The First Date

“Hey, Gale,” my friend said sheepishly when I opened the door Saturday morning and found her standing outside.  "You're probably going to think I'm crazy, but I've come to ask you a funny question.”


“A funny question? What kind of funny question could she possibly have to ask me?” I wondered as as I laughingly invited her into my house, but something tingled in the pit of my stomach.


"Well," Sheila began, "did you by any chance go to a piano recital last night down at the church?"


"Yes," I answered, the tingling getting stronger.  "Linnea was in it.”


"OK," Sheila took a deep breath, and then rushed on, "Here's the deal.  My brother-in-law was at the recital, and he sat next to someone, and he called me last night to see if I knew who it was, and when he described her I thought it might be you.  He's newly single, and you made a big impression on him, and he wanted to know who you were and if you were single, too.  Are you?  I mean, has your divorce gone through yet? Do you mind my asking?"


I caught my breath.  Was this for real?  "Uhhhhhh, yes," I told her.  "My divorce was final in September."


"Good," Sheila breathed a sigh of relief.  "This is really awkward, but he made me come talk to you.  He really wants to meet you."


I was amazed.  The night before my little sister had told me the guy sitting next to me was checking me out, but I'd thought she was just teasing me.   I'd been so busy trying to keep my toddler quiet that I really hadn't paid much attention to the guy who sat in the empty seat next to me. Stephen had been full of it, and I'd been embarrassed that my neighbor couldn't pay attention. I had noticed that he had dark hair, amazing blue eyes, and and a great smile. Well, maybe I had checked him out just a little when the recital ended and I apologized before he hurried away.  But I'd figured he had to be one of the performers dads, so he was probably married. 


"His name is Garth," my friend was explaining.  "His wife left him about six months ago, and he's really a nice guy.  I'm not just saying that, either.  He really is a good guy, and I think you would like him.  He wanted me to talk to you and see if you'd be willing to meet him."


"Sure," I answered eagerly.  Ever since my husband walked out on me seven months earlier I'd been comforting myself with the thought that the Lord must have someone special in mind for me.  It had been devastating to find out my husband was a sex addict, addicted to pornography, and that he had been unfaithful to me for ten years.  I had hoped and prayed that Heavenly Father would lead me to find a new husband, one who would love, honor, and take care of me the way I had always dreamed a husband should.  Maybe this was him!


It was the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and a very busy time, so in the end my friend and I set up the date for the coming Saturday.  She proposed having dinner at her house so I could meet Garth and get to know him in a comfortable setting.  We weren't close friends, but we had worked together in Primary and I often used her oldest daughter as my babysitter.  So having dinner with them would help make this first meeting less awkward, we hoped.


All through the next week I couldn't keep my mind focused.  I wondered about this Garth while I listened to my first graders read aloud at school.  I pictured what he looked like as I put the kids to bed at night.  I daydreamed about the coming dinner while I set the table for Thanksgiving  Dinner at mom's, and blushed bright red when my brothers and sisters teased me about it while we sat around visiting afterward.  The anticipation was so much fun.  The one thing I thought about most of all was how to get over the awkward, first date syndrome.  We weren't either one of us teenagers anymore, so I tried to figure out a way to keep from acting like one.


Friday night finally got there.  I put on my favorite new, bright blue satin shirt and black jeans, hoping it would make my eyes stand out.  My stomach was full of butterflies as I made Mac & Cheese for the kids dinner, and hurriedly picked up the front room so it wouldn't look dirty when Garth got there.  The doorbell rang right at 6:30, he was punctual, and all the kids surrounded me as I pushed my way through to open it. 


There he was, standing on my front door step, even handsomer than I had remembered, bringing his niece with him so she could babysit for me. 


"Come in," I invited, hoping my voice didn't quaver like my stomach was.  Garth smiled, (man! it was a nice smile) and reached out his hand to shake mine.  "I'm Garth," he introduced himself, and stepped into my house.


The kids ran up and surrounded his niece.  She was their favorite babysitter and they were glad to see her.  I quickly gave her a few instructions, we said goodbye, and Garth led me out the door to his truck.  He helped me in, closed my door, and walked around to the other side.


"Thanks for agreeing to come with me tonight," he told me once he'd climbed in.  "I know this is a little strange, but I'm sure glad for a chance to get to know you."


I grinned happily and told him I was happy to get to know him, too.  Then I threw out my big line. 


"I'm not very good at this dating stuff," I told him confidentially.  "I haven't done it for a long time, and I'm afraid I'm not very good at it.  Do you suppose we could just pretend like we already know each other and are friends?"


He smiled even bigger and said, "That's a great idea.  I'm pretty nervous about this dating stuff too.  I haven't been on a date for years, either."


And so it began.  My friend only lived two blocks away, so we were at her house in just a minute.  She'd made a lovely dinner, and afterward we sat around her table, visiting.  Garth and his brother were a lot alike, and it was fun listening to them swap stories.


All too soon it was time to go home.  Garth walked me up to my front door so he could pick up his niece to take her home.  I had to talk to her about how the kids had been, so there really wasn't time for that awkward, saying goodby on the first date stuff.  I just thanked Garth for a nice evening, thanked his niece for babysitting, and said goodby.  I closed the door after they left, then stood there for a few moments, smiling.  It had been a nice evening.  Garth sure was cute, and I hoped he liked me.  But who knows?  I would just have to wait and see.