The House

“My confession is that I may be dating you, but I have fallen madly in love with Mimi. I want to run away and marry her, and if I have to, I'm willing to fight off George. She is the sweetest, cutest, funniest, most adorable woman I've ever met, next to you of course. I just want you to know that I'm planning to propose to her in the immediate future. I hope that's okay.” Sarah was laughing at his description, and she was thrilled that he loved her. Mimi was totally irresistible, and he meant every word.

“Isn't she incredible?” Sarah beamed at him. “She's the coolest grandmother in the world. I've never heard her say a mean word about anyone, she loves everyone she meets, she has fun everywhere she goes. Everyone is crazy about her, and she always has a good time. She has the best attitude of anyone I know.”

“I totally agree,” Jeff said as he started the dishwasher and turned to Sarah. “So you won't mind if I marry her?”

“Not at all, I'll give the wedding. Gee, that would make you my stepgrandfather, wouldn't it? Do I have to call you Grampa?” He winced as she said it.

“Maybe Grampa Jeff would be a little friendlier. What do you think?” And then he grinned at her. “I guess that makes me a really dirty old man now for dating you.” He was only six years older than she was. As he said it, he put his arms around her and kissed her. It had touched him to be part of their family dinner, and even share exciting news. Neither of them had expected it, but it had added a special poignancy to the evening for all of them, even Jeff, and surely Mimi, whose daughter wanted to be married in the house where she herself had been born. They had come full circle.

She offered Jeff another glass of wine then. There was almost no place for them to sit yet. All she had was her kitchen table and chairs, and her bed upstairs. The rest of the time they had been working on the house, and didn't mind sitting on the floors. But on a social evening like this one, the options were limited. And she didn't feel she knew him well enough yet, in a dating context, to invite him to lie on her bed and watch TV upstairs. She didn't even have a chair in her room, although she had ordered a small pink couch, which wasn't due to arrive for months.

He said he'd had enough to drink, and they sat in the kitchen for a long time, talking. He was aware of the social awkwardness her lack of furniture caused. He knew her circumstances well. Finally, she yawned, and he smiled.

“You need to get to bed. I'm going,” he said, as he got up and she walked him slowly to the front door. It had been a lovely evening for them all.

He kissed her just inside the front door, and then looked puzzled for a moment. “What date is this, by the way?”

“I don't know,” she mumbled as he kissed her again. He was counting something, and she wasn't sure what he was asking. She loved the way he was silly sometimes, it made her feel young.

“Well, if lunch was our first official date… Did we ever agree on that? …” he said, kissing her some more. “Then there were three dinners … two here, one out… that would make four… tonight makes five…so this is our fifth date, I think….”

“What are you talking about?” She laughed at him. “You're being completely goofy. What difference does it make what date this is?” She was mystified by the point he was trying to make, while they couldn't stop kissing each other. Whatever date it was, it was extremely nice, and she was liking it a lot, also kissing him. She couldn't tear herself away from him long enough to let him leave, and he seemed to be having the same problem.

“I was just trying to figure out,” he said in an ever-huskier voice, born of passion, “if the fifth date is too soon to ask you if I could spend the night.… What do you think?”

She giggled. She liked the idea, and had been wondering the same thing. “I thought you were engaged to Mimi… you know, Grampa Jeff.”

“Hmm… that's true… the engagement isn't official yet… and we don't have to tell her … that is if…un-less… what do you think? Do you want me to go home, Sarah?” he asked, seriously for a moment. He didn't want to do anything to upset her. He was in no rush, but he was aching to spend the night with her, and had been since they met. “If you want me to go home, I will.” He wondered if it was too soon for her. It wasn't for him. And apparently not for her, either. She shook her head no in answer to his question. She definitely didn't want him to go home, as she smiled shyly at him.

“I'd love you to stay… It's a little awkward here, isn't it?… It's not like my bedroom is a few feet away….” They had to go up two flights of stairs, in-cluding the grand staircase. It was definitely not a subtle little pas de deux into her bed.