I Was Hoping You'd Ask

I had finished asking some questions to the students that were joining the Pens for practice. I was heading out the door back to my car when I heard my name being called. This was a common occurrence whenever I was leaving CEC apparently. I turned around to see who was screaming my name and to my pleasure it was the handsome man that was in my way earlier this afternoon. “Hey Brian” I said with a seductive smile. He looked at me like he was overwhelmed for some reason, “everything alright?” I asked him. He looked at me like he was about to say something but words wouldn’t come out. I just stared at him, waiting for him to say something. Finally I could see words making their way out of his mouth “where are you heading off to?” he finally asked me, wondering why it took him so long to ask, “to my car…” I replied, my sentence dragging on so he would just get to the point. “I was just wondering… if you maybe, uh… wanted to go get something to eat? Just the two of us, in a quiet restaurant?” I’m assuming the last remark was because of the loud bar we were in last time it was just the two of us. I just smiled, I wanted to say yes, and I so badly wanted to say yes. “Like a date?” I asked with a smile on my face that probably looked really dumb as I was trying to not smile as big as I wanted to. He looked up at me with the same smile, “yeah, like a date” he said. I couldn’t believe it; I couldn’t get words out of my mouth. As I was about to say yes, one word came to mind, or I should say one name did… “Rebecca” I said under my breath. “Huh?” he looked at me very confused. “Oh, uh, I would really love to, it’s just that I already promised someone from work I’d go get drinks with them when I got off…” he looked at me, really disappointed and then I realized I should probably specify who this “person from work” really was so he didn’t think I was going on another date. “It’s James’ sister, Rebecca” I assured him before he would walk away from me from the silence. “Oh!” he replied, looking much happier than only a second ago. I smiled at his cute relief. “Yeah” I added “she has been upset lately, I guess James doesn’t really invite her places and she’s a little bummed about it, so I asked if she wanted to get drinks later. Hoping it would cheer her up.” He looked up at me, like it was the nicest things he’d heard. I laughed to myself “that’s really sweet of you, she’s lucky to have a friend like you” I smiled “thanks Brian” I replied. “Soooo, tomorrow night?’ I asked, knowing they didn’t have another game until Thursday night. He was more than pleased to accept my invitation. I had a moment of “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing but I’m gonna do it anyways” go through my head. I put my hand out and he gave me a very confused look. “Phone?” I said and he handed it to me in my empty palm that was in between us. I added my number and my name and gave it back to him. “Call me” I said and turned around and headed to my car.

It only takes me about 15 minutes to get home from CEC and only about 10 to get home from the office. I decided I should probably head back to the office and show Dan what I had come up with during my trip over there. He was more than pleased with the questions and I answered I had on the paper in front of him. “You’re a natural,” he told me with a smile on his face. This statement made me so happy. When I decided this is what I wanted to do, I had so much doubts, not knowing if I’d end up where I really want to be, and I knew then that this is where I’m supposed to be and I couldn’t be happier.

As I was walking down the steps in the office, I passed Rebecca’s desk. “You ready?” I asked her as I saw her gathering her things and putting them away in her gorgeous giant pink Michael Khors handbag. She looked up at me with gleaming eyes “I thought you would have forgotten!” she admitted. “Never, let’s get going. I really need a Cosmo,” I told her. She laughed and followed me out the door. We drove separately; I was trying to avoid what had happened last time I went to the bar, where I would need a ride back to the office to get my car. This way I could just go home after what I hoped would be a real quick night of me trying to do something nice.