--That Morning—-
Lee and Debbye both had pleasant dreams that night, but it could hardly be called sound sleep given the intense and explicit nature of the dreams.
Morning arrived, as it does, and both of them managed to attend the respective Sunday services [no, not the same church; coincidences like those happen only in really bad fiction and, occasionally, real life]. It may be said, though, that both were concentrating on something besides the sermon topics. Each survived, independently, through lunch and the return to their respective residences.
--2 PM--
Ring-g-g-g, Ring-g-g-g
“Squirrel residence”
“Good afternoon, fair princess. I hope you feel as good as I do today.”
“Lee, I’m so glad to hear from you. I was beginning to wonder if last night was real or just part of a beautiful dream.”
“Oh, ‘twas real, though ‘twas also a dream come true for me. I shan’t shock you, though, by describing the dreams I did have.”
Debbye blushed, “Er, mine were embarrassing enough, thank you.”
Lee chuckled, “You’re welcome. It’s a pleasure knowing my feelings are reciprocated.”
“As if you didn’t already know.” “So tell me, how did you become so fluent in Italian, the way you chatted with the hostess, you’re quite at home speaking it.”
“The short form of the story is that I learned Spanish growing up in Texas, took both Spanish & Latin in high school, learned conversational Italian from my college roommate and his family, and then polished it by working in Italy between my junior and senior years of college. I admit, though, my roommate was a bit ticked off by that trip.”
“Because he didn’t get to work overseas?”
“Worse,” chuckled Lee. “We’d both put in for this exchange program; he’d requested ‘Italy’ so he could have a chance to meet the “old country” branch of his family while I’d just requested ‘Europe’. Bureaucracies being what they are, he ended up in the UK with the chance to visit his mother’s family while I ended up in Varese, Italy, not far from where his father’s family came from. Lyman’s father was pleased to give me a letter of introduction and I had a delightful time with these people.”
“Uh-huh, and how many young signorinas did you get to know well?”
“Well, I became friends with a few of them, but nothing untoward. I was a guest in their country, so I behaved as I’d wish a guest to behave in this country. I even managed to make it to church every Sunday.”
“Impressive, a world traveler and a real gentlefur.”
“I’d hardly class myself as a world traveler, that’s the only time I’ve ever really left the country.”
“It’s more than I’ve done. All I’ve done is go across to Canada a couple of times with my folks.”
“It’s nothing, I just got lucky.”
“Oh? It sure sounds like you worked for that ‘luck’.”
“Perhaps, but I sure didn’t work for the great luck of meeting you.”
“Didn’t you? How many other guys would’ve stopped and helped?”
“Put that way, maybe I did help luck along. Mind you, I can’t see how a guy could fail to come to such a beautiful lady’s aid.”
“Flatterer.”
“And a shameless one, at that,”
“The best kind,” chuckled Debbye. “I hope you’ve got something more substantial, though, when you meet my folks.”
“I’m prepared to cross that bridge when I come to it. For the nonce, my lady, I’d rather have some more ‘no strings’ dates with you; just to get to know each other better. If there is really something between us, we’ll know our hearts and minds better for the wait.”
“My prince, I don’t wish to rush either and I’m relieved that you feel the same. Your patience is appreciated and your concern, as evidenced last night, doubly so. When might I see you again?”
“I prefer to leave week nights alone, since crises at work and class work can make for long hours sometimes. This Friday night is taken, I’m an officer of the local modelers’ group and I should be at the monthly meeting. So, are you available on Saturday?”
“Saturday? The College & Career group from church is having a “Back to School Day” then at the home of one of our leaders and I do enjoy those times. Would you be willing to come as my guest?”
“It sounds like it could be fun. What all is planned and how long does it run?”
“Well, it starts mid-morning and runs into the middle of the evening. During the day there’s swimming, volleyball, and other games; then, after dark, there’ll be some fellowship time. Lunch and dinner are generally grilled outdoors. So, again, will you come as my guest?”
“I’d be honored to; it sounds like an enjoyable day. The only hitch is that Lyman and I have a standing ‘court date’ on Saturday morning for racquetball. I could probably show up around noon or so.”
“That’ll be fine, I’ll mail you a copy of the church bulletin with the address. Which reminds me, what is your address?’
“If you look in the phone book under the Oakhollow Apartments, that’ll give you the basic address and I’m in number 603.” “That takes care of Saturday, would you care to meet on Sunday afternoon, also?”
“If it was something that would show me another side of you; yes, I’d think I would.”
“It would definitely be a different side of me. Lyman & I go target shooting every other Sunday and you’re welcome to come with us and either watch or participate as you choose. Besides, Lyman’s my best and closest friend and I’d like you two to meet.”
Debbye chuckled, “Well, that combination should definitely show me another side of you. When I was much younger, my father gave me basic gun safety training but I’ve not done any shooting for some years.” “Tell me, how many of your secrets does Lyman know?”
“Most of them; why?”
“I can see I’m going to have to question him intently.”
“Good luck. He’s had the same security training I have and he knows that I know his secrets equally well.”
