Extramarital Dating

It was all Mom's fault. Just so you know.



When we first moved to Chadron, ten years ago, I got a job at Community Health. I really liked the people that I worked with. They were a fun bunch. All were married except one. Of course she became the "target" and she was a willing participant to fix ups and all, so it was fine with her. I am not really the matchmaker type but my Mom is. When she found out that I had a 30 something single friend....she immediately had someone in mind. Gerald.



Gerald and I had graduated together and he was a bachelor farmer. Michele was a bachelorette home maker wanna be. That was all the criteria it took for Mom to decide that they were perfect for each other.



Geographically, it was tricky though. Gerald lived and farmed in BBow. Michele lived and worked in Chadron. You probably think this relationship is toast huh? Pffft. Not for my Mom. She found out that our whole office was coming down to Kearney for a conference and she talked to Gerald and told him the date and time to show up and then informed me to tell Michele. I recall saying more than once that I did not want to be involved....but some how I became very involved.



Michele was more than game although a little nervous. She bought a new outfit, curled her hair, took extra time with her makeup and the cute office co-worker was a complete knock out that night. She should have put on some socks though cuz her feet started to get cold.



About 15 minutes before Gerald was set to arrive she called me to her room and asked if I would wait at the Motel for him and bring him over to Red Lobster....we were all meeting there for supper and she thought she and Gerald would just eat there too. But she was feeling nervous about meeting him in the motel and wanted to meet him there.



Sure, I said, not a problem. They all left for the Red Lobster and I sat and waited for Gerald. When he got there I just jumped in his pickup with him and we went to the restaurant.



When we arrived at the restaurant, it wasn't hard to spot my group because they had all gotten a large table and there were about 12 of us. There were two places left on the table for Gerald and I and although I had assumed that he and Michele would peel off and sit together elsewhere....it wasn't that big of a deal. But what was strange was that Michele was at the end of the table flanked by our co-workers and the two empty seats were at the opposite end. I gave her a look like "aren't you going to move" and she shook her head a little bit and looked like she was frightened. So Gerald and I sat down together and he was promptly although gently grilled by all the women at the table except for me - cuz I already knew him, and Michele cuz she was almost catatonic. He passed with flying colors and charmed all the ladies. So I thought things were going well.



When we got ready to leave, I was positive that Michele would ride away with Gerald in his pickup but when I exited the restaurant, there she was sitting in the driver's seat of the work mini-van with a death grip on the steering wheel!!! So, I rode back to the motel with Gerald. All the ladies were in the lobby when we arrived and I could tell there had been a mini-van powwow. Michele actually said her first words to Gerald "Would you like to sit in the lounge and visit a while?" He said yes and I was relieved that their "date" was finally beginning. But then about 4 of the ladies started to go in too and one of them whispered to me that Michele wanted us to go and sit with she and Gerald so it wasn't so awkward.....the whole thing had been awkward so far....why change the game plan now! So whatever, I filed in to sit in the lounge. There was one chair left....by Gerald. So I sat by my old buddy again. We all laughed and talked for an hour or so but I was getting pretty tired and wanted to call John before I went to bed so I said that I was going to call it a night and started to get up. Michele bounded out of her chair and said "Me too" and Gerald stood up to walk out with her but she sort of bonded herself to me....so all three of us walked out together. She told Gerald that it was nice to meet him and disappeared. I was probably standing there with my mouth open.....so I turned to Gerald and sort of laughed and said I would walk him out to his pickup. I tried to smooth things over and tell him how great Michele was and that she must have gotten overrun by nerves. We said goodnight and I went inside.



The whole bizarre evening left me very confused but I had started to see things clearer by the time I got John on the phone and when he asked what I had done that night I told him the truth. I said "I went on a date with Gerald." John said "Oh....did you have fun?" He is not a jealous man. :)



The craziest thing of all is that Michele really liked Gerald. She talked about him all the next day and all the ride home. She totally agreed that she had acted like a freak and picked up a card to send to him to try to explain and was hoping to get a second chance. Never happened.