Take Two

A man and a woman are dipping their toes back into dating after years as widowed individuals and have their third date

“TAKE TWO”

The small sign above the ordering counter across the room repeated its name from the building located just past Old Emporia's main street. The building Ethan Jackson sat in by himself for the moment had been near death until the new owner turned it into an upscale, very nice coffee shop, low key cafe. He had done so in a way that quietly oozed atmosphere, felt to the customer like one of those places comfortable reading, talking, drinking coffee, having brunch or the other meals available was all just what it was for, a place no one would rush you. The walls had color, texture and the design nooks and crannies people could sit and work in or talk and enjoy the food and the time spent there.

It was his first time inside and a nice feeling was his first impression, something which matched what he hoped for since he had brought Pamela here with him. It was just the third time the two had done something as new friends together so everything made an impression. He hoped that the subtle, less overstated atmosphere would do just that, let them get to know one another more since that was something he wanted to continue after a long time doing things alone. In the recent past he would have been sitting here waiting for no one to come out of the Ladies.

He sat and watched and heard the murmurs and sounds as employees and customers moved around, working, visiting, sitting and all the rest during the next few minutes while their orders were being made and Pamela finished up her freshening up in the Ladies which she had politely adjourned to after they had found this quiet booth.

Before she sat she had said to him turning towards the restrooms in the corner: “it looks like a good place to enjoy the late morning and continue to get to know one another.”

A long speech for reserved and classy Pamela who was 2 years less than his 70 years. A Realtor friend had introduced the two widowed people and each had then on their own haltingly taken tiny steps twice to do things together leading to Take Two , coffee and scones today.

His left eye's edge caught Pamela's hand pushing the door open then emerging with a smile directed at him as all 5'8” of her came back into the restaurant towards him and her seat at their table. He could only smile as she brushed her perfect skirt to straighten non existent wrinkles then continued towards him, sitting across from him.

“Thanks for waiting. This is such a nice place I wanted to see what the Ladies looked like, wash my hands and make sure I am at my best, Ethan,” she said while moving her purse to the seat beside her.

“No problem. I've just been here watching, inhaling the coffee smells and thinking how much I like quiet little places like this, how nice it is that you are along to enjoy it with me.”

She grinned and responded while sitting down on the rich cherry bench across from him with the table between: “Oh, I've had my share of lousy cafes in life but this one is perfect. How did you ever find it?”

“That's an easy one! I have friends who go out weekly with two other couples and they try everything in the area so I told them I had a date where we both wanted quiet time to visit, not be rushed and hopefully get to know one another, and this was their unanimous suggestion. First visit here for me too, Pamela. Pays to have friends I think. I have to admit though that after all the time since I last dated I got a ton of grief about how serious it was! You probably know how much fun good friends can have teasing you too.”

She was too reserved to laugh but his comment did get a small smile which he took for agreement before she responded. “Maybe sometime later we could go along on one of their excursions, Ethan.”

Before he could process what that meant, the sound of shoes and footsteps approached carrying their waitress, the owner's wife, with a tray bearing full cups of gorgeous lattes, two different types of scones with butter and toppings to try while they drank the good coffee, nibbled and talked. She offered the scones to Pamela first who chose the raspberry for her plate.

Soon the food was arranged in front of them and the space was theirs again. Ethan waited until Pamela had picked her big cup up and her lips were pushed through the froth, sipping the espresso and steamed milk below. An audible warm sigh was the result.

He followed her cue and began to pick his up and enjoy the food as well.

Pamela watched across the table as his arm and hand reached down, lifted his cup. They were in no hurry so she continued on her side of the table and put hers down, took a fork and teased off part of her raspberry scone, topped it with a light touch of creamed cheese and looked up before continuing. Their conversation had already become easy and friendly, a rhythm that had no stress in it, only patience and relaxation. Before she ate the bit of scone she spoke: “What were you like when you got out of college, Ethan?”

“Wow. This latte is good, Pamela. You make me laugh. A test? Do I remember college? Of course! The short answer is that I was a small town Washington state boy who grew up early on in a town of 15,000 and found himself going to what I thought were huge high schools in Illinois then a college of around a thousand. The U. of Illinois would have swamped me with its size. I was about as green and naive as you can get. With my dad taking promotions and moving us while I was starting high school I felt like I was a long ways from home. To say I was provincial and narrow minded would be a really serious understatement.”

Pamela glanced between sips and bites listening and looking as he answered and saw he was uncomfortable being honest about a youthful fault but said nothing, waited for him to resume.

He did. “I was about as worldly as a rock and probably not all that interesting a person when I started college but four years in that small school were really good for me. I opened up not just with what I learned studying but being around people, having to learn to discuss, listen, review, adjust to others more. On the whole it really started what I hope was a maturing process that has gone on my whole life. Finished? I don't think so. I probably put my foot in my mouth too often still but I try not to. I could go on in detail but I think whatever kind of person I am today was just barely getting started then. I did my grad school at night after I started working and was already established more after those days.