“Ah? Well, it was just a thought. I’d still like to meet him, though.”
“You shall, you shall.” “Now, we were talking favorite music and you said you played an instrument but not which one. Since I play too, I’d like to know.”
“The flute. And you?”
“The piano. I had lessons from 4th grade through high school and I still keep my paw in. I wonder if we can find any duets for piano and flute?”
“Depending on how our situation goes, it might be fun to explore the possibilities.”
And so the conversation ambled amiably for another hour or so.
--4PM—
Ring-g-g-g, Ring-g-g-g
Debbye grabbed the phone. He couldn’t be calling again, he said he had errands to run.
“Squirrel residence”
“Debbye, it’s your mother, is anything wrong? We tried to call last night and didn’t get an answer. Then, earlier this afternoon, the phone was busy.”
“Nothing’s wrong, mom; honest. There just might be something quite right, though; it’s been a very interesting weekend. I’d rather tell you and dad about it when you get home, though.”
“Sounds serious. Do I need to start worrying now?”
“Mother! No, you don’t have to. I’ll see you guys when you get home.”
“I’ll be good darling. We’ll see you about eight.”
--Shortly after 8PM—
Debbye was waiting when her father escorted her mother through the door. Still the gentlefur; I imagine Lee would do the same.
“You two look radiant. That weekend off by yourselves seems to have had quite an effect.’
“That it did, sweetheart. Thanks for encouraging us to go.” “Now,” inquired her father, “what so affected your weekend?”
“Can we sit down and talk about it, all of us?”
“Sure, pumpkin.” Mr. & Mrs. Squirrel sat together on the couch while Debby took the armchair across from them.
“Okay, darling, what was so interesting about this weekend?”
“Mom, Dad, I met the most wonderful guy last Saturday. He helped me at the bookstore in the mall & then took me for a snack at the food court, where we sat & talked for two hours. He not only wasn’t bored after this, but he asked me out to dinner and I had a delightful time.” “If you can believe it, Debbye chuckled, “he reads even more than I do. A complete gentlefur, he’s intelligent & thoughtful and I can’t get him off my mind. He’s so unlike the other guys I’ve dated.”
“You had a strange boy pick you up at home?”
“No, mom, he didn’t pick me up here and it was his idea, not mine. He said he knew he wasn’t dangerous, but I didn’t, yet, and he wanted me to be cautious by meeting him at a neutral site of my choosing. I checked with Amy & Sabrina and had him meet me at their apartment. It may have been a bit more than he expected since they, Thomas, & Chris all questioned him. Of course, he surprised them, too. He was holding Timothy when it became obvious that a changing was needed. He offered to help Amy by doing it and did a first rate job.”
“And how did a single guy develop this expertise?”
“He’s the oldest kid in his family, and got plenty of experience helping with his younger siblings. Amy thinks I should grab a guy that’s already trained. Seriously, though, they all had good opinions of him.”
“And what is this paragon’s name?”
“His name is Lee Evans. He’s an engineer at the aircraft plant out at the airport. Here’s his card.”
Debbye handed Lee’s car over to her father; he looked it over and passed it to her mother.
“And how old is he?”
“Twenty-five”
“You said you can’t get him off your mind. Just how serious are you about this young gentlefur?”
“We’ve only had one date, daddy, and we’ve agreed to see each other again, but nothing more than that. He’s said that he is in no hurry and wants to take the time for us to get to know each other and see where events lead rather than just jumping into something extreme. You can relax, he’s not asking for my paw or anything like that.”
“In that case, darling, we’ll trust your judgement. If matters start getting more serious, though, we’ll want to meet him.”
“Understood.”
“Debbye, dear, “ queried her mother, ‘did he really insist on meeting you elsewhere for your safety?”
“He sure did, mom: he’s a very careful fur. He seems to put an emphasis on actions, not just words.”
“I like him already,” chuckled Linda Squirrel and George just grinned.
“Now, you go ahead and get ready for tomorrow. Your father and I have things to do.”
“Thanks, mom; I appreciate your support. Dad, I appreciate your concern and your trust. G’night, both of you.”
--6:30AM--
Lee was waiting when Lyman pulled up and he hopped in for the drive to work.
“You’re extremely chipper for a Monday. Have a better weekend than you expected?”
“Much better. Remember all the discussions we had on what we were looking for? Well, I found a gal that sure fits my ‘parameters’. She’s intelligent, fascinating, and as voracious a reader as I am. To top it off, she’s gorgeous.”
“Oh, that’s all? You sound thoroughly enraptured. Now, as a firm believer in “Murphy”, I gotta ask, what’s the downside?”
“Well, she’s nineteen and there are some familial situations that will probably complicate things.”
“Have you met her parents yet?”
“Nope, not yet. They were out of town this weekend. Besides, we’re just dating right now; we want to get to know each other before we think about getting serious.”
“I know you well enough to know you were careful. Still, buono suerte, my friend; you’ll need it.”
--Lunchtime—
Debbye rode with Sabrina to where the Clique was meeting for lunch. “Thanks for the lift, Sabrina. You, at least, have an idea how nervous I am.”
