its way through Buzz for the day.
He set the handset down, flipped onto his stomach, turned his head on the pillow, and thought of the Blessed Mother.
For the first time in months, he saw her face in his mind's eye. She smiled.
Well done, he imagined her telling him. I know it's hard for you, but you must be patient.
2
"Here's to success!" Bucky Jamesraised his Whiskey Sour to Sam and Ellen.
"Cheers," Sam said, feeling a bit of a buzz.
They sat at a table at the posh Garden Club in Beachwood.
"Sam, would you like to see our home?" Bucky asked directly.
"It's getting late, Daddy," Ellen said, smiling. "Sam might have to get going."
She casually took hold of his arm.
"I'd love to see your home. I've got no plans for tomorrow," Sam volunteered.
Actually, he was mentally dreading dragging himself out of bed. Seven years, he told himself. He had promised himself that he would work Saturdays for seven years to build his business.
"Then let's go," Bucky said. "You can follow along in your car, Sam." Bucky reached for his wallet.
"This round is on me, Mr. James," Sam offered.
"Call me Bucky, Sam."
Sam placed a twenty on the table.
"Why don'tI ride along with Sam, Daddy? That way he doesn't have to follow you."
Sam could hardly take his mind off Ellen's hand on his arm. It was all so dreamlike. This is not happening.
She had to let go of his arm when he helped her put her coat on. She put on her scarf, and took his arm again, and held it all the way out to the car.
+ + +
"Nice car," she said, reclining in the leather seats of Sam'sAccord. He had special-ordered the leather. She noticed that he kept it perfectly clean. There were no empty cans or papers on the floor. Just like Bucky's car.
"Thanks, I just got it six months ago," was all he could say. His nervousness was back–big time.
She waved as her father drove by. Sam started the car and let the engine idle. The parking lot was now empty. A light shone on the other sideof the lot, near the club entrance.
"You know, when I asked you to our table, it was only to please my father. He really wanted to meet you," she told him. Sam's heart sank. "But I have a feeling about you, Sam."
Before he could ask her what she was talking about, she put a warm hand behind his neck, and pulled him to herself, and gave him a lingering kiss on the lips. She stopped, and let outa breath which he could see; the heater had not warmed the car up yet.
He was shaking with excitement and nerves.
"Ellen, I–"
"Don't say anything," she said, and kissed him again, for about the same duration. The air around them was crisp, cold; her lips were pliant, warm.
"Why, you're shaking," she said after she stopped, alarmed, looking directly into his eyes. "Are you cold?"
"No, not cold,"he told her honestly. "I've never kissed a girl like you before. Never like that. I'm nervous."
I can tell, she thought, charmed by his innocence. What have I found here?
The concept of marriage came to her mind now.
Is he the one?
She was surprised, and a bit afraid. This evening had begun with a heavy ordinariness; it had taken an unexpected turn.
Don't scare him away. When was the last timeyou liked a guy who was taller than you?
He wasn't handsome. But he reminded her of Bucky. Yes, he felt like Bucky, but with a twist–there was a quality in Sam that her father lacked.
Selflessness? She had had enough of selfish men. Sam was different from the prep boys and college sharpshooters and the go-go lawyers at the nightclubs down in the Flats. Or so she thought.
"Drive me home, Sam. Ireally do wish to show you where I live. I hope I wasn't too forward. I never kiss on the first date. Or the second or third, for that matter. You're the first."
She must be a serious Catholic, he thought.
It keeps me in the driver's seat, she thought.
"As my friend Buzz might say, Ellen, neither do I," he replied, surprising himself with his glibness.
"You can call me Ellie," she told him.
Later,she showed
He set the handset down, flipped onto his stomach, turned his head on the pillow, and thought of the Blessed Mother.
For the first time in months, he saw her face in his mind's eye. She smiled.
Well done, he imagined her telling him. I know it's hard for you, but you must be patient.
2
"Here's to success!" Bucky Jamesraised his Whiskey Sour to Sam and Ellen.
"Cheers," Sam said, feeling a bit of a buzz.
They sat at a table at the posh Garden Club in Beachwood.
"Sam, would you like to see our home?" Bucky asked directly.
"It's getting late, Daddy," Ellen said, smiling. "Sam might have to get going."
She casually took hold of his arm.
"I'd love to see your home. I've got no plans for tomorrow," Sam volunteered.
Actually, he was mentally dreading dragging himself out of bed. Seven years, he told himself. He had promised himself that he would work Saturdays for seven years to build his business.
"Then let's go," Bucky said. "You can follow along in your car, Sam." Bucky reached for his wallet.
"This round is on me, Mr. James," Sam offered.
"Call me Bucky, Sam."
Sam placed a twenty on the table.
"Why don'tI ride along with Sam, Daddy? That way he doesn't have to follow you."
Sam could hardly take his mind off Ellen's hand on his arm. It was all so dreamlike. This is not happening.
She had to let go of his arm when he helped her put her coat on. She put on her scarf, and took his arm again, and held it all the way out to the car.
+ + +
"Nice car," she said, reclining in the leather seats of Sam'sAccord. He had special-ordered the leather. She noticed that he kept it perfectly clean. There were no empty cans or papers on the floor. Just like Bucky's car.
"Thanks, I just got it six months ago," was all he could say. His nervousness was back–big time.
She waved as her father drove by. Sam started the car and let the engine idle. The parking lot was now empty. A light shone on the other sideof the lot, near the club entrance.
"You know, when I asked you to our table, it was only to please my father. He really wanted to meet you," she told him. Sam's heart sank. "But I have a feeling about you, Sam."
Before he could ask her what she was talking about, she put a warm hand behind his neck, and pulled him to herself, and gave him a lingering kiss on the lips. She stopped, and let outa breath which he could see; the heater had not warmed the car up yet.
He was shaking with excitement and nerves.
"Ellen, I–"
"Don't say anything," she said, and kissed him again, for about the same duration. The air around them was crisp, cold; her lips were pliant, warm.
"Why, you're shaking," she said after she stopped, alarmed, looking directly into his eyes. "Are you cold?"
"No, not cold,"he told her honestly. "I've never kissed a girl like you before. Never like that. I'm nervous."
I can tell, she thought, charmed by his innocence. What have I found here?
The concept of marriage came to her mind now.
Is he the one?
She was surprised, and a bit afraid. This evening had begun with a heavy ordinariness; it had taken an unexpected turn.
Don't scare him away. When was the last timeyou liked a guy who was taller than you?
He wasn't handsome. But he reminded her of Bucky. Yes, he felt like Bucky, but with a twist–there was a quality in Sam that her father lacked.
Selflessness? She had had enough of selfish men. Sam was different from the prep boys and college sharpshooters and the go-go lawyers at the nightclubs down in the Flats. Or so she thought.
"Drive me home, Sam. Ireally do wish to show you where I live. I hope I wasn't too forward. I never kiss on the first date. Or the second or third, for that matter. You're the first."
She must be a serious Catholic, he thought.
It keeps me in the driver's seat, she thought.
"As my friend Buzz might say, Ellen, neither do I," he replied, surprising himself with his glibness.
"You can call me Ellie," she told him.
Later,she showed
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