Monday afternoon as I hurried across the quad, not quite late yet to my 3:10 in the Applied Physics lab, I flipped open the phone and tapped Ellie's number. She answered.
"Del. We still on for tomorrow evening?"
"Sure."
"What is your dining pleasure?"
"Italian tomorrow, I think."
"Great! Pick you up at seven."
"'Bye!"
And I was on the steps of her sorority house at 6:58 Tuesday evening. Her stylishly mangled jeans fit all too well, but I have to admit she looked really good in the outfit which was completed with an oxford-style white shirt and a red bandanna tied loosely around the neck.
It was a short ride to Matteo's where I had made reservations. It would be a new experience for me as I am more of a Texas Roadhouse kind of guy. Our table was ready. The fact that the hostess used a flashlight to lead us to our table told me this would not be any experience with which I am familiar.
The waiter brought a wine list. Imagine his disappointment when Ellie announced that she did not imbibe and "I would like water with lemon, please."
"I would like the same," I averred. He left the menus and went to fetch our drinks. I found that there was a little twenty-five watt light beside the candle on the table and by switching it on there was just enough light to make out the offerings.
Elspeth ordered the linguine frutti di mare and a side dish of sauteed portobellos. My internal
calculator rang up "36" and I ordered the penne norcia, no side at a mere eighteen dollars."So, you are going to tell me how you knew my name is Elspeth."
I'm from Kalispell, and you are a Montana girl. I attended the high school state finals in women's track last spring. Some girl named "Ellie McCall" finished first in the 3200 meters. What was your time? I've sort of forgotten."
"10:23.47. Sixteen hundredths off the state record but good enough that day."
"Yeah. Most girls who run the 32 in under 10:50 get college scholarships. Not that I am a stalker, but I looked you up on the 'net, and lo and behold, 'Ellie' is 'Elspeth' and Bob's your uncle." She looked a bit puzzled. "Never mind. When I saw you in the coffee house the other day I recognized you at once." You are from-- Bozeman? is it?"
"No, I'm from Billings."
"That's a fur piece from Kalispell, as we say up north. So what is it with Ellie and Vanderbilt?"
"So as I think you might have guessed, I am on a scholarship. I'll be on team this spring. I'm working every day and plan to focus on the 5000. I'll still run 3200 when it's on, but I'll drop the 1600." Then she launched into her eleven-day training cycle, aerobic sessions, anaerobic. . .
And her mill did not stop for the next ninety minutes. Not one question about me. She managed to eat the full order and still regale me with her exploits on the track. I finished about half my dish; it was delicious, but I'm not into food on that scale.
Ellie noticed that my fork was inverted on the plate, asked, "Aren't you going to eat that? Do you mind; I need to keep carbed up. Running takes lots of fuel!"
I shoved the plate across the table.
"I'm on the track six out of every eleven days."
"Really?" Bobby seemed to be under the impression that you go home every weekend."
"Silly Robert! I couldn't possibly go to Montana every weekend. And he talks nonstop, never listens."
How often we fail to see the log in our own eye, I thought, somewhat unkindly, I'm afraid. But to my credit I didn't say it.
I told her goodnight on the steps of her house. Passed Robert on the quad Wednesday morning. "Oh, hey," he said. "How was your date?"
"Fine," I replied. "The field is clear, Robert. Go for it."
I kinda think they are made for each other. Whether or not they discover that remains to be seen.
5 comments:
Haha- this is great. Although I'm currently spending a week with a son who still answers questions monosyllabically as if he were 14. So I tend to chat more than my normal just to try to maintain some level of conversation. That said, we are doing a lot of sitting the the same room not talking. PS. "aver"- a good old word from the SAT vocabulary list. Ha! I think it went aver avow avuncular
I was hoping for a happier ending but as I read along I knew it wasn't going to end well...Enjoyed it tho, thanks!
Sharkey, thanks. My elder son and your lad might enjoy visiting with each other. They could sit in a room for a couple hours, exchange perhaps five words, wish each other well and end the "conversation." My "boy" (he's 56) and I can sit together happily and say little. Love him, though; he's least likely of any family member to say something ridiculous. avuncular: and Bob's your uncle
Grace, could be the happiest possible ending for the youngster. A few bucks wisely invested.
I like it. College is when insurmountable differences need to surface. I'm sure there is someone for every young person, but every young person does not cotton to the same someone - or whatever I mean.
Vee, of course. But in that time of raging hormones how many actually assess the pros and cons objectively? Marry in haste, repent at leisure, the old saying goes.
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