And the Story Continues...

This story starts here.

A few days later, I ran into Bill Smith again. He was very friendly. "Hello, Susan. I knew I'd see you again!"

"Oh, you were so sure of that, huh? How are you?" I decided to play along.

"Absolutely! If it hadn't happened soon, I would have kicked myself for not getting your number." He was almost apologetic in his response.

"Yes, I noticed that oversight and wondered about it." I was still playing along, but I was very much interested in his response.

"Well, I figured I had to run into you again. When I ran into you the first time, it was my first day in the neighborhood. I took it as an omen of sorts. A good omen, I mean." He was so sure of himself.

"I didn't realize you were new to the area. Where were you living before?" I asked tentatively.

"Why don't I give you my whole life history over dinner tonight? Shall I pick you up or would you like to meet somewhere?" He still wasn't sure if I welcomed his openness.

"Oh, I think you can pick me up. What shall I wear?" I wrote down my address and phone number for him. A few minutes later we parted ways. He would pick me up at seven for dinner.

I thought about him all afternoon and took great pains with my appearance that night. He had said we would go semi-dressy so I chose a simple summer dress to wear. It flattered me but didn't make me appear too eager. I thought it was the right combination for tonight. Even so, I was on eggshells when my doorbell rang.

"Wow, Susan, you look great! We have reservations for 7:30; shall we go?"

With that, we were off.

This story continues here.