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“This is our fourth date.” Dave said, cutting into his medium well porterhouse. It was like butter; he savored every bite. He better had since this meal was costing him a small fortune.
“Yes it is, David.” Erin smiled. “I didn’t know you were counting.”
“I was.”
“And how long do you plan to do that?”
“I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps until we get to double digits…that should be enough.”
“So it’s our fourth date.” She sipped her Sauvignon Blanc.
He’d taken her to Charlie Palmer Steak. Erin had no idea how he got a reservation; the place rarely had openings. Not to mention it was one of the most expensive restaurants on the East Coast. She knew David wasn’t made of money but she refused to inquire as to how they were going to pay for this lovely, yet expensive meal.
A man had his pride; it wasn’t her intent to shatter it. Erin thought this was amazing. That feeling trumped everything else at the moment. He must really like her to bring her here. Incredible since four dates in and Dave Rossi, manwhore, hadn't even kissed her yet.
“It’s our fourth date and I think it may be time for us to have some crucial conversations.” He said.
“I'm intrigued by where this might go.” Erin relished her herb roasted asparagus.
“Do you agree though, about crucial conversations?”
“Of course I do. God forbid we continue this once you find out I'm a registered Republican.”
“You're not a…?”
“David, I was joking.”
Dave smiled. He wasn’t sure if she was joking about the Republican thing or joking about it being crucial. Knowing who, what, and where she came from that political affiliation wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. He would deal with it at a later date.
“Alright, important question number one.”
“Lay it on me.” Erin leaned forward, fully engrossed in him.
“What's your favorite Billy Joel song?” Dave asked.
“Hmm, I didn’t know the first one would be so tough. A guy with your experience should know you have to ease a girl into these things.”
“We’ll do the hard stuff first and the fun stuff later.”
He smiled. She was so…there was something about Erin Strauss. When most people looked at her they saw a rich bitch. They saw a sorority snob ice queen who turned her Anglo Saxon nose up at the regular people. She was nothing like that at all.
Yes, she was rich. She could even be called a snob. But Erin had many layers and Dave knew that from just four dates. She was smart as hell. She was funny, which surprised him.
She was focused, attentive, and a great listener. Dave didn’t think he talked so much in his life to a woman. That was it, she was a woman. He knew a lot of girls in DC and back on Long Island.
He knew a lot of girls everywhere. Girls were a bit of a specialty. None of them were like Erin Strauss. Oil and water to the average observer, four dates in and he thought things were going really well.
“I can't choose between Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and A Matter of Trust.” She replied.
“You picked Billy from two different decades. Why does that not surprise me? Now, this might be a little tougher and you can only have one answer. Frank or Dean?”
“Dean, hands down.”
“Explain.” Dave ate more steak, adding some A-1 sauce.
“Dean doesn’t demand the spotlight but he gets it anyway. He has a swagger that he doesn’t seem to work at; it just comes naturally. I prefer his music to his acting but his acting is good too. Still, Peter was my favorite.”
“Oh God, the Brit with the wandering eye. It’s the accent isn’t it…women can't get enough of the accent.”
“What’s your next question?”
“You're heading to the Bermuda Triangle and know there’s a high probability of being stuck there. What are the three things you must have?”
Erin thought about it as she ate her roasted chicken. There was so much food on her plate but she planned to enjoy every bit of it. She didn’t see these questions coming but looked forward to answering them. Dave wasn’t the only one counting dates. They’d been going out for three weeks now.
Erin wasn’t sure how she was supposed to go about this. When they reached a certain number did that mean he was her boyfriend or was she supposed to wait to be asked? Were they supposed to do certain things at certain milestones? When were they actually going to share a kiss? When did the baseball terms for making out come into play? What about sex?
She probably shouldn’t even be thinking about that right now. She was 20 years old but didn’t have much experience in this department. Erin surely didn’t want Dave to know that. He was one of the most experienced people she ever met. Better for him to think she was holding out than being a prude. Not that there was anything wrong with either. Right?
