*All ages

This is a story I wrote ages ago and found among stuff at my Mom’s.

I wrote this when I was 14. It’s short and sweet.

 

A Date

By Steph

Jim Frayne, age 18, fastened his seatbelt as he settled into his seat on the final leg of his journey home. It had seemed like ages since he was home and he couldn’t wait to get there.

He had just finished his second semester of his sophomore year of college at USC. He had spent the entire semester there since Christmas working spring break at a camp for underprivileged kids so he hadn’t been home in 5 months and he missed everyone.

He was glad that he had decided to come home and finish college at NYU White Plains among his family and friends with his best friend, Brian Belden who would also be a junior in the fall and his friend, Dan Mangan who would be a sophomore and another friend, Brian’s brother, Mart who would be a freshman.

He had missed everyone a lot during his absence and thought of Brian’s sister, Trixie. They had been so close all those years but in the last semester he had barely heard from her. He was almost afraid to ask his sister, Honey, Trixie’s best friend, what was going on afraid to find out that Trixie had a boyfriend.

He knew that Trixie was now 17 of course. He had sent her a birthday card and a nice necklace as a present and she had sent him a thank you card that was short but very sweet saying she was looking forward to seeing him when he came home.

Jim thought about the girl he had always had special feelings for and wondered now that he would be living nearby they could pursue them especially since she was now over 16. He knew that she wouldn’t have been allowed to date till her last birthday anyway.

The previous summer he had spent the entire time working at a camp in upstate New York and over Christmas break she had worked at Crimper’s and had been very busy and he had worked for his father learning the ins and outs of business that he would have to know while running his school.

Jim knew that he was inching ever closer to his goal of opening a school for boys when he was finished college. His father had given him 20 Manor House acres to add to the 10 of 10 acres and he loved the idea of having the school in Sleepyside.

He also knew that part of his dream was having Trixie at his side as his wife one day in the future. Somehow deep down he already knew, even though they had never had a real date that they would spend their lives together.

Meanwhile back in Sleepyside, Trixie arrived for her shift at Crimper’s where she worked in giftwrap and customer service. She was looking forward to the evening and Jim’s welcome home party. She had originally had the day off but illness had struck several of her co-workers and when her boss had called she had agreed to come in.

Her only regret was that she would barely make Jim’s welcome home party in time and she was so anxious to see him and have him see the changes that had happened to her in the last 5 months.

She had "gotten her growth spurt" in more ways than one. She had grown several inches taller and had also filled out while also losing the baby fat and was a truly beautiful young woman. Even the freckles had calmed down somewhat and she had a perfect complexion. She had let her hair grow past her shoulders and that day wore it in a french braid.

She punched in and walked to her department.

There she saw her friends, Erin and Jamie already working hard. Erin said "It’s so bad that you have to work today of all days. Gosh, Jim is coming home today. Dreamy Jim frayne the hearthrob of every girl in Sleepyside."

Jamie said "Everyone in town predicts you’ll be boyfriend and girlfriend within a week of his return."

Jamie and Erin were in Trixie’s class at school and they had become close friends while working together over the last few months and they knew about Trixie’s feelings for Jim.

Then the manager of the department, Esther said "Trixie, when Jim sees the changes in you over the last few months he may be knocked dead."

Trixie blushed and suggested they get to work. She had also talked to Esther a lot over the last few months feeling she could talk to her about some things that she didn’t feel as comfortable talking to her mother about and Esther, a nice woman in her early 50’s was kind of like a second mother to the young girls who worked in the department.

Meanwhile Jim arrived at Manor House in the car his parents had arranged to have waiting for him at the airport and when he walked in he was greeted by his parents and sister.

Honey said "Everything is set for your party in a couple of hours so go and unpack and I’ll take care of everything. I think the entire town is coming. Everyone missed you so much!"

They hugged and Jim hurried as fast as he could to his room where he unpacked and was joined by Honey carrying fresh towels and things for his bathroom.

Honey said "Trixie is really anxious to see you. It’s all she’s talked about for weeks."

Jim said "I am anxious to see her although I wonder does she have a boyfriend? I barely heard from her all this semester."

Honey said "I don’t think so and you’d think I would know being her best friend but she’s been really busy working at Crimper’s and going to school. You know she got straight A’s this semester and she, Di and I are determined to join you and the other boys next year at NYU White Plains."

Honey decided not to tell Jim about the changes Trixie had undergone deciding that he would just be in for a nice surprise.

Jim said "That’s a relief. I want to ask her out this summer at least on one date and see what happens."

Honey said "It’s about time!"

Jim said "I agree but when I went so far away to college and she was still only 15 I didn’t think the time was right but now it seems to be."

Jim finished unpacking and soon the guests started arriving.

After a little while Brian looked at the clock and said "Trixie is off at Crimper’s in 15 minutes. Someone has to go get her. She doesn’t have a car with her today."

They looked out and saw that Jim’s car, parked outside the driveway was the only one not blocked and Jim said he’d go get her.

