My best friend was also the assistant principal at my school. She knew that I'd had a rough time in my last relationship and had basically sworn off men for a while. So when she started suggesting a blind date, I wouldn't listen. As soon as she broached the subject, I'd cut her off and change it to talking about something else. I was not interested in the least. Finally, as a joke, she wrote me an administrative directive, "ordering" me to go out on this date. I still wasn't interested, but at least started listening to her description of the man in question.
New Year's Eve, 1989. JoAnna and I had a girls' night. Her husband was out of town and had taken their daughter. Her son was at his dad's, so it was just the two of us. We went out for dinner and then watched the movie "Always." It was the breakthrough I needed...time for me to let go of the past and move on. So I agreed to the blind date.
Here was the scenario: JoAnna's best friend from college knew this guy who worked for her husband at his veterinary clinic. JoAnna knew me. Both were looking for the *perfect* person to hook up with their friend. So once I agreed to go out with him, it was just a matter of getting all of us together. The plan was for JoAnna and Wes, Debbie and Jack and Eddie and I to go on a triple date--country dancing.
Problem #1: When? After 3 weeks of one of us not being able to go, it was beginning to look like we'd never get together. Eddie had a wedding to go to one week, the following week it was my turn to go to a wedding, and in between the other couples had plans also.
Solution! Eddie got tired of waiting so he got my phone number and asked me out. So we were going to go out dancing the next Saturday, without our chaperones! lol
Problem #2: I couldn't dance! The church that I raised in is very conservative. We didn't dance. I had attended a few school dances; could slow dance (if you considered putting your arms around the neck of your partner and swaying dancing!) but I had never even had basic dancing instruction.
Solution! All week, one of the teachers at my school tried her best to teach me to 2 step in the back room of the library during our conference period, lunch and after school.
Problem #3: What to wear? Do people really wear all that cowboy stuff to go out dancing? Isn't that just during rodeo time? I had no boots--could I wear tennies?
Solution? Everyone insisted that yes, I should wear cowboy clothes. Jeans yes. Nice cotton shirt ok. Tennies? NO WAY! So the school librarian loaned me a pair of boots....the pointiest toed things you have ever seen! We are talking U G L Y!!!!
So.....it's Saturday. I took ALL DAY to get ready....took 2 showers because I didn't like the way my hair was curled and decided to start over. Then ended up fixing it back the same way. Did my nails. Vacuumed my apartment 3 times. Tried on 4 different pairs of earrings. Ended up wearing jeans and a yellow short sleeve sweater with a denim jacket with rhinestones all over it. ( the jacket was borrowed from the same lady as the boots....she insisted that it was the rage at the dance clubs.) Talked to my sisters long distance....all 3 of them! Jan laughed at me because she just knew I would be going out with a Kikker---a good ole boy cowboy type who drove a truck and said "yes ma'am." So NOT my type!!! I liked men who were more sophisticated--city folk--
Yikes! There's the door bell......at the last minute, I kicked off the ugly boots and put on my tennis shoes.
I answered the door......not bad! Nice height--taller than me but not too tall. Blue jeans. Cowboy shirt--but that's to be expected...typical costume for our plans. Ooh! He brought flowers! Nice touch.
As I put the flowers in water, he slips a tape in the stereo......no--not setting the stage for seduction. I told him I didn't know how to dance so we were going to practice a bit before we went out. He looked down at my feet. Uh, do you have any other shoes? You won't be able to move with tennis shoes on. You need something with smooth soles. Darn! I got those butt ugly boots out again. Eddie was polite--he didn't say a word about the ugliness of the boots...he just smiled and said those would be fine. So we practiced dancing. We fit perfectly together. He smelled so good that I really couldn't keep time very well so I ended up stepping on his toes quite a bit. Finally we decided that was the best we could do, so we left for dinner.
We went downstairs to the parking lot. He drives a truck...a blue shiny Chevy pick up truck. We get inside. He listens to country music. And I already knew he said yes ma'am----he'd already said that to me several times by then. Holy cow! I'm dating a KIKKER!
Casa Ole. He got a taco salad and ice tea. I got ..... I'm not sure...some kind of combo plate and a coke. We left and headed to Desperado, a country western dance club.
Now, I was always a good girl. I didn't drink, didn't smoke, went to church 3 times a week, did all the things the "right" way. I could count the number of times I'd been in a bar/club before that night on one hand. Eddie was aware of that from the very beginning.
We went in and ordered cokes and just watched for a while. Finally we decided to go out on the dance floor....I just hoped everyone would be interested in their own dates and they wouldn't watch me mutilate Eddie's feet, or dig a hole in his shin with those stupid pointy boots. I didn't need to worry.....we did ok. We danced for a while and then took a break.
We tried to talk but those places are not really conducive to conversation. Finally we decided to go back out and dance some more....just as we got to the dance floor, a policeman walked to the middle of the dance floor, and stopped a lady who had been dancing with her friends. The floor quickly cleared, and suddenly the cop started stripping---right in front of me! That was definitely a FIRST for me!!! Eddie was right behind me and I heard him gasp and then start apologizing. He tried to pull me back but the place was crowded so we couldn't move. We didn't know that there was a bachelorette party going on there that night. After a few minutes, I figured, hey, can't leave so I might as well enjoy it. :o)
Eddie decided to leave soon after, so we headed back to my apartment where he continued apologizing over and over. I just laughed at him.....it's not like he knew it was going on. But I defintely had something to hold over on him--he took me to a strip show for our first date!
All in all....it was a nice date. I'd already decided I'd go out with him again if he asked. As he left, he hugged me and said he'd call. But I'd heard that before so I really wasn't sure.
