The Outing

Leslie helped me get ready for my night out with Jon. She did my hair so it looked stylishly wild, not poky messy. And she loaned me a top. She said I don’t always dress right for my age. But of course I do. No matter what I wear, I’m always my age. Still, she made me wear her bland beige top with flounce at the wrist. But man, the same top looked completely different on us. On me, it showed lots of cleavage! I liked it. She tried to make me wear a sweater over it. As if.

I was sitting with Sam and Fred when Jon came to pick us up. Only, he didn’t come alone. He came with Herb!

“I ran into Herb at the gate. He was coming in to see you,” Jon said to Fred.

“Hi Herb, good to see you,” said Fred.

“But we’re all going out soon, so your visit will be short, Herb,” said Jon. “Unless you join us. Why don’t you come with us? We’re going for dinner, then dancing. Two lovely ladies here for your dancing pleasure.”

Sam’s face went stiff.

“Yes, that’s a great idea. Join us, Herb,” said Fred. “We’re all old friends here.”

“Well, gee, I...” Herb looked at Sam.

Sam breathed in long and said, “I am not telling anyone what to do, as long as we have fun tonight is all that matters to me.”

“There you are. We’re set then. You ride with us, Herb,” said Fred, putting an arm around Herb.

Jon put a helmet on me and opened the door of the sidecar for me. God, he’s a gentleman too. I never known this side about him. He makes me feel girlish.

We drove to the Hog’s Head in Fern Hill. As we were driving on the road, I swear I saw Ogden and his dad, Ray, driving the other way. I even waved at them, but they didn’t see me. What’s the deal here? How come Ogden’s out? Jesse didn’t say nothing about that when I saw him last time.

Jon put Bette Midler in his CD player. He said, “Don’t you just love her?”

Bette Midler’s okay. I personally like something more upbeat, like Pink Floyd or even the newer groups, like Jet. Then he said,

“I like what you’re wearing. You have such a good sense of style - voluptuous and vulnerable, simple yet glamorous. You should visit me some time and I’ll do your colours. I could even fix your hair.” Wow, he sure understands women.

“Jon, what kind of work do you do?” I couldn’t help asking.

“I’m a colourist. My partner and I run the beauty salon in Tattle Creek. You don’t come to us, do you?”

“No, I usually just go to the one in Wittle Lake. It’s closer.”

“But not better, darling. Ha ha ha.” Jon has a generous, gutteral laugh.

We got to the restaurant and ordered fancy steaks and potatoes. We had a pretty good time at dinner chitchatting 'bout this and that, not too awkward except for Sam and Herb. After, the band was good too. We all did line dancing with a bunch of people. For a guy with such good hair, I was surprised Jon wasn’t a better dancer. He’s not bad. He just always seems half a step behind and running to catch up. He kept going, “Oh, oh, gosh,” and he was laughing and giggling the whole time, saying, “This is so fun, so fun. I feel like Cinderella.”

It was fun. Cinderella? I like dancing. Jon was having such a good time that it was infectious. Once I brushed my breasts against him, and he went, “Oh, oh, oh, boobs in my face, you naughty, naughty girl.” He was so funny, I laughed my ass off. But I didn’t bump my breasts into him again.

Somehow, he reminds of how Bette Midler would dance if Bette Midler were a man.

Now Sam and Herb. I got nervous watching them trying hard to not look at each other and sometimes acting like they hadn’t heard what the other said. I mean, that’s not being natural at all. I’m not sure Fred noticed anything. He seemed so happy dancing with his wife and brother.

At one point, I had to go to the washroom, so Jon said, “I’ll come with you.” We got to the washrooms and he leaned over and said, “Just between us girls, something’s up with Sam and Herb.” Then he went into the men’s and I went into the women’s. He is observant.

When I came out, Jon was watching two women fighting in the hall. They were going,

“You took it without asking, bitch.”

“You weren’t wearing it. You wear my things all the time.”

“I don’t wear your things to hustle your boyfriend.”

“I didn’t know he was your boyfriend. Your name wasn’t on him.”

“When you knew, you didn’t stop.”

“I can’t help it if he likes the way I look.”

“In my top.”

Jon put his arm around me and giggled, “Someone should bitch-slap those two to shut them up.”

You know, Jon’s real nice guy and all but I don’t think I’ll get lucky with him. I suppose having another girlfriend is always good. Funny, me not noticing that before. He does look real good sitting on his bike though.