The First Date

The First Date

January 19, 2006 - Ed picked me up in front of SkyWest in his black Honda Accord (my favorite model of car, incidentally) promptly at noon. My heart skipped a beat and my breath caught in my throat when I saw him walk around his car to open the door for me. He's such a handsome man, and such a gentleman. We lunched at Durangos where we shared details of the last 30 years of our lives, and the time passed far too quickly.

As Ed drove me back to work, he told me a very different story. “When we were in high school,” he began, “I didn’t have a girlfriend, but I did walk hand in hand down the hall with a girl once.” “Really?” I asked. “Who?” “You,” he answered simply. “Oh,” was all I could mutter, sorry that I couldn’t conjure up that particular memory. He continued to tell me of his attraction to me, of seeing me with another boy one afternoon in the auditorium, of leaving school angry enough to get a traffic ticket for “exhibition of speed” as he sped out of the high school parking lot. Later, at his own home, he wrote a poem entitled, “If I Had a Wish.” “I’d love to read that poem,” I told him. “Do you still have a copy of it?” “I’ll recite it for you,” he said – and he did! Right then and there, word for word, in his car – in the SkyWest parking lot - 30 years after writing it. I was astonished, and I’m sure it showed in my face. I was intrigued by this gorgeous man with the beautiful voice and tender heart who had liked me so much – so long ago, but was too shy to tell me. I wanted to know him better. I longed to know him better.

Over the next few weeks Ed was very busy traveling to various high schools throughout Utah, and he would sometimes call me as he drove, or sometimes he would call after settling down in his motel room for the night. We talked for hours and hours, sometimes very late into the night. Although we were getting to know each other through these conversations, it was when he asked me out for a second date that positively thrilled me. He asked me to go hiking with him in Snow Canyon. There are few activities he could have asked me to join him in that would have won me over more quickly or completely. I adore hiking!