Read Mama B - A Time to Dance (Book 2) for Free Online Page A

And he would
probably prefer a man go with me this late in the evening, for safety’s sake.
    Walking toward
the ticket booth, I sniggered deep down inside at myself. I’d gone all the way
left and back to the right with my sanity in the last fifteen minutes. If Dr.
Wilson could have seen that, he’d probably run from me right now.
    Oh, well. Men my
age have to know what they getting into when they ask for a woman’s company.
     

Chapter 9
     
    Dr. Wilson’s black, shiny bald head stuck out like a big
dome in the line of people waiting to buy tickets, so he was easy to spot. Had
to give it to him, he cleaned up nicely outside of his hospital clothes. Let
Libby tell it, he looked nice in those hospital clothes, too, but the last time
I saw him I wasn’t payin’ no attention to his looks.
    “Beatrice, you
look beautiful,” he said as he offered his arm to help me step up onto the
curb.
    “Thank you,
Dr.—Frank. You not lookin’ too bad yourself,” I exchanged pleasantries.
As soon as I had both feet up sturdy, I released his arm quickly.
    Get ahold of
yourself, B! If it had
been any other man, I wouldn’t have thought twice about hanging on for an extra
second. Didn’t help that he was wearing a pink button-down shirt with black
slacks. Would people think we were trying to match our clothes?
    When we reached
the counter, the young lady behind the glass asked what movie we wanted to see.
Dr. Wilson said the title, and then she asked, “Two?”
    I scooted closer
to the window and blurted out, “We’re paying separately.”
    The young lady
looked at me as though I’d just given her a lecture. I think it was quite safe
to say that I flat didn’t know how to act while out with a man, even if he was
nothing more than a potential friend.
    Dr. Wilson held
open the door for me as we walked into the main foyer. The buttery popcorn
smelled like it fell straight out of heaven, but I knew I’d better not get any
because those tiny kernel shells have a
tendency to get stuck between my back teeth. I didn’t want to spend the evening
trying to pick one out while entertaining this man.
    Is that what
I’m doin’? Entertainin’ a man? For as hard as I was worrying, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me that
my underarms had gotten damp. Lord knows, I didn’t have time for this! Not to
mention being too old for this!
    Just a few
minutes ago, I was crying. The Lord took away my sadness, but now I was
sweating. Were it not for Libby’s double-dog dare, I’d have called the evening
off right then and there; gone back to my house and spent the rest of the night
either watching television or studying the Bible. Either way, I’d be
comfortable in my normal little life.
    You owe me one, Libby .
    I had to give it
to Dr. Wilson, though. He was a perfect gentleman. Asked me if I wanted
something to eat, if I needed a soda. Of course, I turned him down. I wasn’t
sure if my stomach would act right with food in it.
    “No, thank you.
Let’s go on in so we can get good seats.”
    “After you.”
    I led the way to
the threshold, giving the young man my ticket. He tore off my stub and gave it
back to me. I took a few steps ahead and waited for Dr. Wilson to have his
ticket torn, too. Then the young man said, “You two enjoy the movie.”
    “Thank you,” Dr.
Wilson responded.
    You two? Already, people were addressing us like
a couple.
    My, my, that
deodorant was a terrible failure. “Frank, let me stop in the ladies’ room,” I
requested as we walked down the main row.
    “Certainly.”
    I rushed inside
and found me a bathroom stall in which to collect myself. B, you got to calm
down or this night is gon’ be a disaster!
    Again, I took a
deep breath. I looked up toward the ceiling tiles and counted seven giant
squares within my view. I wished I could stay in my little cube. Safe. Quiet.
Even predictable. On the other side of that door was a world I had no business
in, I figured.
    I pulled my cell
phone out of my purse