“The Complete Works of Shakespeare for sure. I can read plays based on my mood. My iPod so I can have all of my music without having to choose one kind over the other. And I’d take the blanket my grandmother made for me so I’d always have something to remind me of home.”
“You loved growing up in New York, didn’t you?” Dave asked.
“Of course. It’s the most amazing city in the world. I've traveled to a lot of places, even lived in Cairo for four years, but Manhattan is home. No matter where I go it always will be.”
“You lived in Cairo for four years?”
“My father taught at American University in Cairo for four years when I was young. He’s a political scientist…actually he's one of the foremost political scientists in the world. He's now a tenured professor at Columbia University. What does your father do, David?”
“He runs a landscaping business out of Commack, Long Island. You'd be surprised some of the junk those rich people want on their lawns and around their houses. I'm talking like cherub fountains, animal shrubs, and the whole nine. Pop is good at what he does though, managed to keep running a good business in some shark-infested waters.”
“So is date #4 when we do the complete family breakdown?” Erin asked.
“How old were you when you had your first kiss?” Dave countered.
“A woman never kisses and tells.”
She was embarrassed that she was seventeen. Erin never counted the boy who forced his tongue in her mouth when she was 14. He groped her too, but she never told a soul. She hated that boy and wished him dead more times than anyone would ever know. He was a senior at Harvard now, the son of a bitch.
She didn’t count Patrick Gless. He was a sweet boy but they were nine and surely didn’t know what they were doing. Erin actually probably never would've kissed a boy again if all she had to rely on was poor Patrick. He had a floppy tongue. It was like kissing a dying fish.
“So just tell me one thing…anything you want. I want to know about Erin Strauss.”
“I was a nationally ranked fencer at The Chapin School. I was All-American in my senior year. My father wanted me to continue my education at Barnard so that I could also continue to fence. He would've loved to see me in the Olympics in 2004 or 2008. I love fencing but Olympic dreams take a fierce dedication I don’t believe I had to the sport.”
“You were nationally ranked,” Dave replied. “I think you were dedicated.”
“Do you know much about fencing?” she asked.
“Not entirely. I know they use rapiers and I know Sherlock Holmes is a fencer. Beyond that, I'm rather clueless.”
“We should go to a match sometime. I think you'd like it.”
“Date #5?” He grinned. “I’d love to see a match with you.”
“Johns Hopkins University is the closest local school with a team.” Erin said. “I’ll check their schedule and see when the next competition is.”
“And after fencing maybe we can see a hockey game.”
“Oh, is this the part where I smile and say yes because of that tricky thing people who are dating engage in called reciprocity?”
“Yes.” Dave nodded.
“Oh David,” she batted her eyelashes. “I'm so excited about hockey.”
“You are…” he smiled, his hand moving across the table and resting on top of hers.
“I've been called worse.” Now Erin was smiling.
“It was surely by some idiot who didn’t know you.”
“Do you know me, David Rossi?”
“I'm getting to and I'm enjoying every moment of that adventure. Do you want dessert? This steak is amazing but I'm already thinking about dessert. I’ll probably take half home and have steak and eggs for breakfast…this porterhouse is the size of my head.”
“It is quite large.” She replied.
“You don’t know the half of it.” Dave wiggled his brow. He may have overstepped his bounds but couldn’t help himself. When he got on a roll with the banter it was hard to stop the train. Erin didn’t seem like the type who liked sexual innuendo. If she wasn’t he was surely about to find out.
“Half of it sounds about right.”
“Oh…ohhh.” Dave laughed. “Damn, that was good.”
“Thank you. I'm here all week.”
***
Early March brought rain. Actually, it always rained in DC; the place was a swamp. After a lovely dinner, dessert, and conversation, Dave got a cab back to Erin’s sorority house. He’d just spent way too much money on this date. Luckily the next one, to a JHU fencing match, would be much cheaper. In the back of the cab, he smiled at her.
