First date

2nd December 1986

Yesterday, Henry had spent his precious time at the library just staring at her. However, he did not regret one single second of it. On the contrary, the beautiful blonde, the girl of his dreams had finally decided to show up again. When Henry awoke, he was ecstatic that today was finally the day he'd get to take her out. But first, work had to be done. With his paper due tomorrow, he figured he'd go back to the library after his breakfast to finish his reading and he decided to write his paper at his place in the afternoon.

Henry had been working on his paper like a frantic maniac all day. The hours flew by and at four, after proofreading it twice, Henry was finally satisfied with the result. He printed out his paper and cleaned out his desk. As his final draft was being printed, he realized he had been able to put his musings on hold for the better part of his day. Now, though, there was only one thing on his mind.

After a quick shave and a shower, Henry looked at himself in the mirror. He put on his favorite cologne. Was it too much? God, he hoped not. He sighed. He went to stand in front of his closet. Jeans and a casual blue T-shirt would do for what he had planned for them. Besides, many people had confirmed that blue really was his color. He hoped she would like his idea of burgers and bowling. Was she the 'burgers-and-bowling-type-a-girl? Or did she rather want to go to a fancy place with overpriced foods that left you with hunger pangs afterwards? Henry exhaled as he looked at himself in the mirror. He needed to calm down.

It was five. He had been cramming all day to finish his paper and he had felt like he would not finish in time. Now he had an hour and a half to spare.

Should I buy some flowers for her? No, that was probably too much. Was it? But I should give her something, right? He sat down on his couch, his head in his hands as he took a deep breath. He rested against his couch; his eye fell upon his bookcase. A present might be too much, but he wanted to give her something that showed that he cared. A book by Aquinas? Would that be too much? He was panicking. What if she was not interested in Aquinas? She had been going through one of his books at an astounding fast tempo yesterday. What if it was because she had wanted to finish reading that book as soon as possible? His mind was racing. He decided to forgo a present. Tonight would be about them. Not Aquinas, not anyone but them. Or was there anyone else? Should I ask her about this Joey guy? Who was he? Was he handsome? Was he her boyfriend? What if their date last night was so good that they are an item now? Had it been a date? He was going to make her dinner at his place, that's what she'd said. They must get along and know each other quite well for her to go and have dinner at his place. What if she had spent the night with Joey? Would she still want to go out with me?

Henry's mind drifted to the worst kinds of places. He got up quickly and decided to head out. He would go and clear his mind in the park near the dorms. He stepped outside into the cold; it was only then that he realized it was winter and that a T-shirt would not keep him warm. Thinking of Elizabeth, however, he never felt cold. He went back up to his apartment and put on his favorite dark green sweater, he grabbed his coat and a scarf. On his way out, he saw his wallet lying on the small table near the front door. Henry silently thanked god he had noticed his wallet before his girl had to pay for the date. Good thing it was just burgers and bowling then instead of the fancy restaurant. He checked his wallet and was happy he still had plenty of cash. The drive to the dorms only took him a little more than ten minutes. He parked his car in the parking lot. It was 5.45. Just 45 minutes until he would see her again. He was going to make it 30 minutes. He didn't want to be late. And maybe she was as nervous as he was and as eager as him to get their date started.

Henry entered the park. The cool air relaxed him somehow. A much needed escape from his racing mind. He mentally made a not of what they could possibly talk about this evening. He was going to ask her about her studies and where she grew up. He wanted to know if she had any siblings and what she liked doing in her spare time. He wanted to know about her childhood. He wanted to know what made her happy and what made her sad. He wanted to hold her hand. Would she allow me to take her hand and hold it? Was that appropriate for a first date? Should I kiss her? Did she want to be kissed? He took one last breath and started heading back towards the dorms.

Elizabeth was standing, clad in just a bra and panties, in front of her closet deciding on what to wear.

"Where is he taking you?" Becky asked her from the bed she was sitting on.

"I have no idea!" Elizabeth sighed, frustrated obviously.

"Just go for those washed off black jeans that accentuate your ass, it makes all guys turn their heads."

Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Elizabeth was shocked. It was too early. She was not wearing any clothes.

"Girls, open up," Christine called from the hallway.

