ittle before she got dressed and met her date. No point in looking droopy. After 45 minutes she got up, reapplied her makeup careful to hide the bruises from the Botox, brushed and sprayed her hair. The dress was on, the stockings up, the shoes matched everything and the jewelry too. She was ready to go.

She met Rudolf by the subway and her first impression was that he was shorter than she thought he would be. “He has got to be the shortest 6’ man I have met in awhile.” Regardless, they were soon chatting together like old buddies.

They tried to find a restaurant, but most weren’t open yet, so they ended up at Starbucks. Rudolf ordered them coffee; Connie got a sandwich. They both talked about themselves, and he seemed to like talking about himself. She had to admit, he had the deepest blue eyes she had seen in quite some time. She could fall right into those…

“And I have been to 27 different of the United States” he told her. “And I bet you have never been to Lynchburg, Tennessee where they make Jack Daniels whiskey.” She had to admit she never had, and he told her all about it and how the place was just like the commercials. Rudolf proceeded to tell her about all the cities in California he had visited too and then started in on the Asian countries he had been to and all the weird food. Are we in some kind of race? She thought to herself.

After about two hours of the ‘where have you been, what have you done,’ marathon, Connie had to interrupt.

“Rudolf, I’m going to have to go. I’m meeting some other people here in town,” she smiled.  “How about lunch tomorrow?”

Rudolf seemed a little surprised by the request. “Oh, ya, sure.” Awkwardly he stood up. “Tomorrow then,” nodding they shook hands. Too soon for any clumsy kisses.

Connie knew she could be in trouble with this one and was happy to meet her friends for dinner and stop thinking about him for a while. Later, in bed back at the hotel, she knew she would have to confront Rudolf about his situation with his wife.  She realized reluctantly that there could be all kinds of reasons for it. Maybe none of them to having anything to do with the wife at all. Perhaps the company offered him a bunch of money to come here, or he was bored and restless, having a mid-life crisis, he wanted to fool around, so on.

Connie got up bright and early the next day, looking forward to lunch. An hour later she got a text from Rudolf that he could not make it because of illness and that he was going to have to cancel all his plans for the day. She texted him back, “Thanks, Rudolf. Talk soon?”

Later that week, she got off the bus with Mr. James.

“So, what are you doing for next holiday weekend?” he demanded, black eyebrows pulled together.

Connie was ready. “Oh, that!” she informed him breezily. “Well, I’m off to the City with the boyfriend and it will be fun!” She smiled brilliantly.

Mr. James got very quiet. “Hmm, well, I will be spending time with my three daughters. And” he coughed, “my wife.” He smiled tightly.

“Now, wasn’t that hard,” Connie thought.

After three days, Connie didn’t think she was going to hear from Rudolf again.

“It’s okay,” she said to Bubbles as they sat watching television, “I gave up all that trying to impress people kind of stuff in high school. I guess that guy is still back there. Weird. I just might not be nearly exciting enough for him. Hmm. Maybe I should send him the phone number of that Pink Escort Service I saw advertised. Now I bet those girls are exciting!”

Bubbles yawned, clearly unimpressed by all this drama. He laid his head on her lap and she gave him a pet. “Sherlock, Bubbles?” He didn’t disagree so she changed the channel.

Finis

cew