Ginger or Marianne?

Shawn laughed, then as he reached for her dishes, told her he'd majored in chemistry as an undergraduate.

"So...are you a grad school student?" Traci asked.

"Yes," he replied very modestly.

"Very nice. And yes, she'll be there," Traci told him without asking her friend.

Farah was already feeling...well, flustered. When Shawn looked at her again and smiled, it got worse. When he told her, and only her, he'd be looking for her, she felt so out of sorts she thought she was back in junior high school.

"I'll make sure she wears something a little less..."

Traci did the fake whisper thing again as she said, "Dowdy."

Shawn put the last of their dishes in the bin then said, while looking at Farah, "Dowdy is the last word I'd ever use for Farah, with one 'r', considering she's every bit as attractive as the former star of Charlie's Angels."

Farah looked at him for a brief moment, and when she saw his smile, she somehow smiled back. It wasn't intentional. It just happened.

"I'm more of a Kate Jackson fan," Shawn explained, referring to the woman with dark brown hair most men considered less attractive than her blonde co-star, Farrah Fawcett with two 'r's.

"Ladies, it was my pleasure," he told them all as he looked at each one of them in turn.

"Oh, no. Trust me. This was all very much our pleasure, right, ladies?" Traci replied.

As he walked away, Traci kept staring then said, "His butt is as gorgeous as his front side, and his front side was..."

"Okay. For crying out loud already!" Farah interjected, cutting her friend off.

Undeterred, Traci turned to Farah and said, "He likes you. You know that, right?"

"That's...ridiculous!" she told her BFF.

"No, he was definitely flirting with you, honey," Alice said, agreeing with her daughter.

"He does not like me, and even if he did, I most definitely do not like him!" Farah asserted.

"Then why did you blush when he said he'd be looking for you—meaning...you?" Traci asked, a big smile back on her face.

"Blush? Please! I did not...blush."

Farah looked to Alice for support, but she was looking at her daughter and trying not to laugh.

"Okay. If you say so, dear," Alice replied almost patronizingly with a little smile.

"Are we done yet?" Farah asked as though she were thoroughly exasperated.

"We are, but you have a date," Traci told her with a laugh. "You just don't know it yet."

"Okay. That's it. We are SO done here!" Farah replied.

It was so obvious that she was flustered that Alice couldn't keep from laughing, too.

"Sorry, dear. That was rude," she said, trying to sound sincere.

"Like mother, like daughter," Farah told them both, the 'exasperation' still there.

"Come on. We need to go find you a killer outfit for your date!" Traci told Farah as she stood up.

"Okay, you have officially lost your mind!" her friend said as she stood up, too.

"Nevertheless, we're going shopping, and that's all there is to it, right, Mom?" Traci said, giving her mother no chance to object.

Two hours later, Farah had not one, but two new outfits. She'd done her best to insist on paying for them herself, but Traci's credit card was in the sales associate's hand before she could even fish hers out of her purse, knowing this would add pressure to get her friend to wear one of them.

Before Traci said goodbye she got serious.

"Farah? Please go to with us to see the band, okay?"

"I...I don't really want to do that," her friend replied.

"I know you don't. But you need to."

"Are you sure you don't need me to?" Farah asked with a smile.

"You have to admit he's cute, huh?" Traci replied.

"Yes, and yet you're the married woman."

"I have no interest in him. You know that."

"And I don't, either, and you know that."

"It isn't him, Farah. It's you. You need to do things and meet men."

"He's only a man in terms of legal age," Farah reminded her.

"So he's young. Who cares? And who knows? Maybe his handsome, single father will be there and you'll hit it off."

"Or maybe it'll be a long, boring evening of loud, boring music!" Farah said even though she loved the kind of music Carbon played.

"Okay. That's it. You are definitely going even if I have to drag you there. This poor, poor, pitiful me thing of yours has run its course."

"But you don't understand why I..."

"Oh, no you don't. You're going and that's final! Choose one of the new outfits and be there by 8 o'clock."

"Eight o'clock? I'm an hour from going to bed at eight!" Farah complained.

"Farah, Farah, Farah. What am I going to do with you?" her best friend said.

"Let me stay home?"

