My Date

It's about time I posted something happy. Tonight, I got a much-needed escape from a tough summer.

That's not to say this summer has been all bad, but yeah.

I reconnected with an old high school friend, Isaac. He was mostly home-schooled but we did have seminary together, and I remember he was one of the few boys (very few) who were actually nice to me. Even now, he's a pretty sweet guy, and it turns out he has been married before but now he's divorced, with a young son of his own. I later learned that the boy's name is Alexander, and that he's four years old, between the ages of my nephews Spencer and Lucas.

Earlier this month, pretty much out of the blue, Isaac called me and asked if I'd like to go on a date with him. I didn't see anything wrong with having dinner, so we planned for a dinner date.

The plan was for Friday (yesterday), but due to Isaac's work (he has a job in construction), it got pushed to tonight. We aimed for 6:00 at first, and then we had to push it to 7:00. That was fine with me; I'm perfectly flexible, and even if the whole thing was called off, all I care about is that the guy keeps me informed.

It was a simple date, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. 

 

We had our dinner at Olive Garden, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. 

 

 

I even had an old gift card in my wallet that was still good to use, and Isaac and I ended up paying together even though he insisted on covering everything. I teased him, "The least I can do is not milk you for all you're worth!"

 

My dinner was spaghetti with marinara sauce (of course), but I had a fine time deciding what kind of meat I wanted: meatballs, Italian sausage, chicken, or shrimp. I eventually settled for shrimp because that's a little more of a luxury for me; seafood isn't cheap and my mom never liked seafood, so I don't have shrimp as often. Then I had a side salad and a raspberry lemonade, and later I felt good enough to order dessert (a sort of cheesecake brownie), though I eventually caved and asked for a take-out box for my dessert.

I love to eat. I even saved as much of my appetite as I could, eating a very light lunch after work and everything. Even so, my stomach only has so much capacity!

Our server was really nice, too. We left her a nice tip along with a written compliment, and I made her pass on a compliment to the chefs.

Naturally, Isaac and I had plenty to talk about. Mostly we talked about what we've been up to nowadays, and we took our time to eat while we chatted. We ended up staying for at least two hours, which was fine by me. He expressed a little regret that we couldn't do more this evening; he offered a movie or ice cream, but I told him this dinner was good enough for me, food-wise and money-wise.

As far as dates go, I'd say this one was just right. The way a date should go, in my book: not too long, not too short, something fun but without much fuss, something nice but not overly expensive, away from home but still close by.

The best part, as I mentioned earlier, was that it provided a nice little getaway. I got a very much-needed breather.

I could sense Isaac probably had a little romance in mind; he's probably trying again after his divorce, and it's clear he's still trying to get back on his feet. But he didn't push anything, and I didn't force anything either way. I made sure to thank him (more than once) and he even thanked me, so I joked, "We're both welcome!"

I even got some good-natured teasing at work. I kind of let slip that I had a date, and my coworkers and boss were all, "Ooooh, Melanie's got a date! Be sure to tell us all about it!" 

 

One of them said she would come to the restaurant to "check on me," and I got her back by saying, "Well, I haven't said which Olive Garden we're going to!" Her reaction was sidesplitting.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have butterflies in my stomach, even now.

Even on a platonic level, I almost never get asked out. I never considered myself a hit with boys, although some of my high school pals were guys and I still keep in touch with a few of them, like Paul and Trent. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever find someone who will like me enough to marry me.

Well, one way or another, tonight was just what I needed.

This will be a memory well worth keeping.