How about you, Pamela? What were you like back then? Gorgeous, of course but what else?”

He picked his cup up again, sipped then his fork and knife began to sort a piece or two of his scone so he could listen and taste the good looking pastry as she responded.

“Thanks. I bet we were all works in progress back then. I hate to admit this, but for one thing I wasn't the size 12-13 I am now. Much slimmer and the background I had was more suburban, big schools so the larger university I was at was easier for me to fit into, understand than your experience. I did a sorority but my heart was never really sister-for-life material down deep. My character in those days and mostly today was to say as few words as possible and not reveal any more of my ignorance than I had to. I was shy is the other way to say that, at that time still trying to deal with the image of myself in a woman's body and all of that.”

Her voice paused, thinking then she took a breath and continued: “I noticed you were really watching me walk when I came back to the table. Was there something wrong, had I said something wrong?”

“Pamela, do you want the honest answer to that?”

“Of course.”

He was as honest as he could be even though it was a risk as he answered: “I was savoring you! I hope I haven't been too direct but that's why I was concentrating, watching so carefully. It was one of life's pleasant little moments for me that seem to be happening much more often recently. I guess the only proper thing to do is to thank you. All of you worked like magic moving and was terrific. Truth is, it was really a treat to appreciate a classy woman with all her parts walking towards me again. The size 12 you are today is just perfect if you want to know how I vote.”

She did not answer but raised her big latte cup towards him and the two clinked cups like a couple of champagne flutes even tho it was near noon. Neither felt the need to say more on the subject, acknowledging that there was some form of mutual appreciation at work as they were actually getting to know one another and that it was clearly on a more involved level.

“How's your scone, Pamela?” he finally asked as he noticed the slight reddening of her cheeks at his direct compliment. He could see she was reserved, see that such a direct observation still brought the shy part of her out at least a little.

“It's as good as the latte. This place is really great.” She nodded towards a younger couple across the room from them and made a comment about the world they would see from their age going forward versus what they had already seen from since back when they were that age.

For the next couple of hours, more latte and pastry, their conversation quietly went back and forth covering subjects from each of their pasts and current events until it was a very easy relationship between the two seniors.

She was the classier and more reserved of the two Jackson thought but that did not mean she wasn't certain about what she liked or did not like. In fact, when she did make a statement about a value or something philosophical it seemed to him to have more weight because she didn't fill the air with too much conversation. Fact was, inside his head he knew for certain now that he enjoyed her company a lot. The thought that something had changed between them over the last few hours of conversation and companionship at Take Two went through his mind for the second or third time. It was just a feeling but one which had not happened with a woman in quite a while and he immediately felt warmer.

They had moments during their time at the table where neither spoke and they just watched and listened to others inside the small cafe, at peace with the silence, until he finally looked at his watch after their second lattes were almost gone and spoke. “Pamela, we probably ought to get going and let someone else have this nice spot, don't you think?”

“Yes, I suppose so. I've enjoyed the conversation, Ethan but I've got to get home as well. This was nice.”

Then she paused as she gathered her purse before continuing. “I was thinking that maybe if you wanted I would like to come to your house next time since I enjoy cooking, fix dinner for us both there, maybe tomorrow or the day after if you'd like. What would you think about that?”

He was surprised but pleased. She could be direct too it seemed. “Tomorrow's fine. I would love it and you can meet the two Borzoi which will test your tolerance for dog hair and love. What can I get for you to cook?”

“Oh, nothing. I'll bring everything along with if you have dishes, pots and pans. You might buy a pinot noir if you don't have one but that's about it. Yes, I have seen the dog's pictures and am eager to meet them. My dog passed away a year ago and I haven't had the heart to replace him so it will be fun to be around two such big sweethearts. Around 5:30 or so at your house, casual dress? You can be my sous chef!”

“Sure, that's fine,” he responded out in the parking area by his SUV as he opened the front passenger door for her.

As she stepped on the running board, turned to enter she surprised him, standing there which put her head at his height, with a light, anything but classy and conservative, brief kiss on the lips before whispering only for his ears: “I will bring a nightgown as well. I'm not always conservative and quiet you know,” patted him on the shoulder, and finished her pirouet inside and sat on the leather, leaving him with what she knew was a surprise. Smiling, Ethan was a bit tongue tied for the few seconds it took to walk around behind the truck, get in and sit next to her, center console between them before he spoke.

“That works for me, Pamela!”

“Great!”

Neither said much for several minutes as they left Old Emporia until she put her hand lightly on his right leg, speaking volumes with both her surprise kiss and her announcement which he did not need an interpreter for.

Something had indeed changed during their time at “Take Two !”

Like kids in college still, they both had small, expectant smiles.