Learning to Love Louise

"Sorry Paul, I didn't think," said Louise.

"No, that's okay, you weren't to know," Paul assured her. "You obviously like cats?"

"I do, very much so," said Louise. "I like dogs too, but I guess your cat doesn't?"

"No, Missy is very much anti-dog," said Paul.

Louise laughed. "I think I can rely on her support if it comes to a vote. The boys have been on at me to get a dog, but I've always said no. Guess who would end up feeding and walking it?"

"I'm presuming you?" asked Paul.

"Right first time," said Louise, as she and Paul walked through the house. "Again, I'm sorry about the noise and the inconvenience. Sometimes you must feel like a football or cricket venue has been set up next to your house since we moved in?"

"There's no problem with me, my brother and sister and I were just the same growing up," said Paul as he and Louise went out the back door and onto the patio. Paul opened his shed and retrieved his ladder, climbing up to see that the football was in easy reach with a broom or a rake.

Getting the yard broom, Paul climbed up and removed the football from the roof. "One football, Ma'am," he said, handing the oval shaped red ball to Louise.

"Thanks Paul, as you might have heard, it's my football for the week. I promise I won't kick it onto your roof like my sons did."

Paul laughed. "That was okay, I'm just glad they didn't kick it into the driveway and damage the car parked there."

"The car in your driveway?" Louise asked as Paul lowered the ladder, before the voice of Tyler was heard from the other side of the fence.

"Mum, if we do double the amount of homework and eat double the amount of vegetables tonight, can we get the ball back?"

"No deal Tyler, go inside," Louise ordered her son. Two seconds later, her phone sounded indicating she had a message. Louise took it and laughed sarcastically. "No Josh, phone flattery isn't going to work on me either."

Louise held up the phone screen so Paul could see the message Josh had sent his mother. In bright pink font, it spelled out 'To the Best Mum in the World' and was surrounded by heart icons and similar emoji's.

"I'd better get back before the boys get a pillow and start kicking it around the house to substitute for a football," said Louise as Paul put the ladder away and locked his shed door.

Paul looked at Louise, the afternoon sunlight reflecting off her beautiful red hair. He felt so nervous at this moment, more nervous than he had felt in many years but knew he had to take a chance. "Um Louise," he began, unable to prevent the waver in his voice. "I was thinking, wondering if you would like to go out sometime to see a movie and to have dinner, maybe just coffee, or something else if you would prefer, with me. You can say no, or if you want to think about it I understand."

Louise smiled. "I don't need to think it over Paul, the answer is yes."

"Really!" gasped Paul.

"Yes really," Louise assured him.

"That's great," said Paul, perspiring from the after-effect of nerves. "When would you like to go out?"

"How about Saturday night?" Louise suggested. "Tyler and Josh are away for the weekend with their father, he's taking them camping."

"Would you like to go to a movie and for dinner, or would you prefer to do something else?"

"There's some pretty good movies being released today," said Louise. "And I've been wanting to check out that new Italian restaurant that just opened next to the cinema. Do you like Italian food?"

"Love it," said Paul, waves of happiness sweeping through his body. "So what time on Saturday?"

Louise considered this for a few seconds. "I'm catching up with my sister on Saturday afternoon, so how about I meet you at the cinema at around 5.30?"

"That's great with me," said Paul, he and Louise walking back through the house together talking about the upcoming Saturday night, before saying a very happy good evening to each other, as Louise returned home.

Paul returned to the house, nearly dancing up the hallway such was his excitement. He had asked Louise out on a date after months of indecision and losing his nerve, and she had agreed. Paul could scarcely believe it, and half expected to wake up any second and find it was all a dream.

Further along the hallway, Paul heard the sound of the toilet flushing and the taps running, before Jane emerged from the bathroom, a brilliant and very satisfied smile etched upon her face.

"Guess what?" Paul asked his friend.

Jane pretended to consider this. "You asked Louise out on a date and she said yes?"

"Yes, can you believe it?"

"Yes, I can," said Jane. "Louise is so nice, and just right for you. I've said so from the start."

"Thanks again for everything Jane. Without you, I don't think I could have ever worked up the courage to ask her out."

