One Life To Live

Lance's rigatoni, and my ziti came out then. Our waitress asked me if I wanted another glass of wine, but I denied. I was against excessive drinking, and I could tell you that I wouldn't have ordered it if I wasn't out on a date with Lance. Lance, however, ordered a scotch. I mentally shook my head - Lance must be a drinker. So far, that's the only bad mark I have against him. I knew he was holding back when he got the wine, I had suspected it then. Somehow, there was some tugging feeling that there was something I wasn't getting about him; like there was some part of him I wasn't seeing. But, was it appropriate to interrogate him on a first date?

I didn't think so.

I thanked the waitress, and dug into my ziti. The first bite was incredible - as was the atmosphere. We were secluded in a booth in the back part of the restaurant, with the dimly lit candles and yellow lighting. It looked sophisticated and elegant, which I liked quite a bit.
I felt suddenly guilty like I wasn't exciting enough to be with. I offered very little topics of conversation which wasn't like me at all. I was usually the outgoing, and talkative one. There was one topic I was dying to ask him, however.

"Did you play sports?"

Lance hesitated, his fork cut off midair to his mouth. He placed it back on his plate, and said, "Yes. I was good at football and basketball, but I only played up until my junior year of high school in both sports."

"Why did you stop playing?" I inquired, trying not to be nosy.

"I just...had things going on and didn't have time for it," He responded simply. "I still play all the time with my brothers, though."

I nodded, "I played basketball throughout high school."

He brightened, liking the fact we have something in common. "Nice." He sized me up, "A point guard, or wing?"

"Mmm...power forward, actually. A 3 or 4 position, most of the time." I conversed. "I was more of a passer and a mid range shooter. Plus, it drove me nuts to dribble the ball all the time."

He nodded, "I was a 5, obviously. Too tall to be anything else."

"Right, right. Truthfully, I gave more assists than I racked up points, but I was content with ten points a game. Not bad, and not terribly great."

"How many points did you have altogether including assists, though?" Lance smiled.

"That's a good point," I assessed, "I would've had 20 to 25, then."

"Exactly." Lance winked.

I laughed.

Lance continued, "I bet your boyfriend was distracting you from the sidelines, though right?" He grinned.

"I was focused during games, so I wouldn't count on that one," I smiled, "as for the boyfriends...I had very few, actually."

"They were jocks?"

"Yeah. The longest relationship lasted four months, and that was that. Then I finally concluded that dating in high school just wasn't something that would work for me for many reasons. 'Course that probably was the exact opposite for you?" I guessed.

He smirked, chewing his rigatoni. "Very many, lets just say that. All flings - didn't ever have much of a relationship with any of them."

I nodded, "I sort of expected that."

"I mean...I just wasn't looking for a relationship. All the girls I was with were close to brain-dead. Classic guy story, huh?"

I shrugged, "Well...high school isn't a time to be hindered by commitment. I mean, why not have the 'time of your life' as they say and not have to put up with all the drama that involves a relationship anyway, y'know?"

I looked up from my ziti to find that he had aquired a very surprised look. His eyebrows were raised. Did he think that I seemed too righteous to say something like that? He sipped his scotch, with a contemplative expression.

"You keep surprising me, Mel." He finally said. "You seem like-"

"Like I'm righteous and a goody two shoes?" I finished bitterly. "I'm sorry if I seemed that way. It's just...I've been through things that required I be that way."

"What would that be?" Lance questioned curiously.

"Well...it was just family drama. Everyone's had their taste of that, I'm sure. Though, I guess it all just made into the person I am - refusing to be anything like them. I mean, with some of the issues that took place."

"You're not that bad. Actually one of the fewer good ones I've been with."

"How flattering." I smiled wide.

"Quite." Lance laughed freely. "You didn't grow up in New York, did you?"

"I didn't." I confirmed. "I'm from Minnesota."

"So that's what it sounded like." He smiled.

"Ah yes, the Minnesota 'o' accent." My lips curved up, slightly. "I never thought I had it, but apparently I do."

His eyes crinkled as he smiled in response. "That's usually the case with everyone."

I nodded, stabbing my ziti feeling an uneasiness in the pit of my stomach whenever I talked about Minnesota, and my family.