The Date

Hillbilly Bob sat in his car outside the grocery store one sunny afternoon. He saw Sally Johnson walking out carrying a load of groceries in her arms. She saw Hillbilly Bob and waved at him and even smiled.

Hillbilly Bob always liked Sally very much. Not only was she pretty, but she was very smart as well. Hillbilly Bob saw his friend, Hank coming around the corner and he clinched his teeth when he saw Hank offer to help Sally with her groceries. He knew that he should have gotten out of his car himself to help her but for some reason he just couldn’t.

Hillbilly Bob drove home that evening, sulking. He could have kicked himself a hundred times that night for not helping out Sally. Hank probably looked like a total gentleman to Sally, while he probably looked like a total jerk.

“Oh Hillbilly Bob,” said his mother after he had finished eating his dinner. “There is a really good movie playing in the theatre this weekend.”

“I don’t care about movies,” said Hillbilly Bob.

“My, what has gotten into you?” asked Mother.

Hillbilly Bob explained to his mother about what happened with Sally earlier that afternoon.

“Did you have butterflies in your stomach?” asked Mother.

“Well come to think of it,” said Hillbilly Bob. “Yes I did.”

“I see,” said Mother. “Sounds like the love bug has bitten you pretty badly.”

“Oh now Mother,” said Hillbilly Bob, blushing. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh I think it has,” said Mother, noticing her son’s face turning beat red. “And, if you want my advice, I say you’d better ask Sally out soon before Hank does.”

“She’ll never want to go out with me especially after this afternoon,” said Hillbilly Bob.

“You’ll never know until you try,” said Mother.

Hillbilly Bob made up his mind right then and there. He was going to ask Sally out the very next time he saw her.

Hillbilly Bob did not sleep well that night. He tossed and turned thinking of all the things that he could say to Sally. Just when he thought he had come up with the perfect conversation his mind always seemed to put in her rejection to it.

Hillbilly Bob ran into Hank that morning in town. Hank was just coming out of the bank.

“Hey,” said Hank, waving. “I saw Sally in town yesterday afternoon and I helped her out with her groceries.”

“Nice,” said Hillbilly Bob, with a look of distress on his face.

“I asked her out for a date,” said Hank.

“You did!” exclaimed Hillbilly Bob, feeling the coffee that he had drank earlier that morning rising up into his throat.

“Yes,” said Hank. “However she couldn’t go out with me. She said she had plans.”

“I see,” said Hillbilly Bob, smiling.

Hillbilly Bob knew that he shouldn’t have been happy that his friend had been rejected however he was very happy about it. He wasn’t so happy to hear that Sally did have plans though because he then got to wondering that if she didn’t have plans then maybe Hank would be taking Sally out after all.
Hank left and went to work. Just a few blocks away, Hillbilly Bob saw Sally at the coffee shop. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair, puffed out his chest and boldly walked right up to Sally.

“Hi Hillbilly Bob,” said Sally, smiling when she saw him walking straight toward her.

“Hi Sally,” said Hillbilly Bob. “Look, I would like to know if you wanted to go to the movies with me this weekend.”

“Sure I would,” said Sally.

“You would!” exclaimed Hillbilly Bob, feeling like a ton of bricks had hit him on the head.

“Of course,” said Sally. “I’ve wanted to go out with you for a long, long time now.”

“Really,” said Hillbilly Bob.

“Yes,” said Sally. “I happen to think you are a very nice guy.”

Hillbilly Bob could feel himself blushing all the way from the top of his forehead right down to the bottom of his toes.

“Well you are a nice lady,” said Hillbilly Bob.

“Thank you,” said Sally. “I’m looking forward to our date this weekend.”

“Me too,” said Hillbilly Bob. “I know that you are kind of busy this weekend so what time would be good for you.”

“I’m not busy at all,” said Sally.

“You’re not,” said Hillbilly Bob.

“No,” said Sally. “Who gave you an idea like that?”

“Hank,” said Hillbilly Bob. “He told me he asked you out yesterday and that you told him you were too busy.”

“He never asked me out,” said Sally, laughing. “However, if he did, I’d have to tell him that I was busy.”

“I see,” said Hillbilly Bob, laughing too.

Sally stood up and gave Hillbilly Bob a kiss on his cheek on her way out the coffee shop.

“See you this weekend,” she waved to him.

“You definitely will,” said Hillbilly Bob, smiling from ear to ear.