Sparks the Matchmaker

CHAPTER 12

The remainder of the week passed slowly for Ollie, but it wasn’t completely unbearable. He would walk the same general route to class each morning as he always had, and some things would get him to thinking about Anne while others would set his mind on a certain someone else. The big difference was that now he left an hour earlier so he could accompany her while she ascended the hill to class. He sat where he always had in history, only one row ahead, next to someone with curly brown hair. He spent a few hours a day studying like he always had when he was dating Anne, but this time it was because he was waiting on campus for someone to get off work so he could walk her home. Evenings were spent over dinner at that someone’s house because she loved to cook and he loved to eat.

His life went on exactly the same as before, only now it was completely different.

It felt nice to stand in old familiar corners and walk on top of the same sidewalks with a pretty new face, a fun new companion who seemed to enjoy his company as much as he enjoyed hers. Anne’s ghost still haunted the campus wherever he went, but she was now smaller than before.

One place he’d never taken Anne was the circus.

“You’re taking her to the circus tonight?” Keith asked.

“Yeah, but it’s not really a date,” Ollie said. “Technically I’ll be at work the whole time.”

“Dude, whatever,” Keith said. “You invited her, you’re paying her way. It’s a date. It doesn’t matter if others are going or if you’re on the clock.”

“All right, then, it’s a date. I’m not shy about it. It’s just not one-on-one like a real date.”

“You mean it won’t be a one-on-one situation, just like every other night you guys have spent together this week?” Keith asked, pumping his eyebrows up and down. “I thought you’d be sitting around moping and crying for months after the way you reacted to Anne giving you the boot, but you know what? I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Ollie said. “You know, you should come too.”

Keith made a face. “No can do, pard. D and I are gonna watch a movie with the girls in Ivy House down the street. If you’re looking for more bodies, though, I bet Richie’s not doing anything.”

“I heard that!” Richie’s voice echoed from around the corner.

“You were supposed to hear it,” Keith yelled back. “Get off your butt and go do something social. It’s Friday night.”

“I do social stuff,” Richie said. “I do social stuff all the time.” He came ambling into the room.

“Oh yeah?” Keith said. “When was the last time you took a girl out? And your sister doesn’t count.”

“Ha ha ha. I asked a girl out last weekend, smart guy,” Richie said. “It’s not my fault she shot me down.”

“Anne doesn’t count.” Keith said.

“Of course she counts. Why wouldn’t she count?” Richie said. “At least I asked someone out.”

“You’re crazy, man,” Keith said.

“What’s wrong with that? Ollie said I could!”

“Ya know,” Ollie said, “I had to ask Anne out a few times before she finally went out with me.”

“Really?” Richie said. “Then maybe I... aw, nah. She did make it pretty clear that she wasn’t interested.”

“Her loss,” Ollie said. “There’s someone out there perfect for you. I can’t seem to picture what that someone might actually be like, but she’s out there somewhere.”

“Maybe Keith is right,” Richie smiled. “That someone just may be at Ivy House tonight watching a movie.”

“Okay, you can come. But only if you promise to keep away from D’s girl,” Keith said.

“She’s not his girl,” Richie said, “they haven’t even gone out.”

“I knew it,” Keith said. “You’ve got a thing for other guys’ girls. Dude,” he put his finger in Richie’s chest, “keep away from D’s girl.”

“Okaaaay, realaaaax.” He turned toward Ollie. “Speaking of other guys’ girls, Ollie, how are things going with this new girl? You kissed her yet?”

“Do you honestly think I’d tell you if I had?”

“Why not?” Richie asked. “It’s not that personal of a question.”

“Because I know what you’re really asking.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Richie asked.

“You just want to find out if she’s available, don’t you?” Ollie said. “If we’re already kissing, then she’s off limits. If we haven’t been, you’re gonna try to make a move.”

“That’s not what I was thinking at all,” Richie said. “Not at all. I just wanted to know. I just wanted the scoop.”

“Yeah, like I believe that,” Ollie said.

“I wanna know too,” Keith said. “Is she into you?”

“I think so,” Ollie said. “Seems like it has lot of promise.”

“Yeah, but have you kissed her yet?” Richie said again.

“What is this? Are we back in middle school?” Ollie said. “Seriously. Why does it matter?”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d already kissed her,” Richie said.

“Good point, Richie,” Keith said. “When you do kiss her, just make sure it’s somewhere memorable. Don’t let your first kiss be on the doorstep as you say goodnight.”

“Why?” Ollie asked.

“It’s just a good rule of thumb,” Keith said. “It’s just too… I dunno… cliché. Like you’re kissing her because you can’t think of any other way to end the evening. Kiss her under the stars or in a light rain or something memorable. Just not on the doorstep.”

“It’s true,” Richie said. “I had a girl turn her head away when I tried to kiss her on the doorstep once.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Keith said, sarcastically.

“No really,” Richie said, not getting it. “It happened.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it happened,” Keith said. “I mean that I doubt it happened just because you happened to be on her doorstep. I also doubt it’s happened to you only once.”

“Shut up,” Richie said.

Keith gave Richie a small shove as he laughed, then turned back to Ollie. “But how about this; let’s change the line of questioning. Have you even held her hand yet?”

“Soon enough,” Ollie said.

“Come on,” Richie said. “Sometimes you just gotta go for it. Just kiss her.”

“Richie, I’m gonna venture a guess and say that you’ve had a lot of girls refuse to go out with you because you kissed them too soon. Haven’t you?” Ollie laughed.

“Not a lot,” Richie said.

“That’s just because you haven’t kissed a lot of girls, Richie,” Keith said, laughing.

“Hey! When did this conversation start to become about me?”

“Fine, fine,” Ollie said. “I confess: I haven’t held her hand or kissed her or anything like that. We’re just spending time together. Trust me… I’ll know when the time’s right.”

“Somebody’s stalling,” Richie sang. “You’re just trigger shy.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are.”

“Richie.”

“What.”

“How ‘bout you shut up.”

“How ‘bout you shut up, Yankee boy.” Richie pushed him.

“Hey, yeah,” Keith said. “What’s with the Yankees hat you’ve had in your back pocket these last few days? Seems like you’re not telling us something. If Joy gave you that hat, you’d better run. Get away while you still can.”

“It’s not from her. It’s hard to explain,” Ollie said.

“Try us.” Richie said.

“How ‘bout you shut up.” Ollie pushed, laughing.

“How ‘bout you!” Richie pushed back.

“How ‘bout you all shut up!” D’s voice came from upstairs. “Tryin’ to study up here, ya buncha girls!”

Ollie looked at Richie and Keith. “Let’s get him?” he asked.

“Yeah,” they said, and ran up the stairs to D’s room for a beatdown. D screamed like a girl.