Chapter 28: How Did It Go?

Don and Ricky missed Alex at the diner over the weekend. Both texted him all weekend long but did not get a response until Monday. The guys agreed to meet to catch up. In reality, each one wanted to ask how the others were doing with dating the lovely Laura so they could brag about their exploits.

They noticed that the diner was more crowded on the weekends than on a Monday night, so they practically had the entire place to themselves. The guys gobbled down their food and then were ready to dish about their dates.

“I never realized how much we have in common. She is so much fun when we go out,” said Don, telling a little white lie by omitting the details of his date getting a little tipsy and sick from drinking so much wine.

“I know, right? She’s so frugal that she only wanted to shop at the outlet mall when I gave her my credit card and offered to go shopping with her,” said Ricky.

“I discovered she is a true romantic, like me,” cooed Alex.

“Okay, okay. I’m not asking for all of the details in a play by play. Let’s just see how we think things are going with her,” Ricky interjected, “She has to have something in common with each of us or we wouldn’t be sharing a girlfriend.”

“You know, I hate it when you put it like that, Ricky,” Don piped up, “If you feel that this arrangement is no longer satisfactory, I know that Alex and I can take it from here.”

“Amen! A love triangle is a classic romantic relationship conflict, but a love square?” Alex commented.

“Yeah, suddenly we’re not good enough anymore. At least Alex and I took her on dates so we could get to know her better instead of just handing her our credit card for consumer therapy,” Don criticized Ricky.

“No. It was not like that at all. Believe me, you can learn a lot about a woman when you let her use your credit card.”

“Like what, how much she spends?” Alex jumped in.

“Alright, am I going to start this thing off then or do you two think you can show me, correction, instruct me in how to woo this woman?” Ricky proposed.

Don laughed, “Bro, I don’t even know if you qualify for lessons at this level. You’re a college drop out and we’re using, like, graduate school level techniques that you wouldn’t understand.”

Don and Alex high fived each other.

“Try me,” Ricky countered.

“Naw, school me on your techniques first,” said Don.

“Right, Mister Fancy Pants, can you bring it to satisfy a truly lovely lady when you are face to face, up close and personal and not just texting or returning voicemail?” Alex asked and put Ricky in the spotlight.

“What makes you so bold all of a sudden, Alex? I think we ought to hear from you first. Who knows, maybe she taught you a thing or two...that is, to make up with lessons what you lack in experience,” Ricky proudly stated.

“Oh don’t you worry about me or Don Juan over there, we both know how to seduce AND deliver,” Alex responded with a heavy dose of confidence, “Only those who fall short need to go to school in the first place, Ricky.”

“Who is this new Alex?” Ricky and Don exclaimed.

“Okay, I’ll go. I think that the date went great. We had fun. We went to the outlet mall then to a fine restaurant. And that was that.”

“‘That was that?’” Don said, “Those three words leave a lot to be desired, Ricky.”

“A gentleman does not kiss and tell,” Ricky stated, then smiled and mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

“I know what a gentleman does or does not do, but we want to know about you, Ricky,” Alex teased his friend.

“Alex 2, Ricky 0,” Don announced.

“Since he’s such a big talker tonight, maybe we ought to focus on him,” Ricky said of Alex.

“It’s not talking big when you are reporting the facts,” Alex replied.

“Alex 3, Ricky 0,” Don laughed as he kept up with the score of his two friends.

“How about joining in the conversation and sharing YOUR experience instead on commenting on what you think mine was...”

“Or wasn’t,” Alex chimed in against Ricky for a 4th time.

Don held up 4 fingers on one hand and made a zero with his fingers and thumb on the other hand, then zipped his lips and threw away the key.

“Shut up!” Ricky shouted at Don. “Let’s hear from you, then, Don.”

“Well, well, well...when the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” Don stated.

“And you are that teacher, Don?” Ricky checked to confirm.

“You said it, not me,” Don said, ready to best both of his friends with selective details and salacious stories.

“Don Juan! Don Juan! Don Juan!” Ricky and Alex banged their fists on the table.

“Ok, ok. We went to a chill spot, an exclusive club on the East Side. We had some cocktails and then went out for late night burgers. My penthouse was not too far away, but after I showed her where I lived and we talked for awhile, I had my chauffeur to take her home. ‘And that was that.’”

He did not want to ruin the reputation of Laura or get the guys angry that he and Laura shared something physical and special, when he sensed that sexual intimacy was probably not their experience with her.

“Nice, Don Juan; really classy.” Alex wanted to scream from the rooftops about his date with Laura, but he took a cue from Don and decided to play it cool.

“Thanks, Alex. Why don’t you share?” Don asked.

“If you have anything to share,” Ricky teased.

“Oh, Credit Card Guy has jokes, huh?” Alex responded, “I’ve got plenty to share, but we’re being gentlemen and respecting Laura’s reputation as a lovely lady, right?”

“Ok. Why didn’t you give me a point, Don Juan?” Ricky pretended to beg.

“I threw away the key,” Don stated matter of factly.

“Ha, ha, ha. Your time is coming, Don Juan,” Ricky warned.

“My turn?” Alex eagerly asked then waited to get their full attention.

A storyteller by trade, he gave them just enough details about their date to preserve his and her privacy, but let his friends know that he is fully a part of the contest. By the end of his account of his date with Laura, Don and Rick knew that his creativity, romantic heart, and sensitivity made Alex a viable contender, not a doormat to be seduced for his fortune or used to get over on. He was a gentleman but Laura, casually dating the three friends or not, was first and foremost still a lady worthy of privacy regarding her relationship with each one of them and deserving of their respect.