Maybe we should sit this one out

You can't help but think that the condition of the part of your anatomy she is referencing has decidedly little to do with how much you want to dance. Her point is well taken, however, that further close contact with her will be unlikely to improve its state, so you say, "Maybe we'd better wait out another song or two. Would you like some punch?"

You get a couple of glasses of punch, wondering whether anyone has succeeded in spiking it yet. As you return to Clarice, you see her looking in the direction of a boy her age, seated with his back against the wall, several feet away from her. You notice that when he looks her way that she quickly looks away, and he seems to be doing the same thing when she looks in his direction.

You give her the punch, have a seat, motion with your head toward the boy, and ask, "Who's he?"

Clarice blushes and says, "Who? Him? Nobody..."

"For 'nobody,' you're sure giving him a lot of looks. He must be somebody."

She fidgets for a few seconds and then says, "It's Jimmy Henderson. I'm just surprised that he's here, is all. I wonder if he came alone."

It is then that you see a young woman approach Jimmy, talk to him for a moment, and leave. She looks to be about your age, and you know she is way too hot to be this kid's date.

"Oh, that explains it," says Clarice. "He's here with his sister. She must be his 'mercy date.'" Then, blushing again, she says, "No offense... You're a much better 'mercy date' than I expected."

You see Jimmy sneak another look in your direction. "He seems to be interested in you. If he doesn't have a date, you should dance with him."

If possible, Clarice turns even redder. "No... I'm here with you."

"I don't mind. It's not going to ruin the evening for me if you dance with a guy that you like."

"I didn't say I like him," she snaps. "Besides, he's not going to ask me."

"So ask him," you tell her. "Who says the guy has to take the initiative. Ask him to dance. What's the worst that could happen? Come on... You'll find out pretty quickly whether he likes you once you start dancing -- especially if it's a slow, close dance like we just did."

Realization dawns on Clarice. "You mean...? That's not.... He isn't... I mean..."

"Relax... I didn't say you had to conceive your first child on the dance floor -- just ask him to dance."

Clarice finishes her punch as she thinks, and then, with a look of determination, gets up and approaches Jimmy. You watch, and wonder for a moment if Jimmy is going to get up and bolt. He looks terrified. After a few moments conversation, however, he gets awkwardly up and follows Clarice to the dance floor.

You watch the two of them dance, ever closer, until their bodies are actually in contact. You see Jimmy suddenly take a step back, blushing deeply, and you see Clarice look down, smile, and pull him back to her. She whispers something in his ear, which you can't hear, but she makes eye contact with you and winks, and you get the gist of what just happened.

"So do I have you to thank for getting my little brother out of his chair?"

You turn and see Jimmy's sister standing next to you, watching the couple. You stand and introduce yourself. "I'm Deanna Henderson," she says, and takes Clarice's seat next to you.

As you watch the young couple go straight into their second dance together, you learn that Deanna is your age and is attending college in another state.

"I just got home this morning, and the first thing Mom tells me is that I have to go be Jimmy's chaperone to prom," she says. "I don't know why he even wanted to go to prom, because I couldn't get him to get out of his chair until just now. And I don't know why Mom thinks he needs a chaperone. I'm pretty confident he's going to be a virgin until he's in his 40's."

You look at the way Clarice and Jimmy are rubbing against each other, and you think that Deanna might be surprised about how quickly Jimmy will enter full manhood.

"So is your mom pretty protective?" you ask.

"Like a storm trooper! I was never alone with a boy -- except for my brother -- until I went off to college. If I had gone to the local community college like she wanted, I still wouldn't have any experience with dating."

You look at her and wish that she had grown up a little closer to you. You would have gladly given her all the experience she needed. You say, "So did you figure out guys, or did you have to get a cheat sheet?"

She smiles and says, "Well, let's just say that I learned a lot during my freshman year -- and not all from books."

You laugh. "Well, if you need a tutor at any point, give me a call." She laughs with you.

The two of you continue to watch the couple on the dance floor for a while. "They seem to really like each other," Deanna says. "Too bad we have to take them back to their homes -- we could be witnessing the blossoming of a new romance."

You have an idea. "So let's not -- at least not right away. Why don't we let them get out of here and have some time to get to know each other."

Deanna looks doubtful. "I promised to chaperone him. I can't let him out of my sight."

Just then your phone beeps. You look and see it is a text message from your sister. It simply says one word: “Busted!”