Suddenly *Not So* Single Journey

Rachel’s First Date…

Author: thenicknick

It was bound to happen.  At least that’s what S told me.  I mean, she’s attractive, intelligent, and fun.  Eventually some boy would want to take her places…public places…offer to pay…pick her up even.  Gulp.  It was a date.

She was really cute when she asked permission.  She pointed out that he was a friend she met through Ashley and that if Ashley were home she would be going also.  Right.  He’d pick her up, since he could drive.  (My heart began racing right about there.  I remember dating.  And cars.  And the stuff we did in cars that probably made my mother’s Thanksgiving Admission of 1989 where she revealed she used to go parking with my father…look like nothing.  Sorry, Mom.  I bet you had your suspicions.  Suspicions confirmed.) 

Anyway.  I ended up pulling S aside to discuss.  She knew in advance that if we were to allow this excursion, it would come with restrictions.  As excited as she was to go, I knew I had A LOT of leeway. 

We finally agreed that she could go, but we had to meet the boy.  No honking.  He must physically remove himself from the vehicle to take the time to meet us.  (It was my personal belief that it would be harder for him to molest my daughter if he had met me.  S assured me that wasn’t the case.  Damn male perspective bursting my bubble again.)  And they were to come home right after the movie.  It was a good conversation that I had been prepping her for over the last few years.

me: You can go, but…

Rachel: Anything…

me: Your wardrobe must have parental approval.  (She looked at S and shouted, ‘ha!’)  Did I say parental?  I meant adult approval.

S: Ha!

me: And we’ll have the digital camera ready.  (She rolled her eyes.)  So we can take a picture of him from the front and the side.  We’ll also need vehicle information.  And a blood sample for future DNA analysis.

S: Oh, and I’m going to need some hair follicles.

Rachel: Could you also be polishing a gun when he arrives?  Or maybe you could pick your teeth with a knife?

S: That could be arranged.

She rushed into the house to get ready.  We pondered how many wardrobe changes it would take for her to be ready.  Amazingly enough, she got it right the first time.  True to form, she went a little hippy chic in a crocheted top with a satin chemise built in underneath.  She wore a pair of denim capris with it and her Birks.  My favorite touch was the ribbon she wound around her pony tail as though she were still my little girl.  Ahhh.

The boy was very nice.  He shook hands and called me ma’am. I put the kibosh on that right away.  Ma’am adds twenty years as far as I’m concerned. 

He returned her on time.  He spoke to us again then.  Nice polite.  And painfully shy.

I asked Rachel what she thought.  She likes him, but she worries she’ll eat him up and spit him out.  She worries that he’s not strong enough to handle her and that he’s too timid to handle us.  (Given the shaking…I’m rather inclined to agree.)

It was a nice first date.  And she’s so much smarter than I was at her age.  Makes me proud.  At the same time, she suffers an affliction I am all too familiar with.  Her date’s biggest flaw: not Justin.  For some reason, we like our fiery red heads.  No one compares.  There are worse things in life than knowing what you want and being willing to wait for it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 16th, 2009 at 1:25 pm and is filed under Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.