Wet by Ruth Clampett

very refreshing.”
    “Would you like to have dinner next week, say Friday? There’s a new bistro on Melrose I’ve heard is good.”
    “That would be lovely, thank you.”
    Pulling out my phone, I put her number on my contact list and then call her so she has mine. She looks happy. This dating thing is very different than hooking up.
    “So is it true you said I looked like a young Ryan Gosling?”
    She throws her hands up to cover her face. “Oh my goodness, I’m so embarrassed!”
    “It’s okay. I considered that a compliment.”
    She inches her tiny pale hands down. “Oh, it is a compliment. He’s a very handsome man!”
    I grin at her. “Well thanks again. I’m going to get Ma home, but I’ll look forward to Friday.”
    “Me too!” she replies.
    Ma gives her a squeeze before we go to find Patrick and Dad. When Lourdes waves good-bye, her sweater slides down her arm and I notice a tattoo that looks like a cross on her wrist. It kind of weirds me out. What if she’s a religious fanatic? She probably wouldn’t put up with my apathy. I decide not to worry about it before we’ve even had a date.
     
    As we walk away Ma turns to me. “Goodness, Paulie! Where’d you learn to be so dashing?”
    If she only knew about how wild of a player I was. I’ll spare her the truth. “It was all those old Cary Grant movies you used to watch, Ma.”
    She grins widely. “Of course! Oh, how I love that man!”

    Over the next few days I wonder how Elle is doing but I don’t call her. Is she still with Sterile Stephan the sponge bather? I wonder if he ever got over my comment about dirty footprints on the bedspread.
     
    I decide to wait to talk to Elle until after my date with Lourdes since I want to give Lourdes my full attention. Little did I know that I’d have a big old surprise at our weekly family dinner.
    Trisha looks like the cat that caught the canary. “Patrick has a date!”
    “You do? With who?”
    “Well, Elle of course!” Ma says with a grin.
    “I’m taking her to the science museum Sunday. They have a kinetics exhibit I thought she’d like,” he replies.
    “What makes you think she’d like kinetics?”
    “She said something that night at dinner about how things are always on the move for her.”
    “And to you that translated to a kinetics exhibit.”
    His expression falls and I feel like an asshole.
    “You know what, Patrick? Actually, that’s a really cool idea for a date. I like it. It’s different.”
    Ma gives me a smile of approval.
    “She seemed excited about it,” he agrees. “And I hear you have a date, too, Paul.”
    “Yes, I’m seeing Lourdes tomorrow night.”
    “That’s outstanding.” He gives me a thumbs-up. It’s like the two of us for one brief moment finally have something in common.
     
    Later over banana pudding I ponder Elle agreeing to go out with Patrick. Now that we’ve established we’re friends I can’t believe she’d do it just to make me jealous. Maybe she really wants to go out with him. I guess stranger things have happened.

    I had sworn to myself that I wouldn’t compare Lourdes to Elle, but I found myself doing it anyway just minutes after my conversation with Lourdes starts. She’s very sweet and attentive but I miss Elle’s sass, and even her dirty mouth. Who am I kidding? I especially missed her dirty mouth.
    I guess the upside is that with Lourdes’ conservative dress and mannerisms I haven’t been thinking about sex at all. It’s kind of liberating and disappointing all at the same time. She talks about her work being a teacher’s assistant at St. John’s. She’s almost done getting her teaching credentials and now she’s anxious to move up to being a full-fledged teacher.
    Her eyes light up when she talks about how much she loves children and that she can’t wait to be a mom.
    I note that’s a big check on the future mate list of requirements. I really want to have my own family one day.
    As the night progresses I discover that