“Why should you be nervous? He seems like a great guy. ‘Sides, it’s not like they’ll completely dissect him.”
“Sure they won’t, but not for lack of trying.” They both chuckled.
Once they were all seated with lunch, Susan looked over at Debbye. “We hear you had an interesting weekend, anything long term?”
“It’s too early to tell, yet; we’re going to just date for a while and get to know each other better before we even think about getting serious.”
“So how did you two meet?” inquired Cindy.
“On Saturday he helped me at the bookstore in the mall & then bought me a snack; we talked for two hours over that snack. Then he asked me out again that evening and insisted, that for my safety, I have him pick me up at a comfortable neutral spot of my choosing. I knew you were working, Cindy, and you were busy, Susan, so I called Sabrina and she & Amy agreed to my meeting him at their apartment.’ ‘I even think,” Debby chuckled, “that Amy was feeling rather protective.”
“And the consensus of opinion, there was…?” purred Susan.
“Very positive, indeed,” chuckled Sabrina. “First he arrives precisely on time, the very essence of punctuality. Then, he was every bit the perfect gentlefur, kissing the back of Amy’s paws and mine when introduced and offering Chris and Thomas firm pawshakes. But the real surprise came when Timothy woke up, this guy asked to hold him & did it properly while keeping him entertained. When he realized why Timothy had awaken, he insisted on sparing Amy the trouble and did the changing & cleaning up by himself; a job he did quite well.”
“And how did a bachelor learn such skills?” quizzed Susan. “Has he been hiding something or someone?”
“Nothing that dramatic,’ defended Debbye. “It seems that he and his twin sister are the oldest of four siblings and had the '’pleasure’ of baby-sitting their younger siblings, including changing and cleaning up the youngest.”
“After that, “ continued Sabrina, “things were pretty friendly. He promised to have Debbye back at 11pm and kept his word. Meanwhile, Chris & Thomas did a bit of sleuthing on the ‘net and he comes up solid. All four of us have a pretty good opinion of him.”
“That’s good,’ grinned Cindy. “Now, what’s his name and where does he work?”
“His name is Lee Evans and he’s an engineer at the aircraft plant out at Port Columbus. He’s twenty-five and has been there for four years.”
“Nice,” pressed Susan, “but how was the dinner date?”
“Fantastic!”, bubbled Debbye. “He was a perfect gentlefur throughout and took me to an excellent Italian restaurant, Trattoria Salvatore. We had excellent service, it seems he’s been a good customer since he moved here and is considered ‘part of the family’, and the food was delicious. What was surprising was to find that I’m the first girl he’s ever found interesting enough to show her to his friends there.”
“Do tell, “ Susan responded dryly. “And what was your response to this?”
Debbye blushed, “I kissed him on the cheek and the feeling was so strong that I had to kiss him fully to see if it happened again. Did it ever, and I know he felt it too.”
“Ah-hah,” exclaimed Susan, “and how did the rest of the evening go?”
“Debbye’s blush deepened. “We kissed, spectacularly, again, once we got in his car, then took a leisurely drive back to the apartment while talking over a lot of things. He gave me a goodnight kiss at the door that curled my toes and tail, then kissed my paw and wished me ‘pleasant dreams’. Then, yesterday afternoon, we talked for another hour or so. He’s not like the other guys I’ve dated and I can’t get him off my mind.”
“Smitten, clearly smitten,” observed Susan. “Is there something going around, here? First Sabrina, then Cindy, and now you, Debbye. I’m starting to get a little worried about it hitting me.”
“And is that so bad?”, queried Cindy. “I know you’ve dated quite a portion of the eligible males in Columbus, but I’m finding, and I think Sabrina will agree, that finding one guy you care about and who cares about you has its own special aspects. What do you think, Debbye?”
“I don’t know enough, yet. If things work out, I’ll let you know.”
Everyone chuckled and relaxed.
“So what does this paragon look like?”, queried Susan.
Debbye replied, “to start with, he’s a cat, a bit taller than I am, with blue eyes and thin-frame glasses. He appears to have a big build, but he obviously keeps in shape. He’s got long fur with brown/dark brown stripes and a tawny patch starting under his muzzle and going down his chest.” With a blush she added, “And, no, I don’t know how far down it goes.” “Anyway, he’s also got a long bushy tail that’s ringed in the stripe colors. He dresses well, in coordinated colors that go with his markings.”
“Anything to back up the physical impression?”, asked Cindy.
“Well, he reads at least as much as I do,” chuckled Debbye. “He seems fairly well informed and has his own thoughts on matters. From what talking we’ve done, he seems pretty sharp. Oh, I almost forgot, he also plays classical piano. We’re talking about finding a duet for flute and piano.”
“Sounds like quite a guy,” said Susan somewhat wistfully.
“I sure think so, “ said Debbye. “This is the first guy that’s been encouraged, not put off, by my reading habits. If things work out between us, I’ll try to get a picture to show off.”
“I’m sure we’ll be looking forward to it,” commented Cindy. “But,’ looking at her watch, “I think some of us need to get back to work.”
And on that note The Clique went their separate ways.