Looking for love in all the wrong places

The roadhouse date

Sentheo and Joan sat in a booth facing each other. a small girl with short blonde hair and pretty blue eyes approached them. she had on a cowboy hat and boots that matched in a brown leather and daisy Duke style Jean shorts with a shirt that said roadhouse across the chest. She handed them each a menu.

" Howdy yall, I'm Lucy, I'll be your waitress today. what can I get you to drink? and could I get yall started with some bacon cheese fries or some fried pickles today?" she said, taking out a note pad from her back pocket.

Sentheo looked up, " Both starters please, and I'll have a Dr. Pepper to drink, and for the lady.." he looked over to Joan.

" Just an ice water for me, please."

she smiled. Lucy wrote down the order. and then smiled back at them.

" Okie dokie, I'll be back in a few minutes so yall have time to look over our menus, and I'll have those drinks and starters right over."

Sentheo looked over at Joan watching her as she glanced over the menu.

" So I never did catch your name."

he said playfully.

Joan looked up from the menu.

" Oh, I'm Joan, Joan Carter." she said, giggling slightly.

he smirked. " Joan, now that's a southern name beautiful and graceful for a woman, I'd say your momma, a daddy named you, the perfect name."

She smiled her cheeks, now starting to hurt she hadn't smiled this much in a long time. Sentheo just kept starting at her. " So Sentheo, what brought you to the office this morning if you don't mind me asking?"

His face suddenly turned pale, and he turned away, putting his hand on the back of his neck he let out a sigh.

" I ugh would rather not discuss that today, how about you tell me about you sweetheart. "

Joan looked at him curiously. What could he be hiding coming into a lawyers office like he did.

" Well." She started as she looked back at her menu." I work as a receptionist and I'm attending law school to become a lawyer myself, I'm eighteen I just got outta school and I'm living at home while I save up for a house as well. not really much to tell"

" Sounds like you have your life all figured out and right on track to me. No husband, tho?"

" No, I'm single, I figured focusing on my career was a better start for life."

" I see, so would a second date be too fast?"

Joan looked up into his emerald eyes again, his smile just melting her away. The heat inside her growing, she took a breath.

" Let's uhh see how this date goes first." she said nervously and looked back down at her menu.

Sentheo chuckled. " Come now princess wouldn't you like to see me again?" He said, pulling the menu down from her face. he gave her that grin again, and she about lost it.

thank goodness Luch arrived just then with the drinks and starters.

" Here yall are bacon cheese fries fired pickles a water for the lady and a drpepper for the gentleman. did yall have time to look over and decide on a meal?" she smiled up as she placed everything on the table. Senthoblooked over at Joan again and nodded for her to go first.

" I'll have the chicken fried chicken plate with the loaded baked potato and green beans, please."

Lucy smiled, writing it down on the pad and looked at Sentheo." And for you, sir?"

Sentheo folded up his menu and grabbed Joan, handing them to Lucy." I'll have the 14oz ribeye medium rear with the baked potato and corn on the cob."

Lucy took the menus and wrote down his order. " Aright guys, I'll be back to check on you. I'm going to put in this order." and she left.

Joan sat and sipped on her water she felt red hot and needed to cool off fast. Sentho started on the fried pickles and pushed the fries her way. " Here you'll enjoy these. Try it."

she nodded and took a big bite. her eyes lit up as she moaned out. " mhmmumm, these are good."

he laughed. " Tell ya ."

she giggled and took another bite.

" So Joan, is that second date looking good now?" he asked teasingly.

" You do have a way with words, and you know where to get good food. maybe a second date wouldn't hurt."

she said as she ate on the fries.

Sentheo smiled ear to ear. " Good, how does Saturday night sound? I can pick you up about six?"

Joan coughed and took a drink of water. " Saturday night, that's tomorrow."

" Yea, why wait for a good thing." he said

she swallowed hard. " So soon, tho are you sure?"

he looked at her with questioning eyes and took her hand in his.

" Why wouldn't I want to take such a beautiful lady out again? Come on, sweetheart, tomorrow night six o'clock, wear your best dress for me?"

she smiled, blushed again ." ok, you have a date."

They sat talking and eating for the remainder of the date and when the bill came Sentheo took it before she could even protest to pay for her meal am paid in full leaving the waitress a big cash tip as well.

he stood from both and extended his hand to Joan. " You ready for me to take you back to work now, sweetheart?" Joan took his hand and nodded. They walked back to his truck, and he opened the door, helped her into the seat, and shut her door for her again. she buckled up. He's such a gentleman, she thought. he claimed into the driver's seat, closing his door behind him and started up the truck." Oh, I almost forgot to ask. where do I pick you up tomorrow night?"

Joan smiled and pulled a paper on a pen from her purse and jotted down her address and phone number. then handed the paper to him.

" There, now you'll know where to come and have my phone to call as well." Sentheo took it and put it in his wallet.

" I'll put everyone into my phone after I get you back to work. I don't want you late." and he threw it in drive and headed back to the office.

At the office, Joan waved him off and sat at her desk, punched back in, and had just logged back in when Mr. Kemps emerged from his office.

" Your back, how was your little lunch date with Mr. Jones?"

" it went very well, actually, and he's taking me out again tomorrow night."

Mr.Kemps smiled , " Good, Jones deserves a good woman like you after everything he's been threw."

Joan looked up, puzzled." I'm sorry, what has he been threw Mr. Kemps?"

he looked at Joan. " I'm not supposed to revel anything about the case beings he is my client, but he is also a friend, and I'd like to see you too go past a few dates. Jones is married, and they are in a long divorce battle and have been for three years now and were finally getting the divorce granted. they didn't last a year married beings he was in the military and was never around stationed over seas but when he got home from deployment she suddenly didn't want to be married to the man anymore, so when he was up for re enlist he decided against it and went to work at the warehouse outside of town and they started there divorce. "

" Oh my, he didn't even mention any of this over lunch."

" Now miss Carter, don't let this discourage you, Jones is a good man. Give him a chance." And with that, Mr. kemps went back inside his office, leaving Joan to her own thoughts.

the poor man, he was a hero joiing the military and serving his life like that and his wife couldn't handle it , Mr kemps is right he deserves better and tomorrow night I'll give him a good date and make this work.

I have to call Juniper and tell her everything when I get off work, she'll love this.