Impressions

Scott called me Saturday afternoon after he got off work. Scott works on Saturdays--a concept I haven't been used to since the university days.

"Would you like to do something? My boss gave me a twenty for staying late and helping him last night. What do you think, a movie?"

Just like my Friday had been previously planned by going to see The Musician's show with my friends, my Saturday night was already planned with them too. We were going to go to the movies. I stammered.

"Well is there a movie out that you would like to see?" he prodded.

"My friends are going to see Knocked Up at the seven 0'clock showing."

"We can do that."

I had only known Scott for a week and I had only seen him three times, and he was okay with meeting the friends. Usually that's something I consider after a month of dating, and only if things are going well. But like I have been saying, he's unlike anyone I've ever dated before. I'm attracted primarily to his confidence and his take charge attitude. Of the five boys I went out with in the past two or three weeks, he was the only one who made a solid move on me. It made sense that he would be okay meeting my friends. Besides, he's heard about them enough.

Scott knocked on my door, cigarette in one hand, motorcycle helmet in the other. I leaned against the frame and smiled. He wore a polo shirt and khakis. I had never seen him outside of his work clothes and I didn't know his personal style. I wouldn't have cared what he wore to the movies, but I was elated to see he's preppy, just like me.

While I was racing on the freeway trying to make the seven o'clock time, I realized that this was our first real date. With seven of my closest friends. As we walked towards the theatre, Scott grabbed my hand. There was so much I didn't know about him: I didn't know how he dressed, or if he's a hand holder or not into PDA, I didn't know if he preferred coffee or tea, but I liked finding these things out about him.

The same people that screamed "Herpes!" at me and my date a couple of weeks before now stood in a semi-circle and smiled goofily at Scott. They were completely enamored with him. Once again Scott took control, "It's really great meeting all of you and we should all get together sometime soon."

The girls in the group just swooned. "I just want you to know how you met our Sarah is just the greatest first date story period," giggled Helen.

"I was so scared," he told them, "I looked in my side-view mirror and I saw her go down and I thought how I just hurt this woman. And then when she did it the second time--"

"What second time?"

"Uh, yeah, I didn't tell them the about the second time, but thanks for that," I told him. His mouth formed a perfect O.

"It wasn't an accident so much as it was a fence/bush situation," he explained. But I had already begun to run away out of pure embarrassment. My friends were falling over themselves in hysterics, shocked that I would keep something like this from them.

Scott turned around and bear hugged me and brought me back to the group. "Come here you," he laughed. And then he whispered in my ear, "Why didn't you tell me they didn't know? I wouldn't have said anything."

"Scott," laughed Dee, "You are officially welcome to hang out with us anytime."

"Well what about Thursday a week from now? When they're showing movies in the park?" he offered as he put his arm around my shoulder. He was making plans with my friends.

This time I swooned.