Again, Jane smiled. "Please, there's no need to thank me. What are friends for?" She collected her purse and car keys. "So, see you tomorrow morning for our run?"

"I'll be there," said Paul, walking Jane out to her car, watching as she reversed down the driveway and into the street, giving him a friendly wave as she went on her way.

Paul, feeling as excited as a child the night before Christmas, found it hard to fall asleep that night. On Friday, it was run time with Jane and on Saturday night, the big date with Louise.

*

A Friday morning run had become something of a tradition for Paul and Jane. The place they usually ran was around the banks of the Torrens River, close to Adelaide City. Paul, wearing a sleeveless shirt, shorts and running shoes, pulled into a car park near the river's northern bank.

Jane, attired in a women's fitness top, black leggings and running shoes was waiting and the pair warmed up and stretched before setting off on their run in the fresh early morning air, talking and laughing as they went. Their favored running spot was certainly one of the most scenic in Adelaide. There was the beautiful Torrens River itself, with plenty of black swans swimming past and rowing teams practicing. The historic Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Performing Arts Center and the Adelaide Convention Center near the banks added plenty to the natural beauty of the trees and plants in the parkland. On the Southern side was the Adelaide City skyline, the tall buildings still illuminated in the early morning with dawn breaking over the Mt. Lofty Ranges to the east, and as Jane and Paul crossed the King William Street Bridge they saw the Glenelg tram glide by on its way up Adelaide's main street.

Their route on the southern side took them past the buildings the comprised Adelaide University and the museum, and turning back to cross the bridge again they made for the parkland that enclosed the Adelaide Zoo and Botanic Gardens.

"So, what were you planning to wear on your big date with Louise tomorrow night?" Jane asked, her pony tail bouncing up and down as she ran.

"Football shorts, a string vest and thongs," joked Paul.

Jane laughed and gave him a playful push to the shoulder. "Silly boy. No seriously, what were you planning to wear?"

"I figured pretty much the same clothes I wear to work."

Jane nodded. "I thought as much. Why don't we go shopping after work? I'll help you pick out something really nice to wear."

"Are you sure? You've already done so much for me."

"Of course I'm sure," said Jane. "One thing I wanted to say is, watch out for flying footballs at your place like yesterday. You wouldn't want to get knocked out by one, and not be able to go out on your date."

Paul laughed hard at the mental image Jane had implanted in his mind, his mirth increased by being in such a good mood this morning. He soon found out that not all people out exercising around Adelaide this morning were enjoying themselves so much. Two women who looked about 60 gave Paul very strange, disapproving looks as they passed him by, one of the women turning her neck over her shoulder to observe him.

"They don't look like they're enjoying their run," laughed Paul, but his voice was drowned out by the noisy engine of a truck that passed by, so Jane did not seem to notice what he had said.

"Race you back to the cars," said Jane when they neared the car park, she and Paul sprinting for their vehicles in a contest Jane won by quite a few meters.

"That's not fair, you're much younger than me," said Paul in mock protest.

Jane smiled. "Yes, but your legs are longer than mine."

Cooling down and completing their stretching, Paul and Jane drove to work, collected their sports bags and headed for the male and female staff change rooms. On the way there they passed three teenage boys who were at school early training for the football team.

"Morning Sir," said one of the boys cheerfully. "Been for a run this morning?"

"Yes, around the Torrens near the city, it was very nice," said Paul.

"It makes you fit," said the boy. "Perhaps we can get you to play for us in the team? We could certainly do with your help."

Paul laughed. "I think I might get asked a few questions if I did that."

"Yeah, probably," said the student. "Anyway, have a good day."

"You too, and best of luck with your game tomorrow."

"Thanks Sir," said the boys in unison, as they went on their way and Paul and Jane went into their respective change rooms, showered and dressed for work, Jane neatly attired in a blouse and a long floral skirt that came down to her ankles.

The day went like a dream for Paul, and when school was over for the afternoon Jane accompanied him as promised to the local shopping center. Leading Paul to the menswear section of the department store, Jane picked out several items of smart-casual clothes and stood outside the male change rooms. Paul emerged several times in different combinations of clothes, Jane giving her opinions on each, before giving her thumbs up and tick of approval to a blue shirt and matching smart-casual trousers.

