First Date

I felt the excitement fill my veins as I brushed off the wrinkles on my floral top. I slammed the door to my black Honda Civic, flipped my long dark straight hair, and paced through the parking lot towards the entrance. As my feet hit the pavement one step faster than the other, shaking out my hands, I could not believe I was about to go on my first date with him.

It had been months of fleeting stares and glances across the room in the office. Small talk and half smile hellos were the moments I clung to before I mustered up the courage to ask him out. One day, in a room filled with our coworkers and guests, I blurted out, “Hey, we should hang out.” His wide blue eyes pierced through me as he responded, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

It was late afternoon, the sun heat heavy on my olive skin as I approached the steps to the mall. We had agreed to eat first before we shop for our grandmother’s gifts. Mother’s Day was the following week, which was just the excuse I needed to find a way we could hang out without it being too formal since we worked together. I mean, he had just met my grandmother that day as she stopped by the office for a visit.

I see him sitting at a small table as I walk past the host counter. He smiles and stands up as he sees me approach the middle of the restaurant. His 6’4” body cowers over my 5’7” frame as we embrace for a quick hug. He asks if I would like anything to eat and I decline as I was too nervous to eat at that time. However, I do order water as it was a hot day, and I did not want to become dehydrated. And oh boy, did I end up overdoing it.

Twenty minutes into our fun banter exchange, I start to feel my bladder weight expand further into my abdomen. I adjusted myself in my wooden chair slowly, but with no avail, my bladder had now sunk into my seat and I could not hold it in any longer. I swiftly excuse myself to the restroom, which felt like was a mile away from our table.

Upon entering the women’s restroom, I see there are only two stalls. The one available had a wooden door with an old school worn gold knob. As I shut the door, I remember thinking it felt thick and it did not slide quick right into place. A minute later, I am getting ready to exit the stall, when I notice the door does not budge. I push my shoulder against the center and brace like a lineman ready to block a receiver. I squeeze the knob, and push some more, but it does not move.

Before I know it, a desperate cry of ‘Help me!’ comes out of me.

The woman in line outside the stall asks if I am stuck and I yell, “YES!”

She says with gusto, “Ok, back up, I’m going to kick the door in!” I barely take a step back when I hear a loud, ‘Boom. Boom!’

Her stiletto heel smacks the hickory brown wood, but she is unsuccessful. Then she proceeds to tell me that she will be right back with the manager.

Almost 5 minutes go by. I did not want my date to think I was going number two, so I text him saying that I am stuck in the bathroom stall at the moment. He replies, “What?! That is hilarious. lol.” I nervously laugh as I am a bit relieved after reading his response. Then I look up as I hear a knock at the door.

“Miss, I’m one of the managers. Back away from the door, I am going to slide in under the stall to unlock the door from the inside.”

At this point, I am embarrassed because the space underneath the door was too thin for me to fit through. But here is this 5’4” petite man slithering his way into this 4’ by 3’ space with me. He wiggles his way to a stance and raises his left hand with a 90’s style screwdriver. “I’m going to bust you out of here!” he says with a reassuring grin.

We stand there in silence as he jimmies the gold knob and takes out two short screws and reaches his hand out the hole to lift up the latch. The door opens and when I step out, I am met with applause from several women who have been waiting to use the restroom. I awkwardly smile as I wave them off and scurry back to the middle of the restaurant with my head down.

My date locks eyes with me across the room and instantly begins to laugh with his smile stretching ear to ear. I plop down on the wooden chair feeling my bladder empty, but my face flushed with red. I put my hands into my face and laugh. A stalky dark-haired man appears to my left and profusely apologizes for the mishap and directs me to get anything on the menu on the house.

I am mortified and respectfully decline his offer. “Are you sure? I can get you an appetizer or our house special?”

“No, no, I am fine. I will just have water.”

My date turns to me and says, “Let’s get out of here before you have a chance to get stuck in there again.”