Date Night

Jeff knew she would be here. Just yesterday he had overheard that Caroline was going out on a date with their mutual coworker Neil. Jeff clutched onto the roses in his hand, his tweed overcoat still damp from the Seattle storms. “I know she said we were through but Neil?” he thought to himself. Her table getting ever closer he took a breath.

Seated at a romantically lit private corner booth with a window Caroline traced the top of the wine glass with her pointer finger.

She looked up expecting Neil “Jeff?” She asks puzzled. “What are you doing here?”

Jeff shoved the roses in front of him with some urgency and as he was about to utter a word Caroline said a resounding

“No. I’m sorry Jeff”

The blood drained from Jeff’s face. He knew it was a possibility but he had his hopes high.

“Look I know you think I’m a bit too stiff and serious but I-“

“Oh no.” Caroline mumbled under her breath as she stared at the window. “Neil’s here you have to go I can’t see him with my ex he’ll think we’re not through. I’m sorry Jeff, you have to go now!”

As Caroline sternly asked, Jeff put the roses in a vase on the table and headed to the door. Just before he opened the door he realized “Caroline this is the only way out and I’m guaranteed to run into Neil if I go this way.” She looked around and suggested he get under the table. “Too little room under there.”

As the seconds counted down Jeff had a moment of epiphany and he told Caroline to stand up. As she did Jeff was reminded of her beautiful form in a blue simple dress. Jeff sat at the booth on Caroline’s side and removed his arms from his overcoat.

“Here sit on me and put the overcoat on your shoulders. You’re a little taller than me anyway so I’ll be hidden and you can have your dinner and as soon as he uses the restroom I’ll run out” Caroline looked at him like he’s a total madman but realized she didn’t have much choice so she plopped down on top of Jeff’s lap.

With the lighting of the booth and the dark storm outside Jeff all but vanished in a silhouette behind Caroline who now sported a tweed overcoat over her simple dress. Jeff casually rolled up his sleeves to the top of both of his arms. As he finished he whispered “Hey Caroline you know how you said I was pretty serious? Well I’ve been taking improv classes to be spontaneous and I have an idea.”

Just then Caroline felt Jeff grab her arms and put them behind her back. Jeff slided his arms one by one through the holes Caroline’s arms created, like putting on a shirt. He pulled her close to get his arms through as much as he could.

Confused, she looked down at “her” new arms. Jeff had a similar frame as her and was not particularly hairy either. Besides the state of “her” nails one could believe these arms belonged to Caroline. “Oh no” she muttered under her breath and one of “her” arms raised up and covered her mouth for emphasis. She looked at “her” hand with annoyance and went to grab “her” hand with her actual hands when Neil walks in the room.

In a split second Caroline quickly wrapped her arms back behind Jeff again. Trapped in this ridiculous situation she attempted to a friendly smile but to her chagrin one of “her” hands excitedly began waving at her new possible boyfriend. The other hand was busy tracing the top of Caroline’s wine glass much like she had earlier.