"No. Sorry. Anything but that. Eight o'clock. Be there!" Traci repeated.

"Fine. I'll go," Farah mumbled.

"See! That's the spirit!" Traci told her as though she'd just happily agreed.

By Saturday evening Farah was still looking for an excuse not to go, but an earlier text from Traci about how much she was looking forward doing this convinced her she wasn't going to be able to avoid this. The other thing she said was that her mom wouldn't be joining them, and that made Farah wish she had the strength to stand up to her best friend and, as the old saying went: just say no. But she didn't so...

Both of the outfits she'd bought looked like they were for women 10-15 years younger than her, and she nearly chickened out and wore something she'd feel more comfortable in.

Of the two, the sleeveless knit top with the low neckline and leather skirt—the very short leather skirt—seemed like the more conservative option, something that made her laugh, so she went with it.

The top was deep black and the leather skirt was was a reddish brown, and once she had it on, it wasn't as bad as she'd thought. Yes, it had seemed fine when Traci raved about it in the mall when she tried it on there, but after that, it just seemed...scary...until she gave it another look with a less critical eye.

Some mascara a small amount of gray eye shadow seemed like more than enough makeup, and yet Farah found herself putting on a coat of clear lip gloss—and a coat—before leaving the house.

It was no surprise that she was a few minutes early and Traci was still nowhere to be found. As she walked inside of the club, the only good news she could find was that it wasn't noisy yet. People were laughing and talking, but it was still very tolerable.

"Tolerable. Geez, how old are you, Farah?" she asked herself just when she realized someone was talking to her.

When she turned around, there he was.

"Farah, right?" the smiling face asked.

"Um...yes. And you're...?"

She knew his name and felt silly not saying it, but that came out of her mouth so...

"Shawn," he reminded her. "Shawn Baker."

"Right. Shawn. Nice to see you again."

"You, too. And you look sensational, by the way."

"Oh, gosh. Thank you. That's very kind," Farah replied, now glad she'd worn what she was wearing.

He smiled then asked, "So...where's your posse?"

"My...posse?"

Shawn laughed then apologized if his choice of words offended her.

"Oh, no. I think I just forgot where I am," she said, immediately regretting that choice of words, as well, as it implied she was at some lowbrow place she wouldn't normally frequent.

She felt better when Shawn laughed.

"I uh, I need to get backstage, but I'm really glad I you're here," he told her, the smile still there, not having taken her words as some kind of dig.

"Um, yes. Same here," she replied as she forced herself to smile, too.

"Listen, I was hoping we might be able to talk some more after the show."

"I...I don't know. I'm not much for late nights out," she told him. "You know. Older, married woman that I am and all."

This time, her reply was at least honest, but Shawn's reaction surprised her. It started when he looked at her left hand which was followed by a shake of the head.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I do remember your friend, Traci, saying you were single. That may have been funny to her...or to you...but it isn't to me."

He wasn't being rude, but it was obvious he felt like he'd been lied to, and Farah was so surprised she wasn't sure what to say. Her first thought was to 'play the widow' card and tell him her husband had been killed in a horrible accident and to mind his own business. But she somehow realized he was upset because he honestly thought she was unmarried only to find out she had a husband. Even more surprising was the realization that he might actually see her as a potential...date. Or maybe more.

Rather than say something offensive she quietly said, "My husband passed going on three years ago. I still wear my ring because... Anyway, I hope you didn't think I was trying to deceive you or..."

"Farah. I am SO sorry," he said before she could finish. "Wow. I...I feel like such an ass. I should have put two and two together, but for some reason I just assumed the worst."

He looked right at her and said, "I hope you can forgive me, and I truly am sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" they both heard a chipper female voice say.

Farah didn't need to turn around to see who was talking to her this time.

"Traci. Hey. You remember Shawn, right?" Farah said as Shawn said hello to her.

"Remember him? I haven't stopped thinking about him since we met," she replied, her eyes fixated on his very handsome face, a very big smile on her own.

Shawn looked at Farah who finally smiled at him, then said, "I'd love to talk, but we're getting ready to start, so I really need to run, but it was very nice seeing you ladies again. Both of you."

Before Traci could say something else to embarrass her friend, Shawn kind of waved as he turned around and walked away.

