I could tell that this was going to be very awkward if I didn’t ask her out. Donna took my order and then delivered the elderly couple’s breakfast, as she watched me the whole way. Then she delivered my order, which was the same as it always was. As I was eating, the elderly couple had paid and was heading for the door. The wife came over to my table and said, “She is so into you. You have to ask her out.”
I smiled at her and said, “I intend to when she brings my check.” The wife grinned at her husband and they were gone.
Donna walked over with my check and asked what the old women had said and I told her, word for word. Donna blushed a little but then stood there waiting for me to continue. I didn’t want to tease her. She was obviously on pins and needles already. I said, “I’m not very good at this. I’m way out of practice, but ummm. Would you uuummm…”
Donna broke into a grin and relieved me of my dilemma by answering my question before I finished asking. “Yes. Jack. I would love to go out with you. My only night off is tomorrow. Is that okay?” I grinned and nodded and was so flustered that I forgot to give her my credit card to pay for breakfast. She wrote her address and phone number on an order sheet and I went to the door stuffing it in my pocket.
I opened the door and looked back at her and she said, “Uumm Jack. You still need to pay for breakfast.” I was so far away from breakfast that I didn’t immediately comprehend what she was talking about. Then I could feel the heat in my face. I was so embarrassed. I muttered quietly to myself, “Fuck. Jack, you’re an idiot.” Donna must have heard me mumbling to myself because she laughed. I handed her my credit card and buried my face in my hands. She laughed again as she took my card to the cash register. I signed the receipt and said, “Sorry. They don’t let me out much.”
Donna giggled and said, “Oh stop it. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night. See you at 7:30?” I smiled and nodded and headed back to the door. I waved to her through the front window and she waved back. When I was out of site, Donna yelled, “Yes. Finally.” I doubt that she thought I could hear her, but I did. These old buildings had crap for insulation. I smiled to myself, got in my car and drove home.
As I drove home I thought about whether I had done the right thing, asking Donna out. I found myself thinking that Priya was my primary interest and I continued to hope that she would want to pursue a relationship. Before I drove into my garage, I had settled the issue. I didn’t know Donna very well so I wanted to find out how compatible we might me. I resolved to ignore our sexual experience in the men’s room and start from scratch.
The next day, Jacob’s truck was still in his driveway but Ashley’s car was gone. It was hot and put on my bathing suit and grabbed a float and my e-reader and floated in the lake and read for nearly an hour before setting the reader on my chest and let my head fall back against the headrest. I noticed that a family of Loons was fishing just behind my boat, only twenty feet away. They were totally unconcerned with my proximity. I put my hands behind my head and watched them. The two adults would leave the baby on the surface and dive underwater and return with small fish in their long pointy beaks. Another Loon, far down the lake sounded a familiar alarm and the affect on these Loons was instantaneous. The mother Loon and baby; at least I assumed it was the mother Loon, began swimming toward deeper water and the male swam off in the opposite direction. I had seen Loon’s do this hundreds of times. The alarm sounded earlier was an announcement that a Bald Eagle was in the air. When my male Loon got to deep water, he started sounding off in a particular trilling call. He unfurled his wings and began flapping them. I couldn’t see an Eagle but it was obvious that the Loon did. His ululating wail reverberated across the water and other Loons took up the call.