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't Henry and that she still had some time to get ready. Elizabeth opened the door for Chris who immediately spotted Becky sitting on the bed. "Hi Beck, can I borrow your black nail polish?" Becky went to get it and handed it to Christine. "Thanks, gotta go. I'll bring it back in a minute when I'm done." Elizabeth finished the messy bun and put on some pants when there was another knock at the door. She looked at the clock on her bed, which read 6.15. She figured it was Christine bringing back the nail polish. Elizabeth opened the door only to find Henry standing right in front of her. Time stood still. She stood there in her bra. Thank god she was wearing pants. Henry's gaze went from her mesmerizing eyes to her juicy cleavage and she saw him swallow thickly. His mouth was wide open and notably dry. He looked down before he started talking. "I'm sorry, I'm too early. You're not ready. I'll just wait right here." Henry searched for the door handle blindly and closed the door for her. She hadn't moved, she hadn't said a word. She just stood there. When the door was finally closed, she turned around to cast a glance at Becky who was digging what had just unfolded before her eyes.

"OH MY GOD," Elizabeth mouthed.

"HE'S HOT," Becky mouthed as a reply as she put both her thumbs up.

Elizabeth stood in the middle of her dorm room and threw her arms up. Not knowing what to do. Her hand made contact with her head. She was nailed to the ground and she was blushing a dark shade of crimson.

"Well at least you know what to wear," Becky spoke first.

Elizabeth still seemed frozen.

"Lizzy, go get ready. Wear a shirt; he's casually dressed as well. Besides, it won't be the last time he sees you in your bra." She winked when she said that.

Elizabeth eyed Becky and grabbed her black shirt from the closet. She put it on in a hurry and fastened the buttons. Next, she hurried to the bathroom to apply some minimal make-up. She finished with a few pumps of her favorite fragrance. When she reappeared in the bedroom, Becky nodded her approval. Again, there was a knock at the door.

Elizabeth took in a deep breath and opened the door again. Expecting to welcome Henry properly this time, she saw Christine who handed back Becky's nail polish. "Thanks Becks," Christine somewhat yelled.

"Welcome," Becky replied.

"I'm relieved you don't always open your door half naked," Henry popped his head up from behind Christine.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes but couldn't help but blush at his words.

"I'm sorry about that," she lowered her head, ashamed and frustrated their date hadn't started the way it was supposed to.

"It's okay, I was too early, my bad. I was just really looking forward to seeing you again. I just didn't expect to see this much from you on our first date."

He was going to remind her of this the entire evening. She was certain of that, so she just decided to make him just as uncomfortable.

"Oh, so this is a date?"

It was his turn to look down now and be a little doubtful about himself. "Well, I was kind of hoping it would be a date."

He's sweet, she felt bad for teasing him already. She didn't want to hurt his feelings and make him feel uncomfortable but she couldn't help herself. "Well, I hope you don't always come too early on a date."

He looked at her. She snorted, of course she did. And he could do nothing but smile.

"Ready?" he asked impatiently.

"Yeah, I just need to grab my coat and scarf," as she said that she realized he was still standing in the doorway. "Oh, I'm sorry, come in and meet Becky, my roommate."

Henry stepped inside and immediately made his way over to Becky.

"Becky, Henry. Henry, Becky," she introduced them to each other while looking for her coat.

"It' really nice to meet you, Becky." He was always the gentleman.

"Likewise, handsome," Becky teased.

"I'm all set," Elizabeth said as she appeared again.

As the two left her dorm room, Becky hauled back Elizabeth.

She whispered so only Elizabeth could hear her: "You need shoes, honey, and the top buttons of your shirt are all wrong."

Elizabeth looked down and redid the buttons of her shirt before picking up her favorite pair of boots. She looked at Becky once more and mouthed a silent 'thank you'. She blew the hair away that was in her face and turned to Henry who was in the hallway again.

"Nice to meet you, Becky," he waved as he stuck his head around again to say goodbye to Elizabeth's roommate.

"See you soon, Henry." Elizabeth turned her head around once more and shot her an angry look.

"Lizzy, relax. He likes you. A lot. Just go and enjoy," only her roommate could hear her.

With that, Elizabeth closed the door behind her and she and Henry stood in the hallway ready for their first date.

As he rounded the car after he had opened the door for her at the passenger's side, she took a moment to collect herself. He stepped in the car. "So, where are we headed?" she asked him, her curiosity immediately getting the better of her.

"I was hoping you liked burgers and bowling," he answered rapidly. The sooner he got it out, the sooner he would know whether she was up for it or not.