"Look at you gettin' busy with it!" Traci told her BFF as she kind of elbowed her.

Farah not only didn't reply, she just glared at her friend.

"Okay, okay. I saw you talking to him, and I was just kind of hoping you might...you know."

"No, I don't know. And for that matter, I don't even want to know whatever it is I don't know. Okay?" Farah told her, wondering what any of that even meant.

"Fine. Okay," Traci said as she looked around. "Wow. This place is packed. We better go find a seat before they're all taken."

People had been streaming in just since Farah arrived, and as they walked to find a table, she heard someone talking about how good Carbon was, and that gave her hope that she might at least enjoy the music. And if she could somehow slip out before the final song of the last set, this might not be all that bad.

The noise level had grown with the increase in people and in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed. They no sooner found a table when the emcee grabbed the mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen. May I have your attention, please?"

The room was filled to capacity, and in spite of the freely-flowing booze, got fairly quiet as the band was introduced. The lead singer was an attractive, younger woman in a short, sequined dress. The lead guitar player was a very nice looking younger man with long hair. The guy playing bass was essentially hidden behind a huge beard, even longer hair, and sunglasses, and then there was the very attractive, clean-cut drummer.

When he was introduced, Traci hollered at him, and Shawn smiled and nodded.

"So without further ado, I give you...Carbon!"

The entire place erupted in applause, and Farah found herself hollering out something that didn't matter right along with them. But even louder than their noise was the voice of the lead singer as she started with a song by Fleetwood Mac.

"So I'm back to the velvet underground

Back to the floor that I love

To a room with some lace and paper flowers

Back to the gypsy that I was

To the gypsy that I was..."

Farah remembered Shawn saying they played cover songs, but she had no idea the first song would be one she loved. It was called Gypsy, and she and Traci were singing along with the beautiful woman behind the mic.

The second song was even better as it got people up, and, like the name of the song, walking like an Egyptian, a song from the 80s by The Bangles. A cover of Dido's hit, White Flag, followed, and then came an oldie from the 60s called California Dreamin by the Mamas and the Papas.

"So much for just 60s and 70s music," Traci said.

"This is great!" Farah called out, ignoring her friend, as she listened to yet another song she loved.

By the end of the first set, she'd forgotten all about the cute drummer who'd invited her to stay and talk and was having a really good time.

But the first song of the second set changed all that when the spotlight focused on Shawn, who was himself evidently a singer, as well. Once it got quiet, he began speaking.

"Folks. I have a dedication. And...it's my own, by the way. It's for someone I recently met who's made quite an impression on me. And since this is my song, I hope you'll bear with me and allow me a little poetic license."

Both Farah and Traci recognized the Hall & Oates song Sara Smile after the first few notes. But when Shawn clearly sang it "Farah...Smile" and substituted her name for Sara's every time, she found herself unable to sing along.

Shawn was clearly looking right at her, too, and Traci definitely noticed.

"Well, well, well. Look who has a crush on you!"

When her friend rolled her eyes, Traci said, "Come on, Farah. Smile!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" she hollered back over the noise.

"I'm not!" her friend smugly yelled back. "You're just in denial!"

As Farah looked up, she saw Shawn staring at her as he sang, "It's you. And me. Forever. Farah...smile!"

He kept right on smiling at her as he played and sang.

"You gotta admit he's very talented!" Traci called out.

"Okay, I'll give you that much," Farah agreed, knowing it was true.

Just like the female singer, he had a very nice voice. She had no idea how to play the drums, so she could only assume he was at least pretty good at that, too, and for all she knew, he might even be very good. What she did know was that this song, and the way he was looking at her made her very uneasy.

When the last note was sung, the place erupted in loud applause and whistles.

"That was for the beautiful lady in the black top," Shawn told everyone before saying, "whose name is Farah, in case you hadn't figured that out."

There was a lot of laughter, and then a guy called out, "She's hot!"

Traci turned to her friend to tell, "I told you so!" when several others hollered out their agreement.

"So's her blonde friend!" another yelled.

"Ha!" Farah said, as though it was a legitimate retort.

"It just proves my point!" her friend said.

"And what point would that be?" Farah asked, almost afraid to find out.

