Chapter 10: Steppin' Out

I showered and changed into my new clothes as soon as I got home from the store. I had an hour before picking up Kim at her house. I'd be giving Candy a ride over there for her overnighter with Deb. I was sure Kim would have a small overnight bag herself. The idea that we would be spending the night together didn't seem to produce any surprise or teasing from Candy. I think they were settling into the idea that Kim and I were serious about each other and it was a natural thing to do.

When I looked at myself in the mirror I was happy that I didn't look ridiculous. It was western style but not so much that it would be out of place in our small town. The belt buckle looked good, surprisingly. I was ready to go and headed downstairs to get Candy.

"Oh, wow! Dad, you look so cooool!" she said in surprise as she saw me.

"Thanks. We're going to Rider's Reach tonight. I thought I had better look the part."

"You look great. Very handsome ... and boots too. Kim's going to be impressed for sure."

I ushered her out the door and we drove to the Penny home with Candy chatting along the way. I wasn't as nervous as I had been the previous Saturday but I wasn't completely at ease either. When we arrived I let Candy go first. You know she's a regular visitor when she rings the door chime then proceeds to walk in. The door had been left unlocked for her.

Kim was ready and waiting as we entered. She looked like she just stepped out of a magazine ad. Her swept-back blonde hair shimmered in the light and her beautiful blue eyes sparkled. She was wearing an embroidered white blouse that fitted her to perfection and it was exactly the right style for a western-themed evening. As requested, the jeans couldn't have been fitted any more snugly. They flared slightly below the knee to allow room for her tan colored boots. The tan belt at her waist was slim and the color matched her boots. She looked amazing.

"You outdid yourself tonight," I said shaking my head. "I'm going out with a movie star."

She laughed lightly before approaching me a giving me a kiss on the lips.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it. You look terrific too. I like the belt buckle."

We said goodnight to the girls after taking some good natured ribbing about when to meet them tomorrow. We decided they could look after their own breakfast and we would see them sometime after eleven if they didn't have somewhere to go. Deb had Kim's car, so they weren't stuck at the house. After the usual admonitions about behaving themselves and driving carefully, we left for the restaurant.

"These last three weeks have been something to remember," Kim said as we rode along the twenty minute drive to the restaurant.

"Yes, I think so too. But tell me how you see it."

She looked over to me and put her hand on my thigh.

"I met a very fine man just when I least expected to. After all the jerks and losers that I'd been out with in the last two years, I wasn't quite ready for a handsome gentleman to sweep me off my feet."

"That makes us even. I didn't expect an exceptionally beautiful woman to be interested in me, much less have a relationship develop in such a short time."

"You underestimate yourself. I wasn't looking for a stud. I was looking for a man. A guy who was happy with himself and not out to prove anything to anyone. It's hard to believe that you were so close to home all this time. You'd think with how tight Deb and Candy are that we'd have met sooner."

"Maybe not. I left a lot of that to Andrea while I worked. My main involvement with Brandon and Candy was when our son was in sports and Candy was a cheerleader. I tried to be at every game."

"Deb didn't make it as a cheerleader but that didn't faze Candy. She was still her best friend and wouldn't abandon her."

"That sounds like Candy. Even when she didn't make cheerleader that first year she was at every one of Brandon's games, cheering him on."

"You must be very proud of her and you have to take some of the credit for raising a fine young woman."

"I was going to say the same thing about Deb. You've had three years on your own while I've only had a few months. I think you've done really well, especially considering their age. I don't think we're out of the woods yet, though. I know they've discovered boys, but I just don't know to what extent."

"Would you be upset if they weren't virgins any more?"

"I don't know. I would probably be disappointed, but I guess that's just the father in me. We all want our daughters to be pure and perfect."

"I remember my teenage years. I was a real hell-raiser. By the time I was Deb's age I'd had a number of ... experiences."

"I was a little later than you," I confessed. "I waited until I was away from home at college and then cut loose. I had some growing up to do. When I met Andrea, she was fresh out of high school and I was a new graduate from college. I think she was impressed that an 'older man' was interested in her."

"How long after you met her did you marry?"

"Almost two years. I had to get established in my job and put some money away. Andrea was working at the same store so we saw plenty of each other during the week."

"I wasn't unhappy when I found out I was pregnant with Deb," Kim explained. "Tom already had a good job, so it wasn't like we would be strapped for money. The problem was, I wasn't sure if I loved him or not. He was a nice guy and good to me but I still wasn't sure."

"Looking back now, how do you feel?" I asked.

"He was a pretty good husband and father. I could rely on him. I guess I was looking for a fairy-tale romance. It just wasn't there for me."

"Regrets?"

"No. I had Deb and she gave me a reason to be happy."

"I was in love with Andrea. I was sure of that and I was sure of her. Why it didn't stay that way I'll probably never know. I can't think of any reason that would cause her to fall out of love with me unless she was never there in the first place. If that was the case, then she sure fooled me."

"Don't dwell on it, Norm. It's over with and you're moving on. I like where we are going and I hope you do too."

I turned to her as I parked the car in the restaurant parking lot.

"I'm still in shock that it's happened, Kim, but I couldn't be happier ... if that's what you're wondering."

She leaned over and kissed me.

"I'm happy if you're happy."

We left the restaurant just after nine o'clock and drove the ten minutes back toward Rider's Reach. The parking lot was almost full when we got there and I could hear the band and a lot of noise before we even entered the building. I hadn't been here before and didn't know what expect.

"If it gets too loud for you let me know. We can always go and find somewhere quieter," I told her as we were about to enter.

"I think tonight is going to be a fun night, Norm. Let's just go with it and see what happens."

The noise accompanying the band was the sound of dozens of pairs of boots hitting the hardwood floor in rhythm with the music. Unlike the intimate lounge we were in a week earlier, far more people were up on the floor dancing than sitting around at the tables. The sound of the band and the obvious fun the people were having was contagious. We found a long table that we could share with two other couples and asked to join them.

We introduced ourselves and I found that both couples had frequented our store and were complimentary about their experience. That put me in a good frame of mind right away.

The standard dance appeared to be the two-step and I asked Kim if she'd like to join me. She was a little hesitant until I showed her how simple the steps were. In no time at all we were confidently moving around the floor in unison with the many other pairs. It was like some kind of circular parade, with couples moving at the same pace in the same direction. We nodded to a few familiar faces as we kept time.

I had almost no experience with line dancing and Kim had none at all. We sat out the first two numbers to watch and see if we could pick up the steps. It didn't look too complicated. Our table partners encouraged us to give it a try and we joined them on the floor. With a little help we didn't embarrass ourselves too much and in fact, had a lot of fun trying.

It was a completely different experience from the previous Saturday. The room was brightly lit, the band was upbeat without being too loud, the people were in a uniformly good mood, beer and wine seemed to be the main drinks served, and any thought of intimacy in this environment was a non-starter. It didn't matter. I could tell from Kim's expression that she was having a good time and that's all that mattered to me. In fact, I was having a good time myself.

We said goodnight to our new friends and headed out the door just before eleven-thirty. We were danced-out, if that's a phrase. I hadn't had more than one beer per hour and I was fine to drive. I was a little sweaty from the more active dancing we had been indulging ourselves in. It was nice to step out into the cool of the evening and get some fresh air.