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"Noant to know all about our date" She puts her hands behind her head and relaxes, waiting for me to spill it

I lie back on my pillow and think back to that day The day that I fell for my wife

the first date

I HAVEN’T BEEN in this good a mood in over two years I also haven’t been this nervous about a girl in over two years In fact, I haven’t even been on a single date in two years A double load, a full-ti scene

There’s half an hour left before Caulder and I have to leave for school, so I decide to do a little cleaning since I’ll be with Lake tonight I’m hesitant to take her to Club N9NE on our first date Slam poetry is so much a part of me; I don’t kno I’d take it if she didn’t connect with it Or worse, if she hated it

Vaughn was never into it She loved Club N9NE on any other night, just not slaht of the e didn’t spend together I realize this hn has even crossed o ht," I say as he ees from the hallway He rolls his eyes and backtracks into the bedroo backward since he nore him half the time It’s tooout of the kitchen trash can and begin to head outside with it, but I pause at the hallway So about the picture of Caulder and me with our dad in the front yard catches et a closer look I’ve never noticed it before thisnowbut in the background right over nonoht at the ca

I glance at the rest of the pictures on the wall, recalling theat these pictures I hated the way it would make me feel and how much I would miss them when I looked into their eyes It doesn’t hurt as ood s the realization back to the forefront of my mind that Lake has no idea of the responsibilities I have in et it out now, that way if she can’t handle it, I won’t be too far gone It’ll be a lot easier to be rejected by her tonight, before whatever it is I’ toward her becomes even more intense

I close the lid to the trash can and pull it to the curb When I near the end of the driveway, I see the back door to Lake’s Jeep is open She’s leaning all the way across the seat, searching for so for, she climbs out of the backseat with a coffeepot in her hands She’s still wearing pajamas and her hair is piled on top of her head in a knot

"That’s not a good idea," I say, heading across the street toward her

She jumps when she hears rins "What a this time?" She shuts the door to the Jeep and walks toward me

I point to the coffeepot "If you drink too , you’ll crash after lunch Then you’ll be too exhausted to go out with your hot date tonight"

She laughs Her sh She looks down at her pajaht look of panic in her eyes She’s silently freaking out about the way she looks, so I ease her ood on you"

She sainst her car "I know," she says confidently, looking down at her pajaht You like?"

I slowly look her up and down, then shakeher boots "I’d prefer it if you wore the house shoes"

She laughs "I’ll do that, then Seven-thirty, right?"

I nod and smile back at her We’re about four feet apart, but the way her eyes are piercing into mine makes it feel like she’s just inches away She smiles at me with an unfamiliar sparkle in her eye Unlike the last two days, she actually looks happy right now

We continue to stare at each other, neither of us speakingor walking away There’s a long silence, but it’s not aard The way she’s watching me this time seems more confident More at ease

More hopeful

I decide to give in before the aardness does set in, so I take a couple of steps backward toward ht"

She lifts her hand and waves good-bye before turning toward her house Not just a norers up and down flirty wave

Wow Who knew a simple wave could be so dalances back atat a smile "Yeah?"

I point to her pajaht-out-of-bed look Just ht, because I’onna kiss you" I wink at her and turn back toward my house before she can respond

"GOOD MORNING, MRS Alex," I say, careful not to sound too friendly I have to watch every word that comes out ofway The inappropriate way I walk past her desk and into the rab the contents from insidetoward et lances down at the stack of papers I’

I look at the papers in"I don’t know yet I just checked o"