First Date

She was pretty, and athletic, and smart, and I wondered more than once why she agreed to go out with me. We met at a tea house for a late Sunday breakfast. After five minutes of slightly awkward conversation, we talked easily, and the next two hours went by like another five minutes.

She loved dogs and I had suggested she bring hers along, and we could go for a walk after we ate. She said I should bring my border collies also, but I told her how Ben and Maggie have the idea they rule the canine world, and it wouldn’t go too well.

I could see her little dogs through the car window, happy to see her coming, jumping up and down on the seats as she unlocked the door. Willie is a tiny Yorkshire Terrier, less than 10 inches tall. My friend said Willie has gone along with her on airline flights, hidden beneath her coat. Daisy was about a third larger than Willie, with pure white fluffy hair. She was about the size of a small cat, or a loaf of bread, or a white pound cake trimmed with red frosting.

She got the dogs out and said “Here, you walk Daisy,” as she handed me the leash. I was a little taken a back from that, because those two are not the kind of dogs you would normally see me with.

As I held Daisies leash, dressed in my normal going out clothes – pressed wranglers, western shirt and boots, baseball cap with a mountain scene and the words ‘Colorado’ on it, true to my redneck and Saturday night honky took roots, I wondered what to do.

I mean Daisy and Willy are the canine polar opposites of my mountain dogs. I felt like this was a test.

What do you think I did?

I walked down the path with my new friends. Remember me saying how pretty and smart she was? I am not stupid. I am willing to compromise a little for the sake of romance. It is not like there is no precedence for this. Remember Lady and the Tramp? How at the end Tramp’s wild and free behavior was dampened several notches because of the influence of Lady?

I hadn’t gone fifty feet down the path when I was sure I heard some people laughing at me. I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment, and looked straight ahead as I held Daisies leash.

When we got to other people walking dogs, my friend would stop and visit as the dogs touched noses and wagged their tails tentatively. At underpasses Daisy would take a bead on pigeons that were roosting beneath the girders. My friend explained how exciting it was for Daisy to see pigeons. She suggested I pick her up to give her a thrill. I held Daisy above my head and walked from pigeon to pigeon so she could see them fly. I felt her little predator heart beating beneath my hands.

Now don’t be thinking I have changed directions here. Ten years down the road I won’t be driving a massive RV when I go camping, wearing a sailor’s cap and white pant’s and sporting a huge beer belly as I walk my little white dog.

No, it was just one walk. Me and Ben and Maggie will be going backpacking alone again, soon. I just hope it doesn’t conflict with a weekend my new friend wants to see me – you know, me being a sucker for a smart and pretty woman.