Dating in North Dallas

I dialed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Gerald." I knew he would recognize my voice.

"M.D.! Claudia left me!"

"So now aren't you sorry for your condescension when I announced my divorce?" That's what I should have said.

"I'm so sorry! What happened?" I said.

"I came home. She had moved out! She took all the furniture ... everything!"

"Do you want my advice?"

"What should I do?"

"Let her go! She moved out. Just let her go!"

"I can't live without her!"

"Oh yes you can! Just suck it up, brother! You will get by this and be better off. Believe me!"

"I've got to find her and get her to come back!"

"Do what you have to do, but my advice is to let her go."

"Bye, M.D."

"Keep in touch," I said.

I hung up the phone, feeling a sudden rush of power and wisdom. Me! M.D. who felt beaten down during those early post-breakup weeks two long years ago was now feeling so powerful. I am the all-wise, all-knowing, M.D. I laughed. Then I felt sorry for Gerald. Poor brother!

I cancelled my dating and drove down on the weekend. He looked devastated and so pathetic. He was a mirror image of me. His face and cheeks were sunken in and his eyes were sad. He had been sleeping -- or rather not sleeping -- on a cot. Empty bean cans littered his kitchen. Dirty clothing were scattered about his bedroom. She had ransacked his bank account. I took him and my nephew, Jim, out to a restaurant. They seemed very appreciative. He was close to tears. My nephew kept looking down at his plate.

I booked them into a hotel and paid for a week's accommodation. I wrote him a check for gasoline and food. I promised more if he needed it.

"I'll pay you back, M.D.", he said.

"Don't worry about it. I know how you feel, my brother," I kept telling him. "You will get through this." I thought about giving him my "Three Rules", but I decided he wouldn't stick to them. It's something one must decide for oneself. Other than meeting my initial goals, I couldn't boast that my love life had vastly improved. Of course, I was getting sex, but this wasn't the time to mention that.

I drove back to Addison Circle, worrying about Gerald and Jim. After work on Monday, Gerald called.

"Hello?"

"Hi M.D."

"How are you?"

"Look! I found out that Claudia ran off with a patient at the hospital," he said.

Claudia was a nurse and worked in a hospital.

"I'm sorry to hear that!" I lied. I was glad he now had something to hang onto -- anger!

"Jim told me she had been meeting him at the grocery store and other places in front of him. He didn't understand what was happening!" he said. There was anger in his voice. I smiled.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Actually, I was glad to hear it. Now maybe, he will get angry, stop trying to get her to come back. Just maybe he will pull himself together.

"I filed for divorce today. I cancelled our checking account and locked her out my new account," Gerald said. I heard determination in his voice.

"Good for you! Listen! She's gone. Just let her go. You don't need to call her or talk to her. Just play it cool. Why not come up here to Addison for a week?" Suddenly I realized I had made a big mistake. "Oh, my god! Now, I will have to take down my art!" I thought. I was desperately hoping he would say no.

"No! I've got to stay here."

I felt relieved!

"Bye."

"Keep in touch. Bye" I hung up the phone. I felt relief. He's on his own, now. Maybe he will come out of it. I can't be a babysitter to my tough-luck brother. In the back of my mind, I was prepared to be his baby sitter anyway.

I picked up the phone and dialed Sherry Lee.

***

"Hello."

"Hi are you M.D.?"

"Yes."

"This is the dating service. I have someone you will love to meet. She says she loves to dance ballroom!"

"That's great! I'd like to meet her," I said trying to hide the enthusiasm in my voice.

When I got home the next afternoon, I had a message on my phone.

"Hi! I'm Jane. The dating service gave me your number ...."

I listened to her voice. It sounded sweet and kind of sexy. There was something else. She had an accent that I could not place. She definitely was not from North Dallas. I had my fill of girls who grew up in North Dallas. Dating in North Dallas was turning into a nightmare! Right now, anything would be welcome relief. I dialed her right away.

We talked, and I found out that she recently moved to Dallas from London. He had never heard of the Galleria. That was a relief!

I arranged to meet her at a French restaurant half way between our homes. It was the La Madeleine. They served a delicious black French coffee. La Madeleine had lots of two-chair tables and cozy nooks to talk privately.

"Hi, are you M.D.?"

"Yes! Hi!" She was a petite woman with beautiful red hair. Her eyes were green and wide. Her lips were very full and ruby red. Her makeup was immaculate. She was dressed in a short skirt. Her legs and thighs were like a fashion model. She wore patent leather pumps with medium heels.

"I'm Jane!"

"Hi Jane."

"No! I'm Jane."

"Hi again, Jane," I said. I was really confused. Was she Jane or not? This was not going well.

"No! I said Jane," she said with a bit of irritation.

"Please spell it for me."

"Sure! J ... E ... A ... N, Jane!" Oh! My god! It was her English accent. I laughed.

"I am so sorry Jean! I've been living in America all my life. I have a problem with REAL English." I laughed. I wanted to make a joke out of a very awkward moment. She didn't look amused. I suddenly had a feeling I wanted to buy her the obligatory cup of French coffee, chat with her, and go back to the nightmare of dating in North Dallas.

I decided to start it off by asking all the cliché questions she had heard a million times and was bored hearing again. I found a table in a busy part of La Madeleine's and held the chair for her.

"So how long have you living in America?" I was sure that question would run her off.

I found out that she had been living in America for less than a year. She was real English and did not like anything French. At that point, I was beginning to believe this "date" was melting down fast.

But then there was something about Jean. It was her toothy smile and sweet accent. We talked back and forth. She didn't seem to want to dominate the conversation. She was warm and friendly. I couldn't take my eyes off of her face. Her green eyes were so beautiful!

"Would you like to try a date? Maybe a restaurant -- any place besides Del Frisco's -- and the theatre?"

She looked puzzled about the Del Frisco's remark but accepted my offer.

A year later, we were married and my North Dallas dating nightmare was over.