"We still got it, of course!" Traci told her before the next song, Who'll Stop the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival stopped their squabbling.

It was 10:55 when the lead singer announced this would be their last song. She thanked them for being a wonderful audience, waited for the loud applause to die down, then a male voice began singing.

"You never close your eyes anymore...when we kiss."

The entire club sang along when Shawn got to 'you've lost that lovin' feeling," including Farah and Traci.

Quite a few people began filing out when the song ended, but Farah wasn't one of them. She'd had a really great time, and for some reason, she didn't want the evening to end. To her surprise, it was Traci who said she needed to get home.

"I promised Cody I'd be home before midnight, and I kind of feel guilty being out this late without him."

Farah knew how much she loved her husband, but for Traci, this was not just unusual, it was almost scary.

"Trace? What's going on?" Farah asked just as her friend looked up and behind her.

"You guys are amazing!" Traci said, causing Farah to turn around.

Shawn was right behind her, and now it all made sense.

"Thank you. We love performing, and we also love hearing anytime folks enjoy it."

"We did, but unfortunately I have to run," Traci told him as she stood up.

"But please. Have a seat. Farah is my best friend in the whole world, and she had as good a time as I did."

Traci grabbed her purse and coat then said, "Right, hon?"

"Um...yes. It...it was wonderful, but do you really have to leave?" she asked, her eyes begging her friend to stay.

"Sorry. The old ball and chain calls, right?" she said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. "But you kids stay. Have a drink. Get acquainted."

Before Farah could respond, Traci bent down, kissed her on the cheek then smiled at Shawn and wished them goodnight.

As she walked away, Farah turned to Shawn and said, "That was...awkward."

He laughed then asked if he could sit down.

"Oh. Yes. I'm sorry. Please do," she told him.

He did then said, "I get the feeling Traci is trying to...get the two of us together. Alone."

Farah sighed then told him he was right.

"She's never pressured me like this before. She's always given me my space, but suddenly it's as though she's decided it's time for me to, you know, start dating again, and there have been some recent setups that were, well...pretty awful."

"I don't know her, but I do know she's your friend, and it seems like she has your best interests at heart," Shawn observed.

"Both of those things are true. We've been best friends for...well, a very long time," Farah said, not wanting to say the number of years. "And she's been there for me like no one else since...since my husband...passed away."

"Again, I am so sorry, Farah."

"Me, too," she said before remembering how much she'd enjoyed herself.

"I had no idea you could sing like that," she nearly bubbled.

Shawn chuckled then said, "We tend to think of people fitting into molds or boxes of our own creation. In my case, you saw me as a busboy, so that's who I was to you. Now I'm a singer and a drummer. And a busboy."

Farah smiled then said, "Something tells me you're a lot more than just those things."

Shawn smiled back and said, "I wouldn't say 'a lot'. Not in the sense of me being anything important. But as I said, I'm also a grad student, so there's that aspect of my life, too."

"What are you studying?" Farah asked with genuine interest. "Chemistry, right?"

"No. That was my undergrad major. I love chemistry, but my real love is flying. So I switched to engineering. Aeronautical to be precise. I had all the math but had to take a bunch of 'catch-up' classes to get into the program. I've been fascinated by planes since I was old enough to watch them fly, and I nearly joined the Air Force twice."

"Twice?"

"Yes. Right after high school and then again after getting my bachelor's. But as much as I'd love to fly a jet, I have other dreams and I felt like getting a masters would help me get there."

"Well, I want to hear more," Farah told him, genuinely enjoying their conversation and having forgotten how young he was.

He smiled at her then said, "I guess it's pretty obvious I sat down so I could get to know you, Farah—with one 'r'. Talking about myself any more would bore me to tears. So perhaps you could tell me a little about who you are."

The wonderful time she'd had aside, as soon as he said that, she got that uneasy feeling again, and when she stopped smiling, Shawn knew something was wrong.

"Farah, I won't lie. I am interested in you, and in more than just getting acquainted. But I know your...history...and if it's too early, then I'll respect that and back off."

Her first impulse was to run. Her second was to tell him it was most definitely too early. And thirdly, she thought about reminding him how much younger he was than her being the real problem, but as she sat there and thought about it, staying and just talking didn't seem quite as frightening.