Chapter 3: A First Date

June 12, 1981, Chicago, Illinois

Friday at work started off normally, though I was constantly checking my watch, willing time to pass faster so I could go to meet Gudia. I was very much looking forward to our date, though a conversation with Alec had made it clear that going out for ‘Chicago-style’ pizza was nothing like going out for pizza at home, which I’d done only a two or thee times during High School, in that it was likely to cost at least double what I’d expected.

I’d noticed in the two weeks I’d been in Chicago that everything was more expensive than it had been back home. I was really glad I’d never taken up smoking — back home, a carton of cigarettes was about $3.50, while in Chicago it was around $7.00. Gasoline was about 40¢ a gallon more as well, though not having a car kind of made that point moot. On the plus side, the state income tax was about half of what it was in Ohio, not that I made enough for that to matter much.

Everything changed at 10:00am when Mr. Nelson called me into his office.

“I just fired Dierks,” he said. “That means you and Nick are going to have to pick up the slack. I’ll pitch in, too.”

Paul had been taking twenty minutes longer on his rounds than I had, and I KNEW he’d been flirting with the secretary he was constantly talking about.

“Yes, Boss!” I replied.

I’d quickly learned that was the safest answer to anything he said, unless his question clearly and specifically required an answer of ‘no’ or he asked for some specific information.

“I also put you in for a 25¢ per hour raise, effective Monday. You’re doing good work. Keep it up.”

“Thank you, Boss!” I replied.

He’d just added $10 to my weekly paycheck, before taxes, which despite being a meagre sum, was significant in the message it sent. I also knew, from talking to Nick, that such ‘merit’ raises were rare, and when they happened, it meant someone liked you. What I was really looking forward to was the end of my ‘probation’ period, when I’d get another raise of 50¢/hour, taking me to $6.50.

“Hop to it, then!”

“Yes, Boss!”

I quickly went back to the mailroom and huddled with Nick, who had already been told. We worked out a plan to cover the additional work until a replacement was hired, which Nick said usually took a week or so, considering it was always done based on referrals.

“So what happens to the guy who referred Paul?”

“If this is his first bad referral, nothing. If it’s his second, he’ll be on the shit list and won’t be able to refer anyone for at least six months without special permission. And Mr. Spurgeon doesn’t give that lightly. So if you suggest someone, make sure they aren’t a fuck-up like Dierks.”

“I warned him about talking to that secretary.”

“Guys do dumb stuff for slash, man. I told him, too. Then one of the senior money managers bitched to Mr. Nelson. That was it. Game over. Go directly to jail. Do not pass ‘Go’. Do not collect $200. Or however you want to put it.”

“No second chance?”

“Not when I’d already talked to him. And you know I had to tell Mr. Nelson or it would be MY ass. And I’m sure as hell not putting MY ass on the line for a fuck-up like Dierks. You only survive here if you’re trusted. And if you’re trusted, the sky’s the limit if you’re motivated.”

“You?”

“I’m going to night school. Once I finish my law degree, I’m out of here. About this time next year, you can have this chair if you bust your ass and keep your nose clean.”

“I take it that it pays better?”

“Against the rules to tell you a number, but it’s significantly more.”

“What about Mr. Nelson?”

Nick laughed, “He makes as much as some of the lower-level executives upstairs because NOTHING ever fucks up in here. Sure, we get occasional idiot like Dierks, but the machinery runs well. And trust me, nobody will cut us any slack because we’re down a man.”

“Then we should probably stop yacking and get to work.”

The day was INSANE from that point on. Nick and I both went non-stop, and I ended up eating my lunch while sorting mail, after getting permission from Mr. Nelson to work thirty minutes of overtime. Technically, the law said I had to have a lunch break, but so long as I didn’t complain, nobody would care. And the extra money in my pocket meant I wouldn’t complain a bit.

By 5:00pm I was ready to leave. The only reason I wasn’t run totally ragged was because I was used to being on my feet and carrying huge loads. But I could feel it, and that made it clear I HAD to start working out, not just think about doing it. Between Nick, Mr. Nelson, and myself we’d completed all the deliveries and pick-ups, restocked all the supply cabinets, and handled the myriad other tasks we were called on to do.

“Good job today, Kane,” Mr. Nelson said as hung up my jacket.

“Thanks, Boss!”

I headed for the freight elevator, and once I was in the lobby, I walked to the L, took it south to IIT, then walked to Connie’s Pizza on 22nd Street where Gudia was waiting in faded jeans and a pale yellow polo which clung tightly to her small breasts just as the pink one had.

“Hi!” I said.

“Hi,” she replied, putting her hands on my arms and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

We had to wait about ten minutes to be seated, then looked over the offerings. I let Gudia decide, as I’d never seen a pizza which looked anything at all like the ones pictured on the menus. She suggested something called ‘Chicago Pan Pizza’ with sausage, mushroom, and cheese.

“I hope pork is OK,” she said. “I usually don’t eat beef.”

“Pork is fine. Are you Hindu?” I asked, remembering, vaguely, something I’d read for a social studies class in Junior High.

