Things Get Better

"Don't worry....A chemical engineer, huh?"

Shirley laughed as that softness found its way back, "Yeah. I couldn't believe it."

"I'll bet. A basketball-playing chemical engineer."

"Yeah. A straight-A student, handsome, and an all-around great guy."

"Is he human?"

She laughed. "Yep. He's just one of those guys that seem completely perfect until you get to know him."

"And then?"

"And then you find out he's more perfect than you thought. Except for the fact that I can't get that boy to remember to put the toilet seat down and put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom when it gets low."

John laughed at her joke. "It sounds like you did a good job raising him, no matter how young you were."

Shirley beamed at him. "Thanks."

John was having trouble breathing. God, she's breath-taking. He tried to cover it up by drinking, but she was still beaming at him.

"What do you do for a living?"

John smiled, relieved for something new to talk about. "I'm a doctor."

That surprised her. "Really? What the fuck is a doctor doing eating at this place? It's not exactly health food," she teased.

John laughed. "It's a nice place and cheap." He thought about adding 'And I like the way you say fuck' then scolded himself for even thinking it. Why did Shirley turn him into a... a... for lack of a better word, a love-sick puppy any time she was around? 'And I like the way you say fuck.' How pathetic can you get?

Shirley nodded. "I guess I can see your point. And I like having you around. You're an amazing tipper," she teased him.

"You want to go on a date with me?" Shit! It had just popped out. Shirley looked just as surprised as he did.

"What?"

John swallowed. No backing down now. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Shirley raised an eyebrow. "A doctor is asking a waitress on a date?"

John shrugged, "There's no law against it, as far as I know. I like you and would like to try dating you, if you would."

"You're shittin' me."

"No." He smiled and tried backing her into a corner, "Is there a reason you don't want to go out with me?"

It didn't work. "I'm not exactly rich."

John shrugged. He really wanted to go out with this woman, but she didn't seem to feel the same. "Money isn't everything."

"You've always had money haven't you?"

That surprised him. Sure, he had always had money. His whole family was filthy, fucking rich. "Yes."

"Then trust me. Money means a hell of a lot."

John's spirits hit rock bottom. "Is that a no?"

Shirley was quiet. She chewed on her bottom lip, deciding. As she thought, her lip kept slipping out from under her teeth, only to be sucked back in. The lip reddened, and now it was starting to swell. "One date. We'll see what we think after that."

John breathed a sigh of relief, "Where do you want to go?"

"First, I have to find time off. My schedule is pretty packed."

"Here." John grabbed a napkin and pulled out a pen. He wrote his number on the napkin and slid it across the table to Shirley. "Give me a call so we can decide where and when."

He was going on a date with Shirley. John was sure that winning the lottery couldn't have felt better.

---------------------------------

Shirley was home alone. Andy was studying for a big test with his best friend Chris, and she had just finished her last shift of the day. She was sitting on her bed debating what to do. Her hands opened and closed around the fresh sheets as she stared at her crossed legs. She was putting off calling John. She couldn't figure out why he wanted to go out with her. She wasn't pretty, smart, and she didn't have money. She wasn't even good company. Her only real selling point was that she was hard working. John's attraction to her didn't make any sense. Of course she would want to go out with him. The man was great. He was an amazing tipper, Shirley knew that shouldn't matter, but it did. He was polite and fun to talk to. He hadn't jumped to conclusions about her and her son, nor was he condescending. He had even been happy to talk about Andy. To top it all off, he was handsome.

Damn, is he handsome. Shirley thought about his slightly messy, light brown hair; those laughing, clear blue eyes; those big broad shoulders; that deep voice. Who wouldn't want to go out with him? She realized she was starting to breathe a little heavier and shook herself.

Andy had told her at breakfast that if she didn't call soon, he would. That made up her mind. There was no damned way she was going to let her son embarrass her like that. If she didn't call, she knew he'd make good on his threat. She'd just have to worry about John's reasons for asking her out later.

She jumped off the bed and out of the room, headed for the stairwell. She'd call him at the front desk. As she walked, her steps echoed around her. Once downstairs, Shirley made her way to the front desk.

Damn! Betty, she thought when she saw the bleached blond behind the counter. Who knew what would be said all throughout the building, within minutes, if she called him in front of that bitch.

Probably that he is Andy's real father who just got out of prison for killing a patient or some shit like that. Shirley took a deep breath. She didn't have a choice. She had to call him and this was the only phone she had access to.

"Can I use the phone?"

Betty kept reading her magazine until, at last, she responded. "Be quick."

Shirley had stared at his number so many times she had it memorized. She punched his number out on the telephone keypad in the blink of an eye.

"Hello?"

"Hey. Is this John?" She thought it was, but she didn't want to risk making a damned fool out of herself.

"It is. Is this Shirley?"

"Yes." This is shaping up to be a fascinating conversation.

"I'm glad you called! How was your day?" He did sound pleased.

"Same as every other," she answered plainly.

His voice turned uncertain. "You still want to go out, right?"

Maybe he was just trying to let her down. "It's fine if we don't."

"I'd really like to."

Okay. He wasn't trying to let her down. She had no clue what to say. "Okay then."

"So...are you busy tonight? We could have dinner. My treat."

She didn't like the 'my treat' part, but it would be stupid to say no to a free dinner. "Where at?"

Betty was clearly eavesdropping, but at least she was keeping up the pretense of reading.

"Well, there's this place I really like. Do you like Italian?"

"Yes."

"Then we can eat there. Have you heard of La Bella?"

La Bella? That place is expensive! Even if you have money. "Uh- Yeah. That'd be good." I think I'm in shock. A doctor wants to take me to La Bella for dinner. Yeah. I'm defiantly in shock.

Betty turned a corner of her magazine down and stared at Shirley. Her act was over. This was far too interesting.

"Great! I'll see you there. About nine-thirty?"

"Sure. I'll see you there."

Betty tossed her magazine to the side and leaned towards Shirley.

"Great!" he chuckled over the phone.

For a reason that eluded her, Shirley was having trouble breathing. She forced out an "okay," and looked at Betty who had an eyebrow cocked in amusement.

"Alright."

He sounded happy, but maybe she was only fooling herself.

He continued, "I'm looking forward to our date."

Looking forward to it? She had to get off the phone. Thank God she wasn't one to blush! "So am I. I'll see you there. Bye."

"I'll see you. Bye," came from the other end as Shirley quickly hung up.

She ignored Betty's pointed stare as she climbed the stairs to her room. When she got there she threw herself across her bed. Goddamnit! That was awkward and embarrassing. Shirley wondered what kinds of rumors Betty was currently spreading.

When Andy got home he found her still on the bed. He threw his book bag onto the floor and walked over to her. "What happened?"

"I called him and made a date for dinner." She was still feeling shocked and she had just realized something horrible.

"And?"

"At La Bella."

Andy raised his eyebrows, "Wow! He's paying?" Shirley nodded. "Wow. So, what's wrong?"

"The fanciest thing I own is that damned diner uniform. I don't even have any jewelry."

Andy thought for a moment, trying to find a solution. "Got it! I'll be right back. I've got to make a call." He shouted over his shoulder as he raced out the door to the front desk.

Shirley sat up and waited to see what he had in mind. A few minutes later he came back running. "What time do you have to be there?"

"Nine-thirty."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the bed. Soon they were out of the apartment building. "Come on. We're going to see a friend of mine."