The Long Way Home

by Phillip Overton

  ****

  Doug entered the dining hall of the cavernous Central Coast Leagues Club. It was nearly six o’clock and he had just closed the real estate office for the day. It was easier to walk the two blocks to the Leagues Club for a meal at the bistro than head straight home and have to prepare dinner for his Dad and his brother. Even though Barry did manage to cook dinner at least a couple of nights a week, his cooking was terrible. This way Doug managed to get away from both of them and have at least something resembling a social life while his Dad suffered Barry’s cooking alone. Thursday and Friday nights were his from the minute he stepped through the wide glass doors of the club.

  Doug casually strode across the carpeted floor, one hand deep in his trouser pocket toward the bistro at the far end of the room. He stopped to say hello to some men that he knew, one of the local bank managers and an agent from a rival real estate firm who Doug often talked to despite being in competition with for new property listings. Before reaching the bistro he noticed someone sitting on her own only a few tables away and stopped while he thought twice before heading in her direction.

  “Hi, you’re Simon’s teacher right?” Doug mustered the courage as he approached her table.

  “That’s right.” She replied with a smile. “You’re Simon’s father aren’t you?” She wore blue denim jeans and a loose pink turtle neck sweater that her long blonde hair fell casually over.

  “Yes I am,” he grinned before staring down at his feet in embarrassment. “I’m Doug, we met earlier in the year at his parent teacher night thing. If you remember, I’m the one who fell over and generally made a fool of myself.”

  She laughed aloud. “Yes, I actually hadn’t forgotten.”

  “Well, it was the tiny desks and everything, they sent my leg to sleep and the rest just sort of followed. I’m sorry about that again.” He laughed, brushing aside the memory of the whole encounter. “I just saw you here and wanted to come over and say hi, so hi.”

  “Well I’m glad you did.” She smiled warmly.

  “Look, I’ll let you get back to your evening. It was real nice meeting you again and who knows, maybe we’ll bump into each other again.”

  “Yes I hope so too.” She replied, blue eyes dancing in the light of the room. Somehow he had managed to turn around such a laughable first impression with a simple hi. The man that stood beside her now seemed far more suave, with that older man charm and decent looks that any 28 year old, single female teacher would notice. “That would be nice.”

  Doug smiled and turned back towards the bistro and hand still in pocket made his way towards the counter. He took one of the trays and joined the small queue of other diners waiting to select from the menu. There was still something about this woman he couldn’t quite get his head around. No matter how many times he tried to dismiss the thought he just couldn’t ignore it. He was sure he had seen Sally McKenzie somewhere before. The question was where? Not being able to resist the urge, he turned around in the direction of where she sat alone.

  Their eyes met across the room and becoming embarrassed, she quickly glanced down at the table before looking up once more, herself unable to resist the urge. Her eyes caught his this time and she could see him smile back at her, causing her face to blush like a little girl.

  Doug turned back around to face the glass topped counter that covered a long row of roast meats and vegetables that sat warming in the bain-marie. He slowly moved along in front of the counter as his roast meat was carved and his selection of roast vegetables dished up on his plate by staff wearing tall paper chefs’ hats. Finally he was presented with his plate at the end of the counter where he selected a drink and paid for his meal. He picked up his tray and turned around to look in the direction of Simon’s teacher once more. She looked up at him while she leant back in her chair, brushing a strand of long, blonde hair back behind her ear while she watched him curiously.

  Doug walked slowly back towards the table where Sally sat on her own. ‘She could only say no,’ he thought as he approached her. After all she did look about ten years younger than him, but then again, he was only asking to share a table and conversation, so why not?

  “Hi.” Sally spoke up as Doug stopped in front of her table. She was nervous now as he had caught her taking a better look at him when he had crossed the room before.

  “Hi.” Doug paused as he looked down at her sweet, innocent face. “I couldn’t help notice you were on your own. I’m surprised that no other man here has come to ask you the same question, but would you like to share a table? It would seem a shame to eat on my own when I could be enjoying your company.”

  “I’d love that.” She replied quickly.

  “That’s great.” Doug seemed surprised that she agreed so quickly. “May I?” He waited for her to reply before he pulled out the chair and joined her at the table.

  “Yes of course.” She replied. “I was hoping you may have come back to ask that. It can get lonely eating on your own most nights.”

  “I thought we both looked as though we could use a little company, and don’t worry, it’s not as though I’m asking you on a date or anything. I’m just truly thankful for the conversation.” Doug smiled, recalling the disastrous first impression he must have left on the parent and teacher evening.