“Yes, but not too serious about it. My family doesn’t eat beef, but we rarely go to the temple. It’s more cultural than anything. Anala is more serious about it, though her sister isn’t.”

“Younger or older?” I asked.

“Younger. Her name is Papiya and she goes to IIT and is studying Mechanical Engineering. I stay away from her, though.”

“Oh?”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Just forget it. Anala is totally cool, though.”

“Does she fix you up on dates often?” I asked.

The waiter came to the table interrupting the conversation, and I placed the order for the pizza and a pitcher of Coke. He said the pizza would take forty minutes which seemed crazy to me, as the Pizza Inn back home could make a pizza in ten. I didn’t say anything to Gudia at that point, but if this pizza wasn’t the best I’d ever had in my life, I wasn’t going to spring for it again!

“No,” Gudia laughed. “First time. I was complaining to her just before school ended that despite the ratio of guys to girls being close to nine to one at IIT, the guys were mostly nerds, dorks, or dweebs.”

“Nine to one?”

“It’s one of the top engineering schools in the Midwest and it’s always had a high ratio of guys to girls.”

“And out of all those guys?”

She shook her head, “Nobody I want to date.”

“But you do want to date me?”

“One date isn’t a guarantee of a second!” she laughed. “But so far, I like you. Anala said you were really cool. Did you really ask her out?”

“I did.”

“She’s like five years older than you are!”

“So?” I grinned. “As I said to her, what was the worst thing that could happen? It’s not like she was going to call the cops or anything. She just said she was seeing someone and suggested I might like you. So far, she’s right.”

“Did you have a girlfriend back home?”

“Sort of, I guess. I hung out a lot with the girl next door and we did a lot of stuff together, but we weren’t going steady or anything.”

“Do you talk to her?”

I shook my head, “No. She started dating someone when I left home. She still has a year of High School and it wasn’t like we planned to get married or anything. I take it you’re unattached?”

“So far. I was a total bookworm in High School and wasn’t interested in guys. I went to Prom and Homecoming and stuff like that, but didn’t like anyone enough to go steady. I met some guys at IIT, but again, nothing clicked. Anala suggested I change tactics, so here I am. What made you agree?”

“I just moved here and barely know anyone. I took a chance on talking to Anala and she suggested she had a friend. I decided to take a chance and see what happened. I mean, again, the worst case is I didn’t like you and just didn’t ask you out again.”

“And the best case?”

There was no chance I was going to say what popped into my head, which was getting her into my bed!

“A second date,” I grinned.

“Liar!” she said with a silly grin. “I can see you undressing me with your eyes!”

Busted! I wasn’t sure though, if she was trying to imply something, or just teasing me. My sum total experience with girls had been with Bev, but I’d known her from the time we were in grade school. Trying to read the girl sitting across from me was an impossible task.

“And if I want ANY hope of ever doing that at some point in the future, no matter how distant, a second date is required!”

“You don’t fool around on the first date?”

I chuckled, “I have no idea. I’ve never BEEN on a real date!”

“But your girl back home?”

“We mostly just hung out together, we never went on formal dates.”

“You didn’t go to Prom?”

I shook my head, “I wasn’t really interested.”

And I couldn’t afford it, I didn’t add, sounding like a broken record in my head.

“Weird. You’re eighteen, right?”

I nodded, “And you’re nineteen?”

“I’ll be twenty in October. When’s your birthday?”

“November.”

“You’ve really never been on a date?”

“Not as such,” I replied. “Bev and I did stuff together, but it was mostly hanging out listening to music, playing games, or watching TV.”

“So what do you do in your spare time?”

“I didn’t really have much. My mom was a single mom, and as soon as I could work to help make ends meet, I did. I started with mowing lawns and shoveling snow, then got regular jobs.”

“What happened to your dad, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He died in a plane crash before I was born. My grandparents basically kicked my mom out of the house, or maybe made it intolerable for her to stay there. I’m not really sure.”

“She never re-married?”

“No. She was determined to make it on her own. Same as me.”

“Where are you living now?”

“With my uncle, aunt, and cousin until the end of July. Then I’m moving into an apartment near UICC in Little Village.”

“A building or someone’s house?”

“A room over a garage. It’s furnished, clean, has nice hardwood floors, and is in my price range!”

“Anala has a place just like that in Bridgeport. It’s pretty nice, actually.”

“How did you guys meet?”

“I was friends with her little sister in High School. When I got to IIT last year, I basically adopted her as a big sister.”

“Was friends?”

“Yeah. Let’s just say Papiya changed from how she was in High School. But I’d rather not talk about her.”

“So what do you want to talk about?” I asked.

“Do you like any sports?”

“Baseball and football.”

“The American kind?” Gudia asked.

“Yes. Our school had a girls soccer team but I never saw them play. I did go to football games when I wasn’t working. I liked to watch the Reds and Bengals on TV. You?”

“Cricket, soccer, and Formula One.”

“I think I saw one race on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Monte Carlo?”