"Well, thanks again Jane," said Paul, as they went to the checkouts and Paul took out his wallet to pay for the purchases.

"I just want you to look good for tomorrow night," said Jane, as the young male checkout operator, a skinny youth aged about 18 with a noticeable acne problem, scanned the clothes.

"I feel kind of bad, you've been helping me all day and I haven't once thought to ask you what you're doing this weekend," said Paul.

"Nothing too exciting I'm afraid," said Jane. "My partner and I have a bit of gardening to do, and I've got to mark some chemistry assignments."

"Lucky you," said Paul.

"Yes, the assignments are in my bag, but I haven't been brave enough to open them yet. Last time I had one of the boys hand back his assignment all in text language."

Having received his share of bizarre assignments to mark over the years, such as a geography assignment where a girl had written about the country of 'Africa', which could be found in the place where most people could expect to find South America, Paul could understand his young colleague's frustration and laughed along with Jane. The boy serving him shot Paul a strange, somewhat disapproving look as Paul swiped his credit card through the EFTPOS terminal. Paul took his receipt as he and Jane left the shop, and Paul thought the boy must have been having a bad day, much like the women he and Jane had passed on the running track near the river that morning. Paul shook his head. It was such a beautiful day, and a Friday at that, so why were these people so miserable?

"Tomorrow night my partner and I are meeting up with some of our friends in the city and going out for Chinese food, so I'm looking forward to that," said Jane as they walked through the shopping center and back to their cars.

"That should be good," said Paul.

"Yes, but you're going to have a much more exciting night on Saturday than me," said Jane. "Good luck with everything, and I'll see you at work on Monday?"

"See you then, Jane, have a great weekend too," said Paul, waving to Jane as she drove out of the car park, and Paul got into his own car and drove home too.

*

Paul awoke on Saturday morning with a sense of nervous anticipation for the evening, and his mind was soon imagining all sorts of scenarios that would prevent his date with Louise happening. Louise would get the flu or some other sort of illness and would have to cancel their date. Perhaps the previous night when Louise's ex-husband collected the boys for the weekend he had said he had made a huge mistake, begged Louise take him back, she had agreed and Paul would receive a text from her to cancel their night out together? One of Louise's family members would have some sort of crisis, and she wouldn't be able to make it.

Paul's overly active imagination thought up many more similar scenarios during the early morning. He saw Louise dressed up in her sports gear going out to her garage, then reverse her car out to drive to her gym and take the group fitness class she participated in every Saturday morning. Again, Paul's imagination went into overdrive. What if the hunky young male instructor took a shine to the pretty redhead, asked her out and Louise decided that dating a good-looking young man was far more appealing than going out with a 41-year-old teacher?

To stop his imaginings, Paul decided to keep himself busy and went to check the gutters and clean out any leaves. Getting out his ladder, he climbed up and started to work on the side between his house and Louise's house and stole a glance into Louise's back garden.

Louise had done a load of washing early in the morning, and now her and her two sons' clothes were hanging out drying on the line. Paul found his attention going to one particular section of the line, where Louise had hung out several of her bras and a number of pairs of her panties. Paul's gaze lingered on Louise's underwear, and he thought about these garments covering the more private areas of her body. He noted the colors of Louise's bras -- mostly they were white, but she also had a light pink, a pale blue and a lemon colored one too.

It was a similar story with Louise's panties. Paul observed that her knickers were all bikini-style briefs, mostly white in color, some plain white but others white with floral print. Three more pairs of Louise's knickers were pink, blue and lemon, matching the bras hanging nearby.

Suddenly Paul stopped short. What if Louise had come back, unseen by him, and was in her house able to see him looking at her bras and her knickers as they dried on the clothes line? She would come storming out, call him a pervert and never speak to him again. Horror and paranoia filled him, and Paul hastily moved away from this section of the garden, worrying that Louise had indeed seen what he was doing. He only ceased doing so when Louise returned for real, before heading out again, presumably to visit her sister as she had told Paul the other day.

