It was a crisp fall afternoon -- the kind of afternoon that made a person forget about the haze and stifling humidity of a typical central Pennsylvania summer. The air was so clear you could see every golden leaf on every tree that splashed the mountains surrounding State College, the small town that burgeoned to almost forty-thousand residents while college was in session. I stopped to watch a flock of Canadian geese flying in a tight vee formation, honking incessantly as they made their way southward toward their winter haven.
I had successfully avoided thinking about Elijah the entire week and was now sure my six week infatuation with him, if that's what you would call it, was history. Feeling light as a feather, I looked forward to a life spent with Shelly, committed each other -- friends and lovers; raising a family together, training our own children in the way they should walk for the rest of their lives.
I took one more look at the beauty which surrounded me, and pulled out my cell phone.
"Hey there beautiful. Guess who."
"Let me see," she giggled, sensing my mood. "Uncle Zachery?"
I instantly lowered my voice, and rasped into the phone. "Yeah, and I want to take the most beautiful girl I know out to dinner."
"Sorry, but I already have plans. Some orange haired teddy bear of a guy I call `Carrots,' is taking me out for pizza."
"I love you Shelly."
She made a kissing sound into the phone and hung up. I stood waiting for her to appear, realizing I had never spoken those words to Michelle before.
"Hey," Shelly chimed in mock surprise as she walked out the door of her apartment building, "Where's uncle Zachery?"
"Oh," I teased, "Was that your uncle? I thought he was some perv, hanging around to watch the pretty girls come and go. Sorry Tootsie, but I told him to get lost."
I took hold of her hand, and pulled her toward me. Kissing still wasn't a "no-brainer" for me, and I managed to mash my teeth into her lip.
"O-o-w-w"
"Shelly, I'm so sorry," I pined when I looked at her rapidly swelling lip.
"What's with you? That hurt."
"I'm sorry, Shelly," I repeated. "I guess I forgot to stop smiling after seeing you."
She stood there and gazed at me for a moment like she could tell something was up, but then took my outstretched hand as we turned and headed for the parking lot.
"Why're going this way? I thought we were going to grab something to eat."
"Got wheels," I told her as I led her past a row of cars, stopping behind a beat up, rusty Ford pickup truck. I waited there until her brow rose in consternation.
"Is it safe?"
"Just kidding," I said, and then spun her around and walked her to the passenger door of Andrew's gleaming black BMW M5.
"Let's take this one."
"Whoa! Carrots, when did you pick up this? I thought you said you were paying your own way through school."
"It's my cellmate, Andrew's. I earned the rental fee by doing favors for him."
Her eyes got really wide, like she was thinking I had done something she didn't really want to know about.
"I spent some nights sleeping in the student lounge while Andrew was entertaining girls in our dorm room. This is his way of letting me know he appreciates me being cool about it. I told him I don't really have a problem with him doing it, as long as it doesn't happen too often."
A look of relief washed across Shelly's face, and I reached to open the car door for her.
"What's gotten into you?" she asked again, rolling her eyes at me.
"You said you wanted to talk about something tonight, so I made reservations someplace where we could have a little privacy."
"It's your turn to pay, right?"
I pulled the Visa gift card halfway out of my pocket to show her I was legit.
"Phil? Is there something you need to tell me? You're acting like... well, no offense, but this is weird. Couldn't we just go to Romano's and grab a pizza like we usually do?"
"I just got a letter from my mom, and I'm in a good mood, that's all."
"Ahh, isn't that sweet. Mommy told her wittle boy she misses him. Do you always, like get off when she sends you a letter?" she asked suspiciously.
"You'll see."
"So, where are we going?" Shelly asked as we left town, heading west on US route 322.
"You are so suspicious, Tootsie. Relax."
She squeezed my hand, and with a leer said "I'd love to, but you're driving."
"Is that all you ever think about?"
"Moi?"
"We're going someplace where we can blow the entire fifty dollar gift card, and then some, on one meal for someone special I know."
"Are you insane? Do you know how many pizzas that would buy?"
"Do you know how long it's been since I've eaten steak?"
"Where'd you say we're going," she asked again, sweetly this time, but with a hint of excitement in her voice.
When we pulled into the parking lot of the Mount Nittany Inn, I felt Shelly's hand alight on my shoulder, and smiled to myself, thinking I had just scored some major points.
"Are you serious? You want me to eat here? I can't believe you would bring me to a place like this without telling me. I can't go in there looking like this."
"What?" I gasped in disbelief.
"Phillip, I can't believe you'd do this to me. Take me back to my apartment. I am not going to embarrass myself by going in there looking like this."
"What's wrong with the way you look?"
I was stunned, to say the least. I had dressed a bit nicer than usual, but I had never even thought to tell Shelly to wear something other than jeans. It's not like she ever dressed like a tramp.
I pointed to a couple coming out the front door. "He's wearing jeans."
"And a sport coat," she snapped.
"Shelly, look I'm sorry, but places like this expect college kids to dress casually. It's no big deal."
"It is too a big deal. Do you know how often I get to eat in a place like this? Like almost never. I get one chance in a whole year to go someplace nice and I don't even get to dress for it? I am not going in there dressed like this, Phillip Ryan Johnson."
I just sat there with my head resting on the steering wheel, trying to figure out what to do.
"Let me go in and ask them if I can change our reservation to nine. Would that be enough time for you to get changed?"
"Phillip, why didn't you tell me yesterday where we were going? Hel-lo-o-o! I haven't done anything with my hair. ...and my nails are chipped."
How can an evening that started out so well go so far south this fast? I wondered to myself.