As I observed her across the table I thought I could see sadness in her eyes. “I am sorry Allyson,” I said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to bring up a painful memory.”
She smiled weakly. “It’s OK. You make the best decision you can and move on, and it was the best decision for Jenna and I. It has brought us much closer, so in the end, it wasn’t all bad.”
She paused and then continued. “The same question could be asked of you too. No paramours lining up at your door?”
It was my turn to laugh. “No, no paramours. I’m much more recent to the single life than you, and while I’ve had offers, and have accepted a few, the right person definitely hasn’t swept me off my feet.” I purposely said ‘person’, hoping she realized I didn’t say man.
“I guess we’re both just waiting for that special someone,” Allyson replied.
I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I didn’t. We both began eating as our conversation stymied somewhat. We made some small talk as we continued eating and I wished I hadn’t brought up the topic, and it made me hesitate to ask the question that had been on my mind since Allyson had asked me about dinner. Every time I looked across the table I was spellbound by Allyson’s beauty, and I knew I had to ask eventually. As we finished our salads, and buoyed by the liquid courage of my wine, I figured it was now or never.
“Allyson, I have something I need to ask, something I’ve been wondering about since you asked me to come to dinner.” I stared deeply into her eyes as I continued, hoping this wouldn’t blow up in my face. “Is this two new friends sharing a night out, getting to know each other better? Or is this a date? It feels like a date, but I don’t want to be presumptuous.”
Allyson held my gaze for what seemed like minutes, and I instantly wished I could take back the question. Finally, after an awkward silence, she answered.
“Let me ask you, Beth, what is the difference? What constitutes two friends having dinner or two people on a date?”
I hesitated briefly, wanting to choose my words carefully. “If it is two friends we’ll do this again every so often. We’ll get to know each other better, maybe spend more time together, but it will be platonic. If this is a date, the expectations are different. There is romance, much deeper feelings, and there is an expectation for a physical aspect of the relationship.”
The comment hung in the air as Allyson studied me stoically. After what seemed like an eternity, Allyson said “excuse me”, rose from her chair and turned to walk away. My eyes instantly went to the sway of her ass she left the table, and I silently cursed myself for venturing too far. Damn, had I offended her? I wasn’t sure what to think as I watched her turn the corner and move out of sight at the other end of the room. As I contemplated what happened and how to respond when Allyson returned to the table, the waitress appeared again briefly and cleared our plates. As my attention followed the waitress walking away I saw Allyson headed back to our table. My curiosity was piqued as she had been gone for less than a minute.