The day passed and Paul's anticipation and nerves grew as the late afternoon approached. Showering and putting on the new clothes he had purchased with Jane the previous afternoon, Paul got into his car and drove to the cinema complex, awaiting the arrival of Louise, looking at his phone from time hoping he would not get any calls from Louise to cancel.

Just before 5.30, Paul saw Louise's car pull into a space near his own and Louise, attired in a pretty green dress that looked good with her red hair and fair skin walked into the cinema complex, walking over to Paul as soon as she caught sight of him.

"Hi Paul, you look really nice tonight," she complimented him.

"Thanks Louise, so do you," said Paul.

A session of the comedy movie they wanted to see was screening at 5.45, so they purchased tickets and went into the cinema. Sitting next to each other, Paul felt the desire to hold Louise's hand, but of course made no attempt to do so. It was a first date, any attempt to do so would only make her uncomfortable and ensure there was no second date.

When the film finished, Paul and Louise emerged from the cinema still laughing at the hilarious end sequence and looked at the Italian restaurant where a large group of pensioners had arrived, and where it was obviously going to take some time to get them organized and to their tables.

"Let's wait a few minutes before we go over," said Louise.

"Yeah, good idea," agreed Paul as they strolled through the cinema complex lobby, where to one side was a games arcade. "You don't see too many of these around these days," he pointed out.

Louise shook her head. "No, they were very popular back in the 1990s when I was a teenager but now the kids all play online games. And I should know, my sons love all that stuff."

"I can't even begin to understand those games that people play online now," admitted Paul.

"I don't let Tyler and Josh play online with other people, and I strictly monitor and ration their screen time," said Louise. "But still they talk to me about the games they have, and the kids may as well be speaking Russian or Japanese for all I can understand."

Paul laughed. "Yes, it's the same with the kids I teach at school. They talk about all this technology, but then complain that Adam Smith's economic theories are too complicated for them to master."

Louise nodded in agreement. "I haven't played computer games in years. I remember one time I took the boys out to this exhibition, and there was a display of old technology, things you don't see any more. The was this Atari set up and I was showing Tyler and Josh and telling them that's what we played computer games on in the 1980s, and to them it was like a Marconi wireless set. They just thought it was so uncool, and proved how old I am."

"You're not old, Louise," said Paul.

"To my sons I am," affirmed Louise. "One time, I had them in the post office with me and I had my driver's license out. Tyler picked it up and asked, 'What's 05-02-1979 Mum?' When I said it was my date of birth, he yelled out across the crowded post office, 'You were born in 1979? Oh my God Mum, you are so old!'"

Paul laughed. "They would think I was a fossil. I was born in 1976. I even pre-date Star Wars."

"I don't think Tyler and Josh could even conceive a world in which there was no Star Wars," said Louise.

Paul looked at one of the games in the arcade. It was not an electronic game, but an indoor basketball game. "This is harder than it looks," said Paul. "I remember playing this back when I was a teenager."

"I played it too," said Louise. "It isn't easy, and I played netball back then."

Paul glanced over to the restaurant, where the horde of pensioners were still getting organized. "How about a game now? Maybe we'll be better as adults than as teenagers?"

"I'm in," said Louise, she and Paul paying the fee to the attendant and finding out that as adults they were no better at the game than they were in the 1990s as teenagers.

"I don't think I'll get something like this for the boys," said Louise. "You'll probably end up with one broken window after another, and a very paranoid cat."

Paul laughed as he tried in vain to shoot a basket. "It must be so great to have kids. I teach high school so I'm around kids all the time, but I don't have any of my own."

Louise tried to get her basketball into the hoop, failing by some distance. "It is great, I love my boys so much but I just wish they came with off buttons sometimes, and would think before they say and do things. Some of the things they've come up with over the years ..." She shook her head and laughed.

"All little kids can be like that," said Paul. "My Mum often tells the story of when I was three and my sister was a baby and she took us to the supermarket. There was a guy there who only had one eye, and was wearing a patch over his blind eye. I don't remember it, but apparently I pointed at him and yelled out, 'Hey Mum look, there's a pirate!'"