Life with Tommy
No-Show
I looked at my watch for the millionth time in the last 15 minutes just to verify what I already knew in my heart. Tommy was late, very late. He normally got home somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00 after working out at the gym and it was now pushing 11:00. Finally abandoning the idea that he would come in full of apologies and I would reheat the lasagna that I cooked, I made my way to the kitchen to clean up. By the time I had washed all the dishes and packed up the leftovers, I decided that tonight was a lost cause and I got ready for bed. Before closing my eyes I decided to call him one more time, hoping for a different result than my last 8 calls. But my optimism was rewarded with his voicemail again. I didn’t even bother leaving a message this time. He knew where I was and what I wanted and for some reason unknown to me, he didn’t want the same tonight.
I met Tommy four months ago at a dive bar around the corner from work that my co-workers and I frequented after especially rough days. As high school teachers, there were plenty of those. I’ve never been the type of person to just approach a guy in a bar and start talking to him but something about Tommy was just irresistible. So when it was my turn to get the next round, I just went for it. It took 3 or 4 different attempts to get him to say more than just a sentence. But even just a sentence or two was worth it to see him working that toothpick around that gorgeous mouth. The breakthrough finally came about two weeks later on Sunday afternoon. I was sitting around my place with nothing to do and decided to head to the bar to watch the Steelers game. Late in the first quarter, Tommy sat down on the stool next to me. Two hours later we had thoroughly dissected the Steelers offense and defense and had worked our way through 2 ½ pitchers. The Steelers got blown out, but by that point I didn’t care.
Tommy offered to walk me home before heading back to his place. The easy confidence I had shown in the bar was now betraying me as I felt my heart beat in my chest wondering how the evening would end. As I walked up my front stoop, I decided to go for it. “Would you like to come in?” I asked hopefully. “I really would” he answered quickly “but I probably shouldn’t. How about I’ll take a rain check until I take you out for a real date?”
Our first real date was a few days later. We went to a little gastropub downtown that I’d been wanting to try. At first I was worried that it would be too much of a hipster scene, but it turned out to be just right. Plenty of craft beers on tap and a great menu. For whatever reason I wasn’t the least bit nervous and the conversation just flowed easily. We talked about Tommy’s history with MMA and his current personal training gig at the gym. I shared some of my crazy high school teaching stories and how a California girl like me ended up in the steel city. The best moment was when we found ourselves back on my front porch saying goodnight. Sometime during the evening I had mentioned my coffee addiction and how I stop at the same coffee place every morning at 6:45 before work. Tommy leaned in and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips and said “So I’ll see you for coffee tomorrow morning”.
And we’ve seen each other almost every day since. That’s what made tonight’s no-show hurt even worse.
I met Tommy four months ago at a dive bar around the corner from work that my co-workers and I frequented after especially rough days. As high school teachers, there were plenty of those. I’ve never been the type of person to just approach a guy in a bar and start talking to him but something about Tommy was just irresistible. So when it was my turn to get the next round, I just went for it. It took 3 or 4 different attempts to get him to say more than just a sentence. But even just a sentence or two was worth it to see him working that toothpick around that gorgeous mouth. The breakthrough finally came about two weeks later on Sunday afternoon. I was sitting around my place with nothing to do and decided to head to the bar to watch the Steelers game. Late in the first quarter, Tommy sat down on the stool next to me. Two hours later we had thoroughly dissected the Steelers offense and defense and had worked our way through 2 ½ pitchers. The Steelers got blown out, but by that point I didn’t care.
Tommy offered to walk me home before heading back to his place. The easy confidence I had shown in the bar was now betraying me as I felt my heart beat in my chest wondering how the evening would end. As I walked up my front stoop, I decided to go for it. “Would you like to come in?” I asked hopefully. “I really would” he answered quickly “but I probably shouldn’t. How about I’ll take a rain check until I take you out for a real date?”
Our first real date was a few days later. We went to a little gastropub downtown that I’d been wanting to try. At first I was worried that it would be too much of a hipster scene, but it turned out to be just right. Plenty of craft beers on tap and a great menu. For whatever reason I wasn’t the least bit nervous and the conversation just flowed easily. We talked about Tommy’s history with MMA and his current personal training gig at the gym. I shared some of my crazy high school teaching stories and how a California girl like me ended up in the steel city. The best moment was when we found ourselves back on my front porch saying goodnight. Sometime during the evening I had mentioned my coffee addiction and how I stop at the same coffee place every morning at 6:45 before work. Tommy leaned in and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips and said “So I’ll see you for coffee tomorrow morning”.
And we’ve seen each other almost every day since. That’s what made tonight’s no-show hurt even worse.
♠ ♠ ♠
Please feel free to comment and review! This is my first attempt and would love feedback :)