A Change of Plans

Ain't it funny how things turn out sometimes, Ms J?

I didn't go away with Kirk and Rey yesterday. Our plans were beginning seriously to erode in the early afternoon, and after conversations with Jenn and with Kirk, I decided to contact Jacqueline to see if her offer was still good.

"Call Kirk," said Jenn. "See if he'll be disappointed if you change your mind."

"Call Jacqueline," said Kirk. "See if she's still planning to go to that jazz thing."

"Thanks for calling," said Jacqueline. "But are you sure?"

I explained the altered situation.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm sure."

I dressed in a pair of black dress pants with pleats and cuffs, a mock turtleneck, and a black blazer and drove to a Greek restaurant in the city. I looked pretty smashing, actually.

I arrived first, and chose a table for two near the back of the room. It was narrow, this restaurant. Narrow but long. The stage was halfway between our table and the door. I was fifteen minutes early. Jacqueline was ten minutes late.

We were both a little overdressed given the casual atmosphere of the restaurant. She wore a long, layered wraparound skirt and black blouse. Her ash/blond hair was braided into a ponytail and worn high on the back of her head. We both looked pretty smashing, really. We dined on tilipia and lamb. I had the fish. She had the lamb. A rack of lamb. Rare. Never having eaten lamb before, I tried a bite. I enjoyed the flavour, Ms J, but I found the blood quite unappealing.

"Do you always eat it this rare?" I asked her.

"Oh yes," was her reply. "Steak too. I like it blue."

I wrinkled my nose at the mere thought of it. Raw meat. Yuck!

The music was agreeable to me. I'm not a great fan of jazz music, but this music had a beat and wasn't at all overpowering. Jacqueline felt the same way. She was there to support a musician friend. Larry Kauffman is the talented son of the late Moe Kauffman, legendary Canadian jazz musician. Jacqueline and I sat side by side and chatted comfortably over a litre of South African Merlot.

"The Nearness of You", a Hoagy Carmichael standard was among the evening's last tunes.

"Oh I love this song," Jacqueline said. "It's so romantic."

I moved closer to her and put my arm around her. My other hand was on the table and she put her hand on top of mine. It was good, Ms J. Yup. Good. Soon the band finished the set and packed up their instruments. We rose together and I helped her with her coat.

"Walk me to my car?" she asked, looking up at me and batting her eyelashes.

She took my arm and we marched to her car around the corner. We stood there on the sidewalk and exchanged awkward good-byes under a humming streetlight. I got an idea then to dispel the awkwardness. I kissed her. And she kissed me. Kisses are always good, Ms J. Always good.

I suggested after a while, that she ought to get into her car and go home as it was getting late. She did and I watched her turn left and head off north toward the highway. It had been a lovely evening.

On the drive home, I was listening to country gospel music and singing along when I remembered a snippet of a conversation we'd had in the restaurant.

"You mentioned that you wanted to go to church on Sunday, Dale. What church do you go to?"

I told her I attend Wesley Mimico United Church and that I belong to The United Church of Canada.

"It's a Christian church," I'd said. "Protestant. Do you go to church?"

"No, I don't, actually. I'm an Atheist. Does that bother you?"

Well, I nearly shit and slid in it. Atheist?!

"Does it bother you that I believe in God?" I'd asked her.

"Not at all," she'd said. "I think it's important to believe in something."

"But if you don't believe in God, Jacqueline, what do you believe in?"

She turned her head then and looked directly into my eyes.

"Truth. I believe in Truth. I guess you could say that I worship it. Truth to one's self and Truth to others. It's tremendously important to me."

I, too, value Truth, Ms Journal. Her pursuit of Truth makes Jacqueline very attractive. Very attractive indeed.

But an Atheist!!

I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating:

My Life is, and has been, moving in the direction that will offer me the greatest challenges and therefor the greatest opportunities to learn and to grow, for myself and for others and to the glory of God.

My God. My Truth. And no, I will not try to convert Jacqueline.

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