She looked at him with a tiny smirk on her lips.

"Or we could always go some place else if you don't …"

She interrupted him: "Burgers and bowling sound perfect."

He knew why she'd wanted to go for bowling and burgers after the very first round. Damn, this girl could bowl. While Henry was still figuring out which ball suited him best to throw with, she threw nothing but spares and strikes. After their first game, Henry blamed his hunger feeling for his terrible game.

"Maybe, once I get some food in me, I'll be able to up my game. What do you say if we eat first?"

Elizabeth chuckled. "Sure. Let's eat."

As they were waiting at their table for their burgers and sodas to arrive, Henry figured it was time to get to know her.

"May I just say you look really pretty tonight, Elizabeth?" He stared at her while he said it. He stared so intently that she could not doubt his words.

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself," she gave him a shy smile.

"So, what are you doing at UVA besides distracting me from my work in the library?"

"Excuse me, if I remember correctly, you were the one distracting me from reading Aquinas."

"Let's call it 'mutual distraction'." God, how he hoped they could keep on mutually distracting one another. "No, seriously, tell me."

"I study mathematics. I've always had an interest in it and the fact that math is always right. You can never go wrong with math. If you know what to do, you always find the correct solution. I like that certainty," she admitted.

"So, why UVA?" She had sparked Henry's interest.

"UVA was the obvious choice for me. I grew up right here in Virginia and I didn't want to be too far away from my brother who's still in high school."

"So, you have a brother?"

"Yes, his name is Will, he's in his senior year. Smart guy. A bit troubled, but he's the only family I have left."

Henry just looked at her after she'd uttered those last words. He swallowed. He searched for her eyes and he found a sadness he hadn't seen before.

She elaborated; the pain in her voice obvious. "My parents died five years ago. They were in a car accident. Will was with them but he made it out alive. Ever since, it's just been the two of us."

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't mean to… " Henry's voice trembled as he genuinely felt for her and her loss.

"Nothing to be sorry for," she said quickly. "You couldn't have known. So, do you have any siblings?"

"I'm the oldest of four. My sister Maureen is a true pain in the ass. You'll find out for yourself when you meet her some day. My brother Shane and sister Erin are quite alright."

Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. 'When I meet them?' Not 'if' but 'when'. Jesus, this guy is fast. She decided on the spot to let it go. She smiled before she continued. "Wow, that's a full house. Where did you grow up?"

"I grew up in Pittsburgh. A nice and quiet neighborhood where everything was planned out for me."

"What do you mean?"

"My dad was opposed to me going to college. I'm the first one to actually go to uni. He's convinced that a college degree is not necessary to get your hands dirty and to bring home the bacon."

She nodded. "How does your dad feel about your studies now?"

"My mom says he's proud of me. He's just never shown his pride or any interest in my life here at UVA for that matter. But he's never been a man of many words. I've learned to live with it. It used to bother me but now…," he sighed, "not so much."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Henry."

He sighed and looked down. Just then, the waitress brought their food to the table. They immediately dug in. Elizabeth, however, while putting some extra salt and ketchup on her French fries, noticed how the waitress was checking Henry out. He was totally oblivious and only seemed to have eyes for the girl he was about to have burgers with.

In the blink of an eye, Elizabeth had finished her burger and all of her fries while Henry still had half a burger and more than half of his fries.

"Wow, you can eat as fast as you can bowl. Want some more fries?"

She gladly accepted. "I'm sorry," she said with a mouthful. "I'm used to eating alone most of the time and I just don't like to make time for eating. I'm always busy doing other things like reading or walking."

"You walk while you eat?" Henry put his burger down and chewed what was still in his mouth before taking a sip of his coke.

"Well, I spend a lot of time at the library, so mostly I just grab some take out and eat it while I walk from my dorm to the library."

"You should make time for dinner. It's supposed to be slow and relaxing and the part of your day that says 'enough already'."

She chuckled. "You sound just like Joey. He's always worried about my eating habits too."

There it was. This was the perfect opportunity for him to ask about Joey.

"And Joey is…," he asked hoping she would continue for him.

"He's my closest friend here at UVA. He's from Bahrain. He's a prince, actually. One day, he's going to be king, but he just doesn't want to think about that right now. He's just really enjoying the Western lifestyle and the open mindedness here. He's in all my classes and we hit it off immediately. He's really great."

"And he's the one who made you dinner last night, right?"

