Second Date "Can you get it, Hon?"

This was our second date. We had met at the pond a couple of weeks before when Sid and I had stopped to see who was skating.

She had come to a stop at the railing where we were standing. "You're Jimmy Burns, aren't you?" she asked, watching me nod before continuing. "I'm Marie Bundy. We met at the mall."

"Ah, yes, you were with Danny," I said, remembering where I had seen her before.

"Would you take me home, Jimmy?" she asked, assuming I was the one with the car.

"Sure," I responded without asking where she lived.

"I'll just be a minute," she said, smiling before skating off.

"What's that about?" Sid asked, interrupting my thoughts as I watched Marie's ass move with her skates. She was wearing a ski jacket, earmuffs, a short skirt, and heavy stockings that looked more like sweat pants. The ski jacket covered her top, but the stockings outlined chubby thighs.

"Danny took her out a couple of times, but I don't think he's seeing her any more. He introduced us at the mall."

"How come you didn't introduce her to me?" Sid asked, sounding miffed.

"I will. Here she comes. You sit in the back, okay?"

What are you going to do, hit on her?"

"No. Be a gentleman; don't make her sit in the back by herself."

Marie was two inches shorter in boots. Her skates were tied together and hanging over her shoulder. I introduced her to Sid, who reluctantly got in the back seat of my mom's Camry.

She directed me across town, into an older neighborhood. We talked about kids we knew and which courses we were taking. She thanked me for the ride, told Sid it was nice meeting him, and got out of the car.

On the way home, we wondered how Marie was planning to get home if we hadn't stopped by the pond. Did she make a habit of asking guys she barely knew for rides home? Danny had described her as hot. Why had he stopped seeing her?

That was Friday night. I waited until the following Wednesday to call her. She accepted my offer for a date, without asking what we would be doing, which was a good thing because I hadn't thought that far ahead. She made sure I remembered where she lived, and agreed to be ready at seven-thirty.

Now to take care of a couple of loose ends:

First, I went to see Danny. This wasn't something you trusted to a telephone conversation; I needed to look him in the eye to get his reaction. I told him about meeting Marie at the pond and taking her home. I didn't tell him that I'd been unable to get her out of my mind, or that I was nervous as hell. Danny scoffed, saying there was nothing to explain. He was cool with me dating Marie.

Next, I needed to arrange a ride. I told Sid that my mom was going to need her car on Friday night. He berated me for waiting until Thursday to tell him I needed his help the very next night. I appealed to his vanity, reminding him that he could get a date on the spur of the moment. It worked, and I found myself in the Bundy living room, meeting Marie's mother.

First dates are always hard for me. I'll never know why I was so nervous. Gloria, Sid's date, even had to turn and introduce herself to Marie.

We sat a foot apart in the back seat of Sid's dad's Buick, and didn't say more than two words on the way to the movie. Two and a half hours later, when I walked her to the door, I made an attempt to apologize for the way I had acted. Marie was good natured about it, saying my apology was not necessary.

Second dates are much easier for me. Again, I waited until Wednesday to call her. Marie said she would be happy to try again. I didn't have to tell her to be ready at seven-thirty.

Sid didn't believe me when I told him my mom needed her car on Friday night. "You want me to drive so you can sit in the back seat with her."

I admitted that he was right, and he said he would drive on one condition: "You've got to try to get to second base," he said, and I agreed to try.

Marie was ready, wearing a sweater, skirt, and knee socks.

"You look nice," I said, and watched her smile.

I helped her with her coat, and said goodnight to her mother. We held hands on the way to the car.

"Frances, this is Marie. Marie, this is Frances," I said, as I slid next to Marie in the back seat.

"It's Francine," Sid's date corrected me.

We laughed, and I put my arm around Marie. She scrunched down in the seat, and took my hand in hers.

Francine watch us kiss, and quickly turned back to face the front of the car. Marie's lips were soft and receptive. She pulled my hand down until it was covering her breast. Second base was within reach, separated only by her heavy coat, sweater and bra, I thought.

We held hands in the movie theater. Marie put her head on my shoulder, squeezed my hand, and blew in my ear a couple of times. Second base was going to be a cinch; I decided to try for third.