I couldn’t get over everyone’s fascination with my hair. I half-smiled in response.

She seemed to forget the awkwardness of the vision I had of her daughter and helped me pick out several outfits. If I was gonna change, I was gonna change everything, ugly clothes included.

I left with multiple bags and lots of dollars poorer, but eager to get home. And hopefully see Joe.

I didn’t see his car in the driveway when I pulled up, but I expected him to be at work. I went inside and boxed up most of my old clothes. I tried on one of my new outfits, a pair of capris and a sleeveless blouse. When I stared at myself in the mirror, I looked and felt like a different person. How was that possible?

I went out into the kitchen for a glass of water and noticed a message on the machine, realizing I’d forgotten to check it when I came home since I rarely got calls.

“Rose, hi. It’s Joe. I just wanted to check on you and see how you’re feeling. Umm…hey, if you’re not busy, uh…I wondered if you might want to have dinner with me tonight. I should be home around six and we can figure somethin’ out. Bye.” When the machine beeped, my smile rivaled the width of the Grand Canyon.

He wanted to eat dinner with me. I wondered if this counted as a date, then practically danced in the kitchen. Yes, it was a date. My first date.

I was really glad I went shopping.

I’d be a nervous wreck thinking about it until he got home so I needed something to occupy me. I could take my old clothes to the thrift store. I briefly considered starting to pack up Momma’s stuff but didn’t feel right doing it alone. Maybe I’d call Violet later and see if she wanted to help.

I loaded up my car and drove to the charity. I dropped off the clothes and returned home around five-thirty, surprised that Joe’s car was in his driveway. When I got out of the car, he burst out the front door, his eagerness catching me by surprise. I met him in my driveway, my face beaming with happiness.

Joe looked serious when he reached me and he took my hands in his. “Rose.” He stopped and smiled a sad smile. “How do you get more beautiful every time I see you?”

The heat rose to my face in spite of my attempt to stop it, but my heart was beaming with sunshine. He kissed me right there in my driveway, in broad daylight. But seconds later, he pulled back abruptly.

“Rose, I have to cancel tonight. I’m sorry to do it last-minute.”

If we hadn’t just kissed, I would have considered that he changed his mind about me, but his lips said otherwise. “That’s okay.” I wanted to ask why, but stopped, worried I might not want to know.

A car pulled up in front of his house.

“Oh, you havin’ company?” I asked. The Busybody Club said he hadn’t had anyone visit since he moved in.

“Yeah, a guest for the weekend. It was very last-minute.” He sounded so nervous. And sorry.

“Okay…” my voice trailed off as a young woman got out of the car then opened the back door. A German shepherd jumped out. The woman looked over at us, the dog prancing beside her. She smiled as she approached, holding the dog’s leash. I wondered if she was Joe’s sister, although I didn't see much resemblance. She had red hair and was fair-complected while Joe had brown hair and was tanned.

Normally, I would have just stood there. Truth be told, normally I wouldn’t have been there in the first place. The Old Rose didn’t talk to people if she could help it. I decided the New Rose needed to act like a grown-up. It seemed strange Joe hadn’t introduced us, so I plastered a smile on my face and forced brightness into my voice. “Hi, I’m Rose. I live next door.”

She came closer and put her hand on Joe’s shoulder. The way she claimed his shoulder, her fingers curling around his arm, I knew before she even said the words. “Hi, I’m Joe’s girlfriend, Hilary.”

My first instinct was to burst into tears and run away, but instead, I kept the fake smile frozen on my face. “How lovely to meet you.” I was proud of myself. It sounded like something Violet would say. “I’m sure Joe is very excited you’re here to visit.” I cocked my head to grace him with my cheesy smile.

Joe looked like he wanted to hit someone.

“We should go inside, Joe.” Hilary said, tugging his arm. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

He stumbled backwards, his face making a strange choking expression. Then he turned around and marched into the house with Hilary.

My feet rooted themselves to the driveway while my mind tried to figure out what happened. Joe’s front door had hardly slammed shut before angry voices drifted out. I hoped she reamed him. I knew I wanted to, but instead I was stuck, unintentionally eavesdropping on their argument, although I only caught snippets of phrases.

Finally, my feet magically freed themselves. I turned around and walked into my house, feeling like an idiot. Violet was right. I had no idea how to date. What just transpired proved that. I picked up the phone and dialed her number.

“Hey, Violet, I was wondering if you wanted to help me clean out Momma’s room this weekend.”

“I’m sure I can get Mike to watch the kids for a few hours tomorrow afternoon. How does that sound?”

“Great.” I said in my forced happy tone. It scared me how easy it had become to use. “Say, Vi, I was thinkin’ after I left.” I paused. No chickening out now. “I think you might have been right. I’m really new to all this datin’ stuff and maybe it would be a good idea if you found someone for me to go out with.” Better to let her think that than for her to know this was a rebound date. Leave it to me to have my first date be a rebound.