“The important thing is to not stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Albert Einstein
Bob picked Elizabeth up at exactly seven-thirty sharp in his 2003 Black Volkswagen Jetta. Elizabeth tried not to laugh. She had never seen a straight boy drive a Jetta before. The interior lights were neon purple and red. He met her parents, shook their hands and brought Elizabeth red roses.
As Bob backed out of the driveway, he grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and kissed it before hanging on to it the entire time. He was trying to shift his manual car with his left hand as his right hand held hers tightly.
“You don’t have to hold my hand while you’re driving,” she suggested, watching him take his only free hand off the steering wheel when he had to shift.
“I got it,” he said confidently. “I’m sitting here next to the most beautiful girl in the world.”
She couldn’t find the words or the courage to respond. She looked out the window and hoped the date would go fast. Bob drove into Uptown Charlotte, insisting that his favorite restaurant was a jewel within a big city. He parked in close to Villa Francesca, one of the most famous Italian restaurants in Charlotte. Elizabeth had been there on more than several occasions, but she
didn’t say anything to Bob, who was excited about the Italian restaurant with hand painted pictures on the walls.
“We’ll have the pepperoni pizza with extra cheese and extra pepperoni,” he said to the waitress without asking Elizabeth if she liked pepperoni pizza. She smiled and sipped on her water. Bob moved his chair to the same side of the table as Elizabeth. “Isn’t this place great? We can go to UNC Charlotte next year and get an apartment right here in Uptown and walk here a few nights a week for dinner.” Bob put his arm around Elizabeth.
“Are you going to UNC Charlotte?” she asked.
“Hell yeah. Why would I go anywhere else? This city is great.”
Elizabeth grabbed her water and drank what was left of the almost full glass. “I need some more water.”
“Sure baby,” said Bob standing up. He leaned in and kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. He took her glass and walked back towards the serving station. Bob was a nice guy. He was a little pushy and was so clouded in his own thoughts that he didn’t really stop to consider what Elizabeth had wanted so far. It was date one, hour one and Bob was already talking about sharing an apartment Uptown and going to the same college.
He sat back down and put his arm around her again. She couldn’t understand why he always had to touch her. “I’m going to Duke,” she announced firmly.
“You got in?”
“Well, it’s my first choice so I applied for Early Decision. I’ll hear in mid-December.”
“Are you going to UNC Charlotte if you don’t get into Duke?” asked Bob.
“I’m not sure,” she answered knowing that no matter what she was leaving Charlotte at the end of the summer to go anywhere away from her home. “I haven’t really thought about anything except Duke.”
“That’s okay baby,” he squeezed her. “We can get together on weekends and stuff. You’ll come home all the time. Raleigh’s not that far.”
Elizabeth wondered if Bob was just generalizing or he really didn’t know that Duke was in Durham, not Raleigh. Compared to Charlotte, Duke was close to Raleigh, but still a good thirty miles away. She smiled and took a sip of her fresh water. Elizabeth was relieved when the Brooklyn style pizza came out. Maybe Bob would take a few minutes to eat and not talk.
“Isn’t my girl gorgeous?” he asked the food runner that brought the pizza out. The teenage boy nodded. Elizabeth blushed from embarrassment. “Sure, she could fill out a little more. I usually like a girl with some more curves but I just can’t get enough of this girl. I’m so going to marry her!”
“I could fill out a little more?” Elizabeth asked frustrated that Bob would say that out loud even if he thought it.
“Oh, come on, you know I think you’re perfect. You’ll get some curves on you.”
“And, what if I don’t? What if this is me? I’m not Jamie Johnson.”
“If I wanted JJ I could have her. I don’t want her. I want you. I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “You’re perfect and you make me nervous and I’m just excited to be here with you.” Elizabeth picked up a piece of pizza with the spatula and placed it on Bob’s plate before putting a smaller piece on her own. “Are you mad at me?”
“No,” she answered honestly. “I just feel like you’ve had all this time to decide that you want to be with me and I haven’t had any time to think about it. I don’t know you, and I just want to take the time to do it right.”
“Cool,” he said. “I can respect that. My parents are going out of town next weekend. Do you want to spend the weekend together?”
Elizabeth looked at Bob. “No, Bob, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Do you not do that?”
“Do what?” she asked confused.
“Hook up? Spend the night? Have sex? Screw around? Anything?”
“Bob?” she asked quietly. “Is the answer I give you going to weigh the decision on whether or not you want to date me?”
“Absolutely not,” he said shaking his head. “I just want to know what I’m getting into. If you’re a virgin, it’s cool. I’m cool with that. I’m really cool with that. I just want to know so I don’t pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to do. So are you?”
Elizabeth looked down. This wasn’t a question she wanted to answer. She didn’t think it was important. It was their first date. He shouldn’t ask her to spend the night or the weekend or ask her how far she’s gone. Elizabeth wasn’t dumb. It had nothing to do with him needing to know. It was none of his business.
“Okay, you don’t have to answer,” he said kissing her on the cheek again. “I’m cool with whatever you are and whatever you want to do. I just really like you.”
After the three hour dinner, Elizabeth insisted she was tired and was ready to go home. Bob held her hand the entire way back to her house. He stopped a few houses away and parked the car on the side of the road. “Well, thank you for a great time,” lied Elizabeth. The date wasn’t terrible. However, she knew that Bob wasn’t the right guy for her. He just wasn’t what she wanted. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Elizabeth didn’t pull back. She kissed him back for a minute. “I should really go,” she finally said breaking the octopus like suction cup seal.
Bob pulled in her driveway and parked the car. “This was the best date, Elizabeth. I’m so happy you’re my girl.” She could see the glow radiating off his pale face.
“Yeah,” she lied. Safely inside her house, she closed the door behind her and waived to Bob as he backed out of the driveway. “That was terrible,” she mumbled when he was out of sight and went back outside to take her respective seat on the front porch.
“So, how was it?” asked Leighton opening the front door. Elizabeth could see the excitement on her mother’s face. For some reason, everyone was all about Bob.
“Yeah, it was okay,” she said pulling out a cigarette.
“Are you really smoking? Don’t answer that. It was just okay?”
“It wasn’t completely exciting or terribly horrific.”
Leighton shook her head and closed the door. Elizabeth lit her cigarette and leaned against the porch pillar. She was eighteen years old. Not everyone was lucky enough to meet their soul mate when they were fifteen or eighteen or in college like her parents. There was no reason that Elizabeth couldn’t just wait it out. After all, Bob did say he was nervous. Maybe there was a side to him that she hadn’t seen yet. Elizabeth decided that being with him a little longer wouldn’t be the worst idea. After all, nobody had ever been as excited to be with her as Bob was. He thought she was beautifu
l and perfect, minus the curves. The best part was, he didn’t care about what she had done.