9. Cole
9
COLE
R ose looked stunning in the simple black gown she wore. She had her hair tied up into a knot on her head and she wore light makeup. I opened the passenger car door, and she got in and buckled herself in as I shut it after her. I was a bundle of nerves. Dating was easy when I was eighteen or twenty years old. Now in my forties, I felt like I'd been out of the game for so long I didn't know what I was doing.
I had agonized all week about where to take her. When we exchanged numbers on Monday afternoon, she mentioned that her favorite food was Italian, but I knew pasta was a bit messy and I didn't want her to feel awkward eating and wiping her mouth every few minutes. I ended up choosing an Italian place anyway, though, and now, Friday night, I was here picking her up.
I climbed into the driver's seat, feeling out of place, and started the car. She sat quietly with her clutch on her lap. Her fingers tapped her knees and the radio hummed in the background. I didn't know how I'd gone from a suave, charming man to this awkward bundle of energy, but I had. I didn't even know how to break the ice.
So she did it.
"You look nice tonight." Rose's compliment made me feel like a buffoon. Of course I thought she looked gorgeous, so why hadn't I said that?
"Uh, thank you… I wasn't sure what to wear. It's been a long time since…" I felt foolish for even thinking of Kate or my past, or dating.
"It's okay. I think you picked a nice suit." Rose's warm smile put me at ease, and I appreciated how she was trying to make me feel comfortable. As a woman in her late twenties, she probably went on dates all the time. This stuff was simple for her, and I was struggling.
"You look nice too, Rose, and I'm sorry if I seem out of place or uncomfortable." Bringing up my dead wife on the first date didn’t seem like good etiquette, so I said nothing, but I felt the weight of it. It was like Kate's ghost was hovering tonight and I didn't know if that was good or bad, if I should be doing this, or if she'd be upset by it.
"It's okay." Rose reached over and patted my knee. "Kiki told me…"
I glanced at her, and the knowing smile she had brought a tinge of sadness. Everyone at work knew about what happened with Kate. They'd all seen me fall apart and attempt to put myself back together. It was inevitable that someone would tell Rose anyway, so I couldn’t be upset about that. I just wished I got to control that narrative.
But like everything else in life, I had control over very little. She would eventually find out about the surgery screw up and what I was going through with the board, and when she did that, it might taint her view of me, so for now, I just wanted to put anything negative aside and enjoy the night.
"If it's alright, I'd rather not talk about it."
"Totally fine. I'm here for the food, anyway," she joked and I smiled.
We fell into a natural banter about the Italian restaurant, and given she had only moved to Denver a few weeks ago, I felt good about being able to introduce her to something I knew she'd love.
We pulled into the parking lot about a quarter past seven and parked. I opened her door, and she got out and put her arm around mine. I led her inside with her fingers wrapped around my bicep, and I felt more comfortable already.
The host showed us to a private table near the back of the room and we settled in. I ordered spaghetti and Rose ordered lasagna, and we enjoyed the free breadsticks while we waited for our food.
"So, tell me a little more about yourself. Where do you see yourself in five years?" It'd been so long since I had a relationship with a woman, I didn't know where to start, but compatibility seemed like a smart step. If we had wildly different futures in mind, it wouldn't be smart to continue pursuing something no matter how gorgeous I thought she was.
"Honestly," she said, smiling, "maybe dating a hot doctor…" The smirk on her lips made me chuckle, and I grinned at her.
"That's fair… So, dating a hot doctor and what? Do you like Denver? Are you planning to stay here or do you have your eyes set somewhere else?" I liked her flirty attitude. It was definitely helping me relax a bit.
"I love Denver, and it's not just because of the hot doctors." She winked at me and continued, "I've always wanted to live here. I grew up in a tiny little village with nothing. I always wanted to be a city girl, but until my mom is no longer with us, I can't move very far. I'd like to travel and see the world, but once I’m settled here, I don't think I'll move away." Rose dipped her breadstick in a cup of marinara and took a bite, and I was already feeling better about this.
"Denver's my home, born and raised. I'll never move away, but I, too, like the idea of traveling. I figure when I retire—hopefully early—I'll have enough energy to see the world. I can't think of anything better to do with my golden years." I smiled at her and picked up a breadstick to munch on.
"Oh, gosh, yes. I mean, I don't necessarily want to wait until I'm old, but there are so many places I want to go. The pyramids, Greece, The Great Wall…" She had a dreamy look in her eye, and I tried not to cringe when she said the word "old". I hoped that wasn’t how she thought of me. I knew my silver hair spoke volumes about my age, but I was by no means old yet.
"I'd love to see places stateside too. I want to go to New York and hear the Philharmonic play. I have a few of their recordings on vinyl." I was really warming up to her, and when she smiled at my comment, I noticed a dimple I hadn't seen. She was so beautiful it was distracting.
"Oh, you like the symphony too? I swear I could sit and listen to symphonic music all day. It's so relaxing and calming. I wasn't really into orchestra when I was in high school, but I wish my mom had been well off enough to afford lessons for me. I would've loved to learn to play violin." Rose smiled and tilted her head. "It seems like we have a lot in common."
"It does…" I looked up at her and took a deep, relaxing breath. This wasn't as awkward or difficult as I imagined it would be, but maybe that was the company. Rose was putting me at ease, and I appreciated that she and I were clicking so easily.
"What about your hobbies?" I asked, and she snickered.
"Is this Twenty Questions?" Her eyebrows tented in the center, and she popped the last bite of a breadstick into her mouth.
"I'm sorry. I told you it's been a while."
"That's okay… Uh, hobbies… I'm a runner, so I do that a lot. I love coffee shops too, so if you know any great cafés with decent atmosphere, tell me, please. And oh, I love baking. If you stick around me very long, you'll have to up your workout routine or you'll gain a few pounds."
Things were going so smoothly we didn't even notice when dinner hadn't arrived until forty minutes later. As we ate, we chatted about work and how things were going at the hospital. The topic of the hospital updating their policies and changing reporting procedures came up, and I got tense for a while. I was thankful for the waiter distracting us by offering more breadsticks and drinks, and I changed the subject almost immediately.
"So, I was thinking we could go for a drink after we're done eating, if you'd like."
Rose smiled softly and nodded, then she said, "Alright, but I get to pick the spot. My roommate told me about this place I want to check out, and I've been dying to go. She's just too busy. What do you think? Have you heard of the Déjà Vu club?" I'd heard of it and knew it well. The problem was it wasn't my scene at all. I was pushing the age limit for things like that, but her smile and the expression on her face were so hopeful. How could I tell her no?
"I have, and I know right where it is." So there were a few things about her that weren't a perfect match to me. I knew those things would shift and change over time, anyway. All in all, Rose and I got along so well that I knew the small differences wouldn’t matter much, except maybe our age difference, and we still had time to discuss that. This was just the first date.