The Second (Official) Date
By VampyMuseGirl
The bustling sounds of New York had awakened Kathleen Kelly from her slumber. It was hard to believe that NY152 had been Joe Fox all along. That fact was hard for her to accept. If he hadn't shown his appealing traits to her while he proclaimed that he wanted to be her friend, they definitely would not have been where they were today. It was just yesterday when Kathleen shared a kiss with her big, bad rival: Joe Fox. He had put her out of business and without a job! However, she couldn't resist his charm when he acted like a decent human being and not a bottom-dweller. His physical attractiveness helped him out as well when it came to appeal towards Kathleen. As she remained between her sheets, nestled up all warm and cozy, she couldn't hold back a beaming smile when she thought of all the effort Joe had gone through just to make the guessing game of who NY152 was. Who knew Joe Fox had a sense of humor and was a romantic?
Kathleen stretched along the length of her bed and sat up instantly. She clapped her hands ecstatically fast and launched herself onto her feet. Quickly dodging the corners and door frames, she slid on her socks along the wooden floor and stopped cold at the sight of her laptop. The gentle humming sound coming from it was almost an invitation to come and open it up. As she walked towards the laptop, she rubbed her hands in anticipation before sitting down in her computer chair. With the gentle push of the laptop button, it unlatched and Kathleen guided it fully open. An old photograph of her and her mother in front of The Shop Around The Corner welcomed her. Kathleen kissed three of her fingertips before placing them upon her mother's face.
"Hi mom!" She smiled and continued on; navigating through the icons on her desktop until she found the icon labeled: AOL. After she double clicked and inputted her login information, the annoying sound of high pitched beeping and scratches began as it connected. It went silent. She awaited the lovely sound of her email box beckoning to her: "You've got mail," but it never happened. Kathleen's mouth dropped.
"What in the world..." She wondered if her computer was simply taking too long to load her email notifications. Without any patience, she clicked open her email box. It was empty. Worry began to set in. Bad thoughts began to consume her: Did I make myself too available? Was it a bad idea that I kissed him when I found out that Joe Fox was NY152? Was everything that happened yesterday in the park just a charade to Joe Fox? I wouldn't put it passed him. Then, a beautiful chiming sounded and a pop-up window appeared on her screen.
NY152: Good morning, Shopgirl! I hope you had a restful sleep.
Kathleen smiled and stared at the blinking cursor as it awaited her fingers to touch the keys in response.
Shopgirl: Good morning, NY152! I slept very well, thank you! I'll admit, I was a little worried when I woke up and didn't hear those three magic words this morning.
NY152: I'm sorry. I thought I would try something a little different from the norm, since you know who I really am now. We've only used AIM once. I've actually been up for a while waiting for you to sign on.
Shopgirl: Oh really? I'm sorry if you've been waiting too long.
NY152: It's not a problem! I actually had enough time to shower and get dressed for the day. I was hoping we could bump into each other at Starbuck's. Are you busy this morning?
Shopgirl: That sounds like a wonderful idea! Your ex, Patricia, gave me the day off. I told her that I had just found out some startling news and couldn't make it in today.
NY152: Ahh, what startling news?
Shopgirl: Maybe I over-exaggerated a little. The news that you were NY152. I didn't get into details with her about it.
NY152: You know, Patricia will want to know every detail why you took the day off. We can think of some stories over coffee and pastries. I'll see you in 20 minutes?
Shopgirl: Sounds perfect! See you then!
NY152: I look forward to it!
A second later, her messenger notified her that Joe Fox had signed off of AIM. Repeating his actions, she signed off and went to the bathroom to freshen up and get ready for her second, official date with Joe Fox. She wasn't sure how this romance between them would blossom. A few dates here and there and she'd be sure to know where they'd be. They already shared their first passionate kiss in one of the most beautiful places in New York City. Kathleen yearned for more moments like that with Joe Fox. Unfortunately, Joe Fox was very unpredictable. Over the next few dates, he'd have to try very hard to earn her trust and show that he's genuinely interested in her. The old Joe Fox she knew would probably have one thing set on his mind at this point and it'd only be so he could brag to his buddies that he slept with the lady who worked at the bookstore that his store had put out of business. However, Kathleen was willing to give him a second chance to prove that he wasn't as terrible as he had come off during their first few meetings before the big reveal of who they really were.
Kathleen smoothed out her skirt and buttoned the top button of her cardigan before reaching out and spritzing herself with a light vanilla scented body spray. She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and smiled. "Well, here we go!" She smiled at herself in the mirror. As she reached the front door of her New York apartment, she took in another deep breath, opened the door, walked down the steps, and was welcomed by the busy sounds of New York City. "I just love New York in the spring!" Kathleen took in the sights before she started off at a skip and made her way towards Starbuck's.