“That’s the only one they show here as far as I’m aware. Do you play chess?”

I shook my head, “No. My mom taught me to play backgammon and I played that a lot.”

“Cool. I play, too. Cards?”

I shook my head, “I know a few games but never played that much.”

“Do you like spicy food?”

“Sure. Mom didn’t make too many spicy things. She was pretty much meat, potatoes, and vegetables. But I like all kinds of stuff. How am I doing on the ‘second date’ points scale?”

Gudia laughed softly, “You haven’t struck out!”

“Well, I suppose that’s something,” I grinned.

“A good sense of humor is a major plus.”

“So, not a nerd, a sense of humor, and...?”

“Decent looking.”

“Decent?” I asked with a silly grin.

“You’re fit, tall, and easy on the eyes, but not a pretty boy. Decent. I already know what you think of me!”

“That obvious?”

“You had that look on your face. Girls know. I didn’t tell you to go away, did I?”

“No.”

“Which means I wasn’t offended and I’m not complaining. You did notice I’m short, right?”

I chuckled, “It’s pretty obvious that I’m about a foot taller.”

“What else did you notice?”

I could be honest, silly, some combination of the two, or polite. I decided she wasn’t asking for polite.

“You’re nice, your skin is a beautiful shade of brown, your eyes are lovely, and your clothes fit VERY nicely!”

“Interesting order.”

I shrugged, “Being ‘nice’ is more important than the rest, honestly. I noticed your skin first because I don’t think I’ve met anyone from India before I met Anala. As for your eyes and your figure, well, those are difficult for anyone with a pulse to miss!”

“You speak your mind, don’t you?”

I shrugged, “I try to, though I know how to keep my mouth shut when I’m supposed to.”

“Meaning?”

“One of my co-workers was fired today because he talked to a secretary during his rounds. We were told specifically not to do that. He decided to.”

“Wow! That would make it tough to meet someone if you’re new.”

“Which is why I decided to talk to Anala and how we ended up here.”

“So you can’t talk to people at work?”

“If I’m doing my rounds, I’m only allowed to talk to someone who talks to me first. And mostly they don’t. I’m kind of like a potted plant or piece of furniture, though I move around.”

“Why?”

“I don’t ask why. I just do what I’m told, so long as it’s not illegal.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“Why should it? They don’t pay me to talk to people. It’s like when I worked at the feed store back home. My job was to load bags of feed and fertilizer into pick-up trucks, not make conversation. Same as when I worked for the landscape company. At the lumber yard, I did talk to get orders. I figure the guy who signs my paycheck or hands me my pay in cash is in charge and I do what he says because I want to keep my job.”

“So, nose to the grindstone, never look up?”

“I suppose. But once I’m off work, I don’t have to think about it, either. My uncle brings work home with him every night. Eventually, that’ll be me; but for now, when 5:00pm comes around, I can forget about work.”

“Planetarium or aquarium?” she asked.

“I’m OK with either. We’ll do which ever you want.”

“Bonus points for understanding the woman is always in control!” she laughed.

I thought, but didn’t say, ‘Duh!’. She had something very specific I was interested in, beyond just her company which, as enjoyable as it was, was not the ultimate goal.

“I may not be in college, but I’m not a complete idiot,” I replied with a smile. “So which one?”

“How about the planetarium?”

“Works for me!”

Our pizza finally arrived, and it was every bit as good as advertised. I was used to thin pizza with a minimum of toppings; this was thick, with a crispy crust and loads of toppings. I actually had to eat it with a knife and fork, something I’d never done before with pizza. There was no doubt in my mind that it was worth the price, which was also an investment in the pretty girl sitting across from me.

We didn’t talk much while we ate, and when we finished, I paid the check, and then we walked outside to where Gudia was parked. We got into her relatively new Dodge Challenger. I got the impression that her family was reasonably well-off, and hoped that wouldn’t cause problems. I knew kids back home who weren’t allowed to date because their families were so economically different. It never made sense to me, but people thought that way and there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“Is this your car?” I asked.

“Yes. My parents bought it for me when I graduated from High School.”

“You know, I never thought about it, but I guess I need to change my driver’s license from Ohio to Illinois.”

“You need to go to the Secretary of State’s office. I know there’s one downtown, and it does have hours on Saturdays.”

“I guess that’s what I’m doing tomorrow, then.”

“No other plans?” she asked.

I shook my head, “Nope. Well, unless you want to hang out.”

“Are you asking me on a second date?”

“Are you offering a second date?”

“I suppose you’ve scored high enough on the ‘date meter’.”

“Gee, thanks,” I deadpanned.

Gudia laughed, “I like you, Jonathan. So yes, let’s have a second date.”

“I do have to be careful about how much I spend,” I replied cautiously.

She nodded, “OK. How about I pick you up, we have dinner at my house and we see a movie?”

“Which movie?”

“You pick; I picked the planetarium.”

“Raiders of the Lost Ark,” I replied.

“Cool. I’ll find out where it’s playing. How about I pick you up around 3:30pm?”