A Lady in Red

Qwen meets Steve

Mom, you're reading way too much into this," insisted Kate. "He may have bad eyesight, or he could be into cougars or something. Do you think a guy that looks like he does would go out of his way to chat up a girl dressed in a baggy sweatshirt reading some dumb book? The mall is full of el primo females of the species. He was probably just picking Sis's brains about his new school."

"Thanks for the high opinion of my allure, Kate," responded Gwen with some irritation. "Actually, he asked me if I'd go with him to the dance Saturday night at the VFW hall. It's that benefit being held for Tim Archer after his horrible motorcycle accident. The whole school, probably the whole town, will be there. You know how popular Tim is around here. His brother, Jim, is a senior and he's on the football team.

"That's this coming Saturday!" exclaimed Paula. "We'd better start looking for a nice dress for you, Gwen. He seemed like a nice young man, and he sure isn't hurting in the looks department, either. You'll have a wonderful time!"

"Before you get too excited, Mom, I turned him down. Forget the dress, and the dance," added Gwen.

"You turned down a date with that hunk, Gwen? What on earth were you thinking?" asked a stunned Kate. "Girls will kill for a date with that guy. I know I would!"

"I guess because I already knew what you pretty much just finished telling me, Kate. It would be like a fairy tale at first. Then next week, when school started, all the cheerleaders, bombshells, sluts, and half the female teachers would be drooling all over him. Then what would happen to me? He'd never talk to me again and everyone would know that I was a temporary fix until he found some girl more to his liking. Guys like that don't date girls like me. I know that and I'm fine with it, but I'm not going to play the fool for the amusement of everyone in school," concluded Gwen.

"Gwen, I can't believe you just said that! He sat with you for twenty minutes, chatted you up, asked about your school and family, and even asked you on a date. Does that sound like something a guy would do if he had no interest?" demanded Paula. "You need to get out more, Baby. You're going into your senior year. I know your grades are important and you want to get into pre-med at Stanford, but you need to have fun sometimes, too. You'll do even better in your studies if you're happy and enjoying life. Steve seemed like a really nice young man. He didn't ask you out because of some pity he felt for you. I saw him looking at you before he realized we were headed to your table. Believe me when I say this: he liked what he saw. That much was obvious."

"Yeah, Sis. I saw it, too. I was just kidding about getting you different clothes, and him not being interested in you. I'm sorry I said that. I was just jealous that he was sitting with you instead of with me. I don't know how you could have turned him down flat. You should've left yourself some room to reconsider, like get his phone number and promise to let him know tomorrow or something."

"Well, there is a very slight chance that I will be going to the dance with him Saturday," admitted Gwen. "He made me promise to go to the dance with him if our football team won the game Friday night. I guess he must be a member of the team. He acted awfully confident."

"If we win the game?" repeated a stunned Kate. "Gifford won the league championship last year! They beat us by thirty points in the first game of the season last year, and our quarterback and half the offensive line graduated last spring. It looks like you'll be staying home Saturday if our team has to win Friday."

"That's just what I told him, Kate. That's why I finally agreed to go out with him if they won. It was way easier than just telling him that I wouldn't go out with him," suggested Gwen. "It lets me off the hook without seeming too cold, or bitchy."

"Gwen! Listen to yourself," responded an exasperated Paula. "Not many girls your age would want to get off his hook, given the choice."

"Mother!" proclaimed Kate and Gwen simultaneously.

"I'm just saying!" laughed Paula. "It sounds to me like he was very determined to secure a date with you, Gwen. It might be prudent to formulate a plan B for Saturday. He might win that game all by himself, just so that he can take you to the dance."

Steve had gone to the mall to pick up a few items for the start of school. He was excited about attending a regular high school in the United States and about playing football in his senior year. He knew it would be a big adjustment, but it was one to which he looked forward. He was idly considering getting some fries at the food court when he first saw her.

Steve had seen lots of pretty girls in the mall. He recognized and appreciated beauty the same as any normal 18 year old boy would. That said, he was still pretty well flabbergasted when he saw the dark haired beauty sitting alone in the food court. She was wearing a Stanford sweatshirt and loose fitting jeans. As Steve appraised the girl more closely, he realized that the clothes could not totally conceal the nice figure beneath.

Her long dark hair was pulled back in a simple pony tail that hung more than half way down her back. Now and then she would gaze around the food court observing shoppers as they rushed about their business. More than a few times, Steve saw a small smile break out on the girl's face. She seemed bemused by the actions of the crowd. Gradually, Steve realized that it wasn't just the girl's beauty that had so enthralled him, but also her confident, good humored outlook on the world. She didn't appear to take herself, or life, all that seriously. She was comfortable being herself. Then he noticed the book she was reading and took a chance.