Steve Rogers was a scrawny kid of 17, too old to be as green as he was and too young-looking to be competition for his best friend, the 18 year old ladies' man, Bucky Barnes. That was why Bucky was always setting him up with dates. Steve hated those awkward double-dates. He always found himself watching jealously as Bucky made the gal on his arm giggle while Steve sat with a beautiful dame who ignored his feeble attempts at a stuttered conversation. Steve looked at himself in the mirror for the fifth time that night. His dirty-blonde hair was parted and swept to the side and his blue shirt was tucked neatly into his khaki slacks, showing his slim frame. He looked frail, like he would break in half if the wind blew too hard. Steve let out a sigh. This is as good as it's gonna get, I reckon, he thought. A brief knock came at the door and Bucky's voice filtered through. "Hey, Steve, you ready in there? The girls will be waiting on us." Steve looked in the mirror once more, checking his chin, hoping he needed to shave so he could avoid this date a little longer. No such luck – his face was as hairless as it had always been. With another sigh, he exited the small bathroom and joined Bucky in the small apartment room they had shared since leaving the orphanage.

"Lookin' sharp," Bucky said upon seeing his friend and Steve just rolled his eyes. Bucky stood up from the single bed on his side of the room, shrugging on his jacket as he did so.

"I can't believe you talked me into this, again!"

"Aww, quit your whining. It'll be fun!" Bucky cuffed Steve playfully on the shoulder and Steve once more rolled his eyes.

Rubbing his shoulder, where he could still feel the gentle punch his friend had tapped him with, Steve said, "That's what you said last time."

"Come on Steve-o, don't let that one gal ruin you to women! She was nothin' but a Dumb Dora, anyway."

"What about the time before that?"

"So, the last few girls have been duds. But, this one! – I tell you, I got a good feeling about this dame!" Bucky was adamant. Steve sighed. There would be no convincing his friend that he really just didn't want to go. Plus, it'd be rude to stand the poor gal up. It wasn't her fault this date was doomed, Steve thought, resigned to his fate for the evening.

So, Steve let Bucky drag him to the bowling alley, where they would meet the girls. When they arrived, two pretty girls rushed towards them. Before introductions could be made, one of the girls, who Steve supposed was Bucky's date, Nelly, kissed Bucky on the cheek and whispered something in his ear that made him flash that smile Steve always envied. With a hurried, "We'll be right back. You two'll be alright, yeah?", Bucky and his girl left Steve and his date alone, Bucky not waiting for an answer and Nelly giggling like a school girl.

"You're not at all like your friend described you." The girl looked Steve up and down.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. It just means he sees something in you that ain't obvious, something worth talkin' up."

Steve was a bit taken aback. No girl had ever said something like that to him. All he said in response was, "Oh."

She held out her hand, "I'm Jen Franklin. Friends call me Frankie though." As he took her hand, for the first time he really looked at her. She was about his same height and there was a soft plumpness to her otherwise slim figure. She wore her flaming red hair cropped short in a bob and had on a silk blouse and skirt, her slender legs gracefully cascading from the flowing material.

Noticing the rake of his eyes down her body, she gave him a small smile and took him to one of the private booths. When both were sitting she said, "Look, I like you, which is why I'm gonna tell you you're not my type. And, if I'm right, I'm not your type either."

He gave her a blank look. "Huh?"

"You like your friend, right?"

"Course I do. He's my best friend."

"No, I mean he's your type, like Nelly is mine?"