  “We’ll just make sure we don’t bring up school for the entire evening.” She laughed.

  “I promise.” Doug smiled as he began to eat his dinner.

  Sally glanced across the table at the man she had misjudged the first time they met. He must have felt so embarrassed at the time. The funny thing was that out of all the parents she had met that night, he was the only face and name that she had remembered.

  “Well here’s to second chances.” Doug lifted his glass in an impromptu, light hearted toast. “May I not embarrass myself in front of you a second time.”

  Sally laughed as they lightly clinked glasses together. That was it, right then and there she realised she was interested in this guy. She felt attracted to him simply because he seemed a genuinely decent man with a sense of humour, no hang ups and to top it off, he was available. If she wanted to see him again she was going to have to let him know he was welcome to pursue her. After all, she had brushed him off once already. Maybe it was best to be direct.

  “Don’t worry.” Sally shot him an interested glance across the table. “I don’t think there’s any chance of that happening again. Who knows, maybe after dessert I might even let you ask me out on a date.”

  “I’d like that.” Doug smiled as her invitation caught him off guard. “Maybe I just might take you up on your offer.”

  “I’m not going to say no.” She looked playfully at him, letting her wild blue eyes flirt with his.

  Doug stared curiously across the table at her and felt a sudden jolt of shock as he realised where he had seen her before. The penny had dropped and the long lost memory of five years ago flowed beautifully back like a returning dream.

  “Samantha?” He blurted out in amazement.

  “Oh my goodness!” Sally said embarrassed as she too made the connection. “Oh my goodness, how could I not have realised, it was the Kincumber Hotel wasn’t it? It must’ve been about five years ago. I’m so sorry, I didn’t even recognise you.”

  “Don’t be, it took me ages to figure out where I had seen you before. It’s just that, well….” Doug sighed, the relief now pouring out of him. “Not only is your name different to what you told me all those years ago, but you’re by far more beautiful then I remember you.”

  “Oh, that’s so sweet.” She felt her heart melt. “I’m so sorry Doug. I used that name all the time when I went nightclubbing, back when I was studying to be a teacher. I haven’t been in that scene for years now. I can’t believe I’ve been sitting here nervous about making a good impression and wondering if you are going to ask me out on a date, and it turns out we’ve already shared more than that.”

  Embarrassed laughter rolled easily across the table. Con
versation followed soon after, decidedly warm and playful against the background noise of the bistro. Long after they had finished their meals they continued to laugh as they took turns talking about other awkward situations they had found themselves in and shared with each other what they had both done with their lives since that night just before Christmas in 1981. For Sally it had been a phase she had gone through in her early twenties of being attracted to older men. For Doug, Samantha or Sally as it now turned out had been his rebound love affair. After the bitterness of his divorce from Rowena, Sally had been the enticing younger woman who had helped shed his fear of stepping back out into the singles scene at the ripe old age of 32. Now 37, there was no disguising the fact that Sally was still the best part of a decade younger than him. Strangely it didn’t seem to bother her.

  As the hours slid slowly by and the crowd in the dining hall began to disperse, they decided to spare themselves from any future awkwardness by agreeing to call the evening their first date and simply getting it out of the way. Later when walking Sally to her car, Doug paused nervously beside her small, brown Toyota sedan before leaning in to kiss her. Their lips brushed softly and passionately across each others before Sally gently pulled back.

  “Oh dear,” she playfully teased. “A man who thinks he can kiss a girl on a first date.”

  “As I recall, I think we’ve already done more than just kiss.”

  “But this is different.”

  “How so?” Doug toyed with her, trying to lean in again and steal another kiss but she wasn’t being fooled by the sad puppy dog face he was making.

  “This time I’m looking for more than just one night. I want to know there’s going to be a future waiting for us tomorrow, and I’m not prepared to accept anything less.” She raised her finger gently to his lips and smiled softly at him.

  Doug watched as she opened the car door and slid in behind the steering wheel. He closed the door gently behind her and waited as she wound the window down.

  “Thanks Doug for giving me back our first kiss.” She smiled longingly at him and he found himself falling into her wild blue eyes all over again. “Call me soon okay.”

  Doug stood back as she turned the key and the Toyota roared to life. He stood there watching as she pulled away and headed out of the car park, as the two red tail lights disappeared into the night he found his heart being pulled after her. The aching for her that rose in his chest could mean only one thing, he was in love.