ROMANI Chapter 6

 

Time for a Love Song
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Time to Date;

To a great extent Mark's investments took care of themselves except an occasional auditing leaving him time for recreation.  Many of the normal pursuits of the affluent didn't interest him except a soccer game from time to time.  He still did a fair amount of reading, and had a couple of dogs.  He would go out and watch them hunt but there wasn't game on the estate so there wasn't much finding, just hunting, but both he and the dogs enjoyed it.

His dating wasn't going as well as he would have liked for some reason the girls just didn't please him.

Chatty Girl
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Martha ordered an expensive meal, and then proceeded to talk all the time and never ate.  Mark finally called time on her and took her home.  He hoped that the sound of her voice would stop ringing in his ears sometime during the night.

Arlene was also a talker but all she talked about was her former boyfriends, and how they let her down.  Mark thought they probably ran for their life.

Next there was Maxine, she never had much to say, and when Mark would make a statement she would want to know what he meant by that.   When he would try to clarify it, she would want to know, “Why did he say that, and what was his motive? This time he didn't eat and simply called time on her and took her home.

This continued on as he worked through several possible relationships, but he wasn't prepared for those who were players for they were only gamers.

Lacy and Marcie would interrogate him at length when he got home and give their expert analysis of each of his dates.

He met Susan who was a sensible woman but had been with a man for a couple of years, and couldn't understand why he broke with her.  Her pain was too much for the comfort Mark was able to give her and after three evenings together they both agreed that it wasn't working out.  He didn't care for her but tried to help her get over some rough spots

    
Mark wondered. “How do people ever find a real soul mate, one who has the same values as you do?”  It would seem that many just settle for what they can get and are never fulfilled. The question came to him; “Should people prepare for marriage like they do for other phases of life?”

Then he thought this isn't the way most prepare for others areas like work, or education. Surly marriage is as important as either of them.  From his observations people make many wrong choices trying to find their way through this journey to wedded bliss.

One good thing about this was the girls (Lacy and Marcie) each giving him plenty of good advice, in fact according to them, they had all the answers. They always start with; “You know what you need is,” and then they would proceed with their solution for his perceived problem.

This time they suggested that he let them pick out a date for him, and after they did their nagging bit he finally relented and said okay.  He went to bed that night saying; "I know better than to do something like this."

Two days later they informed him he had a date with a fine respectable lady for Saturday night at six for she had to get up early for church on Sunday. This was fine with Mark for he like to eat early anyhow. If she wished they could see a movie afterward.  

He arrived on time with a bouquet and she invited him in while she put the flowers in a vase. Then she introduced her mother to him.  As he was greeting the mother she was putting her coat on and his date said; "Let's go mom," and they headed for his car.  It wasn't the worst date he had ever had for the mother was very cordial, and was a better conversationalist than her daughter. The dinner lasted until seven fifteen and then they were ready to go home for there was a television program on at eight they wanted to see.

The girls met him at the door and as he walked by them he said; “Don't even ask."   

To be Continued