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'Whoa,' I thought to myself when the kiss ended.
"Martha, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry about that again. It's weird cause I feel like I've known you for the longest time, but I've known you less than two days," Paul chattered on happily. "We have to get to know each other better. Let's go get a bite to eat so we can talk."
Paul started off down the street chattering on even more about something, but I wasn't paying the least bit of attention. My mind was stuck on that second kiss. (And my feet stuck to the ground!) It wasn't the like the other kisses I'd gotten before. It was sweeter. Gentler.
"Martha, are you listening?," Paul's voice said out of somewhere.
I glanced around and he was walking back with a look of concern on his face.
"Martha, I scared you with that kiss didn't I? John's right. I really do need to take this slowly. I'm such a---"
"Paul!," I said shaking him by the arm. "Calm down. I was out of it because of the kiss, yes, but not for the reason you think. Let's go get that bite to eat you mentioned and I'll explain."
"Two orders of fish 'n chips, please," Paul told the waitress with a forced smile.
'I wonder what she's going to say,' he thought as he fiddled with his fork.
"Paul, about that kiss," she started, "I don't want you to think that I didn't like it, because I did. But we do need to slow down. Shoot, I'm not even your girlfriend. However, when you kissed me, it sent chills down my spine, and that's never happened to me before. It was really nice."
Paul sat there for a while and then said, "I'd like to change that."
"Change what?," she asked taking a sip of water from her glass.
"You not being my girlfriend."
There was silence from her side of the table as she pondered this remark. Paul set the fork down and reached for her hand and held it.
"I'm serious."
"I know you are, Paul. But I hardly know you and you hardly know me. There's a certain way to do things, ya know."
"Tell me what to do and I'll do them."
"Well, for starters," she started.
'Oh, no, a list!,' Paul thought.
"You need to date a while. Then you meet my parents, but that's hard to do in our case, so we'd have to arrange a phone call."
"Fine. We'll do just that then." Paul circled the table getting down on one knee next to her. "Miss Meske, would you do me the honor of joining me on Friday night to view a picture show?," he asked solemnly making her flush.
"Tell 'im yes!," people started to yell.
"Hold on," Paul told Martha as he got up. "I'm asking her out, not to marry me." He got back down on his knee and looked up waiting for her answer.
"So will you?"
Well, what could I say?
"Yes, I will go out with you on Friday, but will you please get up now?," I asked laughing, but thoroughly embarrassed. Right infront of the whole restaurant!
Our food came and when we finished eating, Paul insisted on walking me home, despite the cold weather, to talk and waste some time. He told me about his father, Jim, and how he gave him his freedom to pursue music. He also told me about the crazy pranks he'd pull on his little brother Mike. He mentioned his mother, but it was clearly something he didn't like to talk about so I didn't push. Upon his asking I told him about my huge family who got together for every holiday or birthday and turned them into raging parties. Talking about my family made me homesick and I told him so.
"I really miss them," I sighed. "Every time I go somewhere, it's always, dad would love this or mom would love that. I guess I'm just a sap."
No. It's great! Someday I wish I could have a huge family," he said wistfully. "Yeah. A huge family and a farm. Well, maybe someday."
As we arrived at my aunt's house, I realized he hadn'te mentioned Hamburg.
So, what was so bad about Hamburge you couldn't tell me?"
"Uh, let's not ruin a perfectly good day, Martha," was his reply.
"Well, I still have an hour to kill before my aunt comes home and if I'm going to even think about long-term relationships, I want to know the truth," I said. How bad could it be anyway?
Pretty darn bad, that's how bad.
"Well, we started out doing what we should be doing," he started sitting on the stoop. "We played clubs, slept, drank, looked around, you know. Then the playing started getting longer and we couldn't sleep and we grew really tired. To help us we took these pills and, um, perked up. Then when we finished, we couldn't very well sleep, so we found other things to do with our time."
"Well, that's not too bad," I said simply.
"There's more."
"More?!," I asked joining him on the stoop.
"Well, women there weren't exactly, um, with-holding and only John had someone to come home to really, though he even had weak moments, so.....," he trailed off.
"I think I get the picture," I said. "I don't need to know anymore. Well, I'm glad you told me. That way I'm not out in the dark and your friends don't have to tell me."
So, it was really bad.
"So, you aren't mad at me?," Paul asked somewhat surprised.
"Well, of course I am! What female wouldn't? But I can't change something you did then, can I?"
"No, I suppose you can't," he answered.
After I composed myself from this revelation, I stood up and turned to Paul.
"Fresh start?," I asked holding my hand to him.
"Fresh start," he answered taking my hand and smiling.
"What's on your mind that's got you smiling that devilish smile?," I couldn't help asking.
"Nothing. Just be in for a surprise Friday," he said deviously as he left.
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