"Yeah, like I said, he's worried about my eating and every Tuesday he makes me dinner. He would make me dinner every day if it were up to him but I don't want to be a burden."

"But you'd like to eat at his place more often?"

"Well, yeah, why not? I mean, he's a great cook and all but I don't want to take advantage of him. I'm not friends with him because he's wealthy and can provide me with three course meals. I just like him for who he is. Not for the food he makes or for all the times he takes me out to dinner."

"He takes you out?"

"Not out on a date or anything like that. Just, sometimes, when we're really busy and he has no time to cook, we go out and have dinner somewhere. Nothing too fancy, though."

"I see."

Elizabeth could tell he was a bit intimidated and wanted to put him at ease. "And, as you can see, I eat really fast, so our restaurant visits last about an hour, tops."

Henry smiled at her words.

"Are you up for another round of bowling," she asked once Henry had finished the last of his hamburger. She had already taken care of his fries.

"I'm a bit worried that you're going to slay me after all the fries you've had but bring it on," he smiled and was happy she wanted to play at least another round. He was happy he had got to know her a bit better and he was relieved Joey didn't seem to be any more than just a good friend of hers.

He made his way to their bowling lane, where she had already knocked down all of the pins in just one throw. She turned and put her arms up in the air. God, how he loved seeing her sparkle like that.

After being destroyed by Elizabeth in 10 rounds of bowling, Henry threw in the towel. He sat down in the booth and asked her to sit with him.

"Where did you learn how to bowl like that?" he asked her.

"I'm just really good at ball games." She snorted.

Henry laughed out loud.

"No, seriously though. I can bowl, golf, play tennis, and shoot some hoops. I'm just really good with balls."

They were both cracking up at her admission.

"Anything you're good at?" Elizabeth asked while recovering.

"Ouwch!" His hands went to his heart. "That one hurt."

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean that."

"I will slay you at book club," he triggered.

"Wow, that's …," she didn't know what to say. She thought for a bit until she had the right comeback. "That's hot."

"Aquinas?" she asked him.

He retorted: "Beware the man of a single book." He looked into her eyes. And he never wanted to look at anyone else again, ever.

She couldn't help but blush.

"I'd really wish you could see my collection."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"My books. I have hundreds of books at my place."

"Well, I'd love to have a look at your collection," she admitted. She really wanted to see what interests him. What kind of works did he like reading? She wondered what his place looked like.

"Really?" Henry was surprised and thrilled at the same time.

"Yeah, I really would. But probably not today."

"No, of course not, not today. It's only our first date and I wouldn't want you to think I'd invited you to come over to my place to… ." He didn't dare to finish his sentence.

She finished it for him: "… to look at your collection."

He smiled. She smiled.

"No, I'm mean, it's getting rather late and I have an early class tomorrow."

She wanted to go. "Yeah, we should probably get you back to your dorm," he said it with a hint of disappointment in his voice as he got up and was about to get their coats.

"Henry," he turned around as she said his name. "I had a really great time tonight, thank you."

He smiled wide at her words.

"Anytime."

The ride back to her dorm was peaceful. They didn't say much but they enjoyed each other's company. Both were deep in thoughts and it seemed as they were both thinking the same things. How easy they had relished in each other's company. No words were needed to make them feel at ease and at home. Henry turned the radio a bit louder as Show me the way, an old Peter Frampton song came on.

Henry started to sing along quietly which made Elizabeth laugh.

"You're free to sing along if you want to," he challenged her.

"Oh, yeah, euhm, like the song, I really do. But, besides cooking, I also don't sing."

"No balls involved, ey?"

It made her laugh out loud.

As they reached the parking lot in front of her apartment, Henry turned off the engine and turned to look at her.

"I really had a great time, Elizabeth."

"Me too," she couldn't hide her smile from him as she looked down.

"Is it okay if I call you some time?"

"Yeah, oh course, euhm, sure. Do you have a pen?"

He looked around frantically. No, he didn't have a pen. Crap.

Elizabeth searched her purse and found no pen but she figured a lipstick would do.

She took the lid off and started writing her number on the window where she was sitting in the car. "It's 312 762 5829."

She closed her lipstick.

"Got it?"

"Got it!"

"Goodnight, Henry," she softly spoke as she opened the door. She quickly got out and closed the door.

While she walked to the entrance of her building, she waved and he, of course, waved back.

"Good night," he whispered.