“What?” she asked.
“I don’t know if I told you how beautiful you look tonight. I thought of it a million times but didn’t say. Forgive me.”
“Thank you, but there's nothing to forgive. You don’t look too bad yourself there, Rossi.” She toyed with his black tie. “Black tie agrees with you.”
“And red is surely your color.”
Erin wore a black pencil skirt with a red, ribbed, v-neck sweater. Her shoes, black high heeled Mary Janes gave Dave all kinds of dirty thoughts. Not that it took much for him to go there. Her blonde hair was pinned up tonight. He didn’t know how many times he imagined taking the pins out, one by one, until the blonde tresses fell to her shoulders.
He wanted to run his fingers through her hair. He wanted to kiss her breathless and run his fingers through her hair. Date #4 and he hadn't kissed her once. Not even a peck on the cheek. It had been agony for him but Dave wanted to show Erin he was serious.
He was about dating her; getting to know her. She was not a notch on his belt or a bet with his friends. She was a smart, intriguing, beautiful woman and he felt something for her. It grew stronger with every passing day. The kisses would come; when they did it would be perfect.
“I had a good time tonight.” she said, taking his hand and holding it in her lap.
It wasn’t easy to read David Rossi. Everyone knew him, or thought they did anyway. He was popular, cocky, and a bit of a pain in the ass. But that was just one side of him. That was the great and powerful El Jefe.
David, she was starting to see, was something different. He definitely made her laugh. He was smart and driven in what he wanted to do. He loved classic films and romantic music. He was a meat and potatoes kinda man.
He was a New Yorker…for some reason that was a turn on. Yes, he turned her on. Erin had been turned on a few times in her life by men, even if she never acted on it. She wasn’t even sure if she would act on it with Dave.
He hadn't even kissed her yet. Four dates in and he hadn't even tried. She wasn’t sure what that meant and didn’t know who to ask. But he seemed to be enjoying the time they spent together as much as she did.
“I did too.” he said. “I can't wait to do it again.”
“I have a test on Wednesday so I'm going to be MIA for the next couple of days.”
“I understand. Can I give you a call on Tuesday?” Dave asked. “I won't take up too much of your time…I just want to wish you luck.”
The last time they talked on the phone it was for almost two hours. Erin couldn’t remember everything they discussed but she knew she probably hadn't laughed that much in her entire life.
“By then I’ll probably need a healthy distraction.” She replied. “I tend to overdo it when I'm studying…I can admit that.”
“That’s me, David Rossi professional distraction.”
“You're more than that.”
“OK, I'm also handsome.” He grinned. “I didn’t want to brag about that right now.”
Erin laughed some, looking at their joined hands. It felt good. It felt good from the tips of her ears to the tips of her toes. She really didn’t want to like him so much, it could lead to heartbreak. But she couldn’t deny these feelings if she tried. He was even so kind as to let her pay for the cab when she offered. She could tell he didn’t want to but Erin was a 21st century woman; he was going to let her be one.
Dave got out of the cab first, putting up his umbrella and holding out his arm. Erin took it and got out of the cab as well. He closed the door; they walked up on the curb, and then the steps of her sorority house. Sigma Sigma Sigma had a long, wraparound porch but no one was outside tonight. No doubt since it was rather chilly.
There were lights on inside but Dave didn’t hear a lot of activity going on. It was Sunday evening, his watch said nine thirty. The women inside were probably getting ready for the last week of classes before spring break. Many would be taking midterms, including him. It would be a week of separation from Erin and he wasn’t looking forward to it.
They lived in the same city, almost, but Dave made plans with Jason even before the New Year. They were driving to Toronto for good frat times. He knew he would have fun but also not go too far. He never went too far with Jason Gideon at his side. It was good to have him as a best friend.
