It Happened on Maple Street

And I bought him another card. One that told him how I felt without sounding too forward. After a week of angst, of worrying about whether I’d be pushing him away if I actually sent the card, I finally put it in the mail. It would be in the mailbox on Maple Street by the next day, and I thought about him reading it.

When we count our blessings at Christmas time we think of you. Except I crossed out “we” and wrote “I.”

Beneath the printed message I wrote my own.

Tim, I hope you have a super Christmas,

and that we can share many more. You have indeed

been a blessing to me. Thank you.

Lots of Love, Tara

My love was all over it if he wanted it. And if not, he knew that he had a friend who valued him hugely.

I didn’t hear whether or not he got the card. What I did get, at school the next day, was an invitation to the Christmas party at Tim’s work. It was an adult party being held at the Eaton Country Club.

He wanted to have me by his side at his party. Obviously, Tim liked me a lot.

He’d made it through his first semester of college. And the grades he had were actually decent, considering how much energy he’d spent on falling in love. The time off from class was great, but Tim was working more. And driving to Huber Heights more, too, now that he couldn’t see

Tara in class. On the Friday night before his Saturday night Christmas party he told himself he’d make it home at a decent time, to rest up for the next day and night. But Tara’s arms had held him so tightly, the warmth of her body so comforting, he’d actually fallen asleep with her and barely made it home in time to shower before work. He’d clocked in late—for the third time. The girl was going to get him fired.

But in spite of the lack of sleep, he was raring to go when he clocked out at three that afternoon. He showered again. Took time with his hair and shaving, put on a brown leisure suit. the only suit he owned, He wore a white shirt with an oversize collar but no tie, and platform shoes. He’d borrowed Mike’s brown beads and tied them around his neck, anticipating the night ahead.

Tara was upstairs when he got to her house and her mother called her down. She came bouncing down in a light blue dress that hung to just below her knees, and all he could think about was what was underneath it. She was smiling and had on Jontue perfume, her scent. It turned him on every time he caught a whiff of it.

She was so sexy. And with him. He felt lucky, as rich as anyone as he walked her into Eaton’s country club an hour later.

“Hi, Tim. Who’s this?” the greeter at the door of the party asked, writing with a red marker on Santa Claus and bunny name tag stickers. The woman already had his name written.

“This is Tara,” he said, but everyone knew who she was. He talked about her nonstop. He could see all his coworkers checking her out.

He was a proud man as he moved around the room introducing Tara, and once he was certain everyone he knew had met his woman, he chose a small round table that was close to the bar and helped her to a seat.

“What do you think?”

She was grinning and beautiful and his heart was full of her. “They’re nice,” she said. “I’m glad we’re here.”

She glowed—nothing like the shy girl who’d trailed quietly beside him at the Halloween party.

“I am, too,” he said, meaning it. “What do you want to drink?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had anything but my dad’s scotch, and some wine.”

“And beer,” he said. “October Daze.”

“Right. I didn’t finish the one glass I had. I didn’t like it.”

“Come with me then.”

They stepped up to the bar and ordered their first alcoholic drink together. Tom Collins. She loved it.

And he loved her.

Tim and I danced—something else I’d never done. We ate finger foods. And drank a couple of Tom Collinses. We stayed for a long time, and I had a blast.

Still, I was ready to be alone with him when we left to head back to Huber Heights. Maybe tonight we could talk. About us. Our future. Love.