The others said it was his party he didn’t have to but Jim said he wanted to see her.

Meanwhile Trixie punched out and went to the ladies room where she freshened up and headed out the door and saw Jim standing in front of his car waiting for her and waved.

Jim was totally flummoxed when he saw Trixie. She was even more beautiful than ever and he was almost knocked dead.

He got his composure when she finally walked up to him and they shared a brief hug before getting into the car.

Jim said, "Trix, you look great."

Trixie said, "So do you."

They didn’t say much on the drive to Manor House just looked at each other thinking "Gosh, he’s handsome. More so than ever", "Gosh she’s gorgeous more so than ever."

The party was a lot of fun and everyone was happy Jim was back in town.

The next week seemed to fly by as Jim got settled into working for his father again this time in Sleepyside as the summer got started.

Jim finally on Friday afternoon got up the courage and called Trixie and asked "Trix, I would like to talk and have an evening together. How about dinner and a walk tomorrow night? I can pick you up at 7. I understand your off at Crimper’s."

Hallie was spending the summer with the Beldens at Crabapple Farm while her parents and brothers were in South America.

Trixie said, "Sounds like a lot of fun. Should we ask Brian and Honey or Mart and Di or Dan and Hallie to go with or all 6?"

Jim said, "No, I want it just to be the two of us. I would like it to be a date."

Trixie was glad she was on the phone so Jim couldn’t see her blushing as she said "That sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll see you then."

They talked for a couple more minutes about ideas and then hung up.

The next afternoon Trixie went with Honey, Hallie and Di to Crimper’s so she could buy a nice dress. With her generous employee discount she could afford something really nice.

They found a great dress, a simple black one that was a little past her knees and looked like a million dollars in it.

Afterwards they headed back to Crabapple Farm where Trixie was already a nervous wreck more than an hour before Jim was to pick her up.

Mrs. Belden joined them after Trixie emerged from her shower in her underthings and a robe with her hair wrapped up in a towel, saying she needed all the help she could get in making her look great that evening.

Mrs. Belden said "You’d look great no matter what but I know you want this to be perfect and we’re all here to help."

Soon they had Trixie ready looking perfect with Hallie, who had done some modeling doing her makeup and hair and making it look a perfect combination of sophisticated and first date innocent.

Meanwhile over at Manor House Jim was getting ready for the date when Brian arrived.

Brian said, "Jim’s got a date! Jim’s got a date! Seriously bud I’m happy for you and my sister. Maybe this can be the start of something big. But if you touch one hair on that beautiful head of hers or anything you’re dead meat."

Jim said, "I won’t hurt her and this is just our first date! And remember you’re in love with my sister so I can give it right back to you."

Finally Jim left and Brian stayed waiting for Honey to get home so they could go on their own date to a movie at the Cameo that night. It was an unspoken agreement among the Bob White couples that they wouldn’t come close to Trixie and Jim that night.

When Trixie heard Jim say hello downstairs to her father she felt as if a million butterflies were set loose in her stomach.

Mrs. Belden said "Go he’s waiting for you. You look fantastic. You’ve known him for 4 years it’s not like this is a blind date!"

Trixie said "It feels like it!"

They hugged and Trixie headed downstairs to see Jim looking up at her totally transfixed.

When she reached the bottom step he took her hand in his and gently kissed it as Mr. Belden snapped a picture.

Finally they were off as they headed to a nice little restaurant called Bailey’s in town for dinner. They had decided that they wanted to go a little fancier than Wimpy's but not the country club level.

After ordering, Jim took Trixie’s hand and said "Trixie, I want this to not only be our first date but he first of many dates. In other words, I’d like us to be boyfriend and girlfriend. We’ve waited long enough."

Trixie smiled and said "I would like that very much. I’ve been dreaming of this moment for so long I’m afraid someone will pinch me and I’ll wake up."

"Me too."

They ate in companionable silence just stealing glances at each other wanting to say so much but not knowing what to do.

After dinner they decided to take a walk around town since it was gorgeous outside for mid June, not a cloud in the sky and a nice crescent moon.

They wound up by the town hall where they said hello to Hoppy.

Trixie blushed and asked "Do you want to know a secret? Do you want to know what sometimes I wished when I said hi to Hoppy?"

"What?" asked Jim.

Trixie blushed even harder when she said "I used to wish that you would finally ask me out and kiss me."

Jim said, "Well with Hoppy as our witness, how about our first kiss?"

Trixie blushed and said, "That is a great idea!"

They gently put their arms around each other and shared their first kiss and then they held each other and waved at Hoppy.

As they walked towards his waiting car Trixie turned around and winked at Hoppy.

They drove back to Crabapple Farm where he walked her to her front porch and said "I think tomorrow night seems like a long wait but how about a movie at the Cameo tomorrow night?"

Trixie said, "Sounds great. I can’t wait!"

They kissed again and Trixie floated inside her house. She knew that this was just the beginning and someday she would walk out that house to marry Jim.

The End

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