He watched Erin put the doggie bags down on the porch swing. She also put her clutch purse down, pulling out a box of Marlboro Milds. He didn’t want her to smoke just yet but something in Dave didn’t stop her. She walked over to the banister. He waited for her to light up but she didn’t. Dave went to stand next to her.
“Are you alright, Erin?” he asked.
“I'm fine. It’s such a lovely night...I love this rain.”
“Me too, I…”
Dave stopped talking when she turned and pressed her lips on his. Holy hell! A moan came from his diaphragm; he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Erin opened her mouth to allow his tongue entry. When she touched his tongue with hers, a volt of electricity went through Dave that nearly sent him flying back into the wall. His knees went weak but he stayed on his feet.
He stayed there kissing her until they were both breathless. When Erin pulled away she looked so beautiful. Her lips were slightly parted, pouty and sexy. Then they curved into a knowing smile. Unable to help it, needing to touch her, Dave pulled her close again. He kept his arms around her.
“I've been had.” He whispered.
“How so?” she asked.
“I'm not entirely sure yet but I know it’s true.”
Smiling she just kissed him again. Erin didn’t want to talk right now, though she loved doing that with him. She was used to getting what she wanted. She wanted to be in his arms. She wanted to be kissed, so she went for it.
Tonight she and Dave were on the same page. He’d been leading for a while and she was following. This was all new to her. But Erin liked the feeling of taking the wheel. It might not last long but she wasn’t going to be afraid to do it anymore.
“This evening was perfect.” She said. “I just wanted to make sure it ended that way.”
“We were together, Erin…it was going to end that way.”
“You're a sweet talker.” She rewarded him with another kiss. It surprised her when Dave stepped away. “What's the matter?”
“You're so beautiful.” He replied.
“And that’s a problem?”
“I just wanna do this right, you know. I haven’t done a lot of things right where women are concerned. Kissing you…I just want to do this right, Erin.”
She nodded, understanding what he meant. So she took a cigarette from the box and lit it. It was almost time to call it a night. She smiled at Dave when he leaned on the column close to her.
“How old were you when you had your first kiss?” Erin asked.
“My first real kiss was at age seven. Colleen Anderson chased me down in the schoolyard and planted one on me. I went home and told my brother Francis. He told me I now had cooties and didn’t have long to live.”
“Are you serious?” she laughed.
“I'm serious.” He nodded. “I ran and told my mother. She popped him good and told me I would live to see another day. I was 12 the first time a kiss excited me…Adrienne McDonald behind the school. I was in 8th grade and she was in 9th. It was a big deal to be with an older woman.”
“I was seventeen.” She confessed. “His name was Winsor, which is kind of a silly name but he was great. I was a counselor at a camp for mentally challenged kids; he was a lifeguard.”
“Winsor was a very lucky boy.” Dave replied.
“He thought so.”
“I thought women didn't kiss and tell.”
“Well they don’t often but I thought it was OK this time. You’ve been honest with me; I thought I would do the same.”
Dave nodded, liking that answer. He reached for her hand, kissing it. They held hands as she finished off her cigarette. He knew the night was almost over. Dave didn’t want it to end but it always did. At least he knew he would see her again. Kiss her again too, if he was lucky.
“I’ll call you soon.” Erin said, gathering up her purse and her doggy bag. Dave took his bag too.
“Yeah, we should coordinate a time to see that fencing match. Is it called a match?”
“Calling it a match is fine. I hope we can see one before spring break. If not it might have to be Date #6.”
Date #6, no matter what it was, sounded like music to Dave’s ears. He initiated the final kiss of the evening, and then waited on the porch as she walked inside. As the door closed and locked behind her, Dave stood there for a few moments. Then he opened his umbrella and descended the steps.
Singing Dean Martin’s Sway, he walked the block and a half back to his fraternity house. He knew his feet weren't quite touching the ground. Kissing her was unlike any kiss Dave had in recent memory. He wanted to feel as if it were only the beginning of a beautiful thing between the two of them. It was important not to get too far ahead of himself while also enjoying every second of being with her.
***