, Dag. She wasn’t flirting. She did have the right idea, though. Pets in this neighborhood were magnets. Two people walking dogs meet and if the dogs like each other, the people become a couple. It’s unbelievable.

When I moved into the neighborhood a few years ago, Eric tried to convince me to get a pet. Then I met his cats. Two three-legged cats. It was my official introduction to pet-crazy Capitol Hill. Every time I saw the poor things, though, I thought about Velcroing them together.

I finally got up to the Blue Bastion and realized I was huffing. I was obviously not getting enough exercise. You’re getting old, Dag. I stood around outside waiting for my heart to get back to normal. I spotted Andi at the table with our crew and my heart sped up again. We’d known each other how long? Six years? Almost seven? It must be the fact that I turned down two sure dates and one open flirtation to spend the evening with her and two seventeen-year-olds that was making my body react this way. Maybe I did need to get a pet.

Jan’s wife Donna had joined the group this evening. Donna works in a real estate office, but she makes it a practice to ‘hang with the intelligentsia’ at least once a month. Lisa was there, of course, and so was Sara Gates, a musician who teaches music theory at PCAD during the week and plays in a Celtic fiddle band on weekends. Her boyfriend, Sandy tends bar during the week at a nearby watering hole and joins her in the band on the weekends if he isn’t pressured into working. I recognized Laura Hersey sitting next to Andi. Laura is another English prof but seldom joins us for the lounge.

Laura greeted me first and stood to kiss me on each cheek. She’d spent the summer in Italy two years ago and hadn’t stopped kissing people since.

“Dag! I heard you weren’t teaching this year. They still let you come to the faculty lounge?” she asked.

“We grandfathered him in,” Jan said. “There’s still a chance he’ll come back to teaching.”

“Not a very big chance, I’m afraid,” I answered. “Haven’t you heard? I’ve got a day job now.”

“You had a day job when you started teaching if I recall,” Andi smiled. “That didn’t stop you from getting a job at the college. Or from dating your students.” The smile turned to a smirk. Everyone at the table knew the story of Hope’s and my romance and its disastrous conclusion. What most of them didn’t know was that I’d ended up putting her new husband behind bars and that she was now living in Costa Rica.

“I know, I know,” I said. “I learned my lesson. Never date a person less than half your age...”

“Plus seven,” they joined in.

“So, tonight I’m going out with two women,” I added.

“Two?” Andi asked. “There are supposed to be three of us.”

“Yes, but I have to add Cali and Mel together in order to get them over 30!”

“So, are you two seeing each other now?” Laura asked. Andi blushed a little. Damn! Maybe I did, too. We stumbled over each other explaining how I’d rescued the girls on Wednesday and they insisted on taking me to the movies tonight. Then we got involved in a lengthy discussion of the indie film we were seeing tonight and the upcoming Seattle International Film Festival line-up. We laughed and talked while we ate our burgers.

“Spring is here,” Andi declared at last. “Let’s have a barbecue tomorrow. We can commandeer my front yard for the grill and spread out into the park across the street. Can you all make it?” There was general agreement and by the time we had compiled the guest list and who was inviting whom and who was bringing what, it was time to catch our ride to the theater. Melissa pulled up in front of the Blue Bastion at exactly seven with Cali in the seat beside her.

“Cali, let Dag have the front seat. His legs are longer,” Andi said as she opened the back door.

“That’s okay,” I said. “It’s only a few blocks. We could have walked it. I can ride in back for that distance. Besides, I’m sure Mel wants to pay me back for folding her up in the back seat of the Mustang.”

“It was great,” Mel gushed. “I couldn’t believe you had the top down. Everybody at school was so jealous.”

“Mel kept trying to tell everyone that you were her boyfriend.”

“Oh no!” I said in mock horror.

“Yeah. When that didn’t work, I told them you were really Cali’s long lost daddy and you’d come to spoil her senseless.”

“Mel, you didn’t!” Andi and Cali exclaimed at the same time.

“Just kidding,” she sang. It really was only a few blocks to the theater and Mel pulled up outside. “I’ll drop you guys off and go find a parking spot.”

“Yeah. Here’s your tickets. You don’t have to wait for us to go in. We’ll be there in a jiff,” Cali said handing the tickets to her mother as I held the door open for her. They waved as they pulled away from the curb and turned down Broadway.

“I guess they don’t want to be seen with the adults,” Andi said as we went inside. I bought a bucket of popcorn but we both decided to forgo the massively overpriced drinks. If I drank one of their large sodas, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the movie. Speaking of which, I gave Andi the popcorn and excused myself to go use the restroom.