Am I too old?

[Blase]

"Oh, hi, Michelle!"

Bob's tone was one of pleased surprise as he paused in his walk toward the Cabot Building where his next class would be held. Hearing his greeting, Michelle turned toward him, her smile echoing his.

They'd struck up an unlikely friendship on campus. Bob, looking to change careers at the age of 45, was going to school for the second time. Michelle, a fresh-faced twenty-one-year-old, was in her sophomore year, and in many ways just beginning her life. Scant weeks ago, she hadn't even been able to purchase alcohol legally.

Somehow they'd wound up talking one day. Bob had sat down near her on one of the grassy islands that dotted the campus; a chance remark about how the cormorants that they could see diving in the harbor were the northern equivalent of the pelicans that could be found farther south had lead to a conversation that veered from musings on the desirability of being somewhere farther south (and warmer), to a comparison of the leaden grey hue of local waters compared to the wondrous blues to be found in the tropics, to questions about what parts of the world each had actually been to, and on and on.

Somewhere in the middle of it all they'd exchanged names. Somewhere in the midst of it all they'd found themselves smiling and laughing. And at some point, Bob had found himself wishing that he weren't twice the age of the girl sitting and talking with him as though classes, schedules and responsibilities didn't matter at all.

As she walked over to join him now, he realized it was likely that neither of them had long to chat: He only had about 15 minutes to get to class, and she might well have no more. But it hadn't occurred to him not to say hello when he'd seen her.

"Hey," he said as she came to a stop. "Hope you're not in a hurry. I just looked up and there you were."

 

[Sienna]

"Hi Bob," Michelle replied, and in a way happy to bump into him. She had something she was keeping special for him, hoping that he would approve. "You mentioned you liked soul and jazz music?" she asked. Bob thought for a while and remembered that he did, during one of their passing conversations on campus.

"Yes, I vaguely remember that. But, unfortunately I don't get much time to listen to music these days with all this study I need to do. I barely get out and about and I have to make time for my kids remember, even though I'm divorced." Although he was pleased to see her, he kept looking at his watch. "Look, maybe you and I should meet somewhere quiet for dinner or something to eat? That is if you don't mind hanging around with a guy who is no doubt the same as your father."

His strange mood was best described as being nervous. Michelle smiled, noticing this and tried to dismiss it. "Bob, are you OK?, only..."

"Michelle, to be honest I want to get to know you better. Our mind sets clash and despite that age difference, we do have things in common. I wish my seventeen year old son would like the same music as we do instead of that heavy metal gothic rock trash I have to put up with."

"Wait, I thought you said you were divorced and lived alone?"

"I am and I do, but Ray, my son, he finds his way to my place and crashes there. Look, we really must make arrangements to meet and have dinner. Why don't you text me, give me a call... anything, when you are ready." Bob dashed to his class, possibly late.

Michelle was left thinking what could be on his mind? Why was he acting nervously all of a sudden after being calm and easy in passing previously? And the invitation for dinner dominated her request to ask him out to a jazz concert in town.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please Note This Thread Is Closed To Blasé and Sienna
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Blase]

That had gone amazingly well, Bob reflected. At least, if his object had been to appear even younger and less seasoned than Michelle.

Yeah, nothing like making yourself relatable. What the hell had he been thinking? Quite obviously he hadn't.

Well, it was water under the bridge, now. And so, likely enough, was their friendship. All because he'd done the one thing he'd promised himself not to do; forgotten the lessons and polish of most of five decades and turned into a bumbling, stuttering stereotype of a dirty old man.

He was pretty sure he'd hear from Michelle, since he'd pretty much demanded to.

As best he could, he braced himself for a message that was liable to begin with ""I'm sorry..."

 

[Sienna]

Michelle arrived home that evening and scooted through the list of texts and missed calls on her cell phone. She had what one would call 'undesirables' that tried to leave messages and request contact with her. She had been dating four ex boyfriends at different times, up until now, and all around the same age. Another thing was, she was still a virgin and intact at twenty-one. She really was waiting for 'that mister right' to come along, and they certainly was not on her directory, that is, as far as she realised.

She lay on her bed wrapped in her pink bath robe after taking a shower. She thought to herself, why not call Bob, and actually make that first on-going regular number of calls that would develop a more communicative friendship?

All of her life she had been mainly surrounded by mature people, both family and friends. To her Bob was just another friend and then there was this concert she needed to take him to. She also had a surprise for him, but that would come later.

A date? Why not? she thought. Let's roll it into one event the night of the concert and set it all up properly. She pressed his number in her directory and the tone seem to go on forever. Eventually, Bob answered.

"Hi Bob, don't say anything OK, it's my turn to say something."

"Atleast you called. So pleased to hear your voice. I am really sorry for the other day. I was in a rush and slightly late..." he ranted on, unable to apologise enough.

"Bob! Stop! I was fine with that, our classes are clashing more and more. We don't get time to even bump into each other, never mind chat. And, that is why I called you." He went silent. "You there Bob?"

"Yeah I'm here. You're right, these new schedule changes do make it difficult to meet on campus. Er... I meant what I said about taking you to dinner."

"Are you free on Saturday evening and all night? Just say yes or no?" She was beginning to get used to his continual butting in with comments and apologies.

"Yeah! Are we going out somewhere?"

"We certainly are. Remember my invite and yours? Well, I've decided to make it Saturday, so you have no excuses. Don't back out on me."

"Leaving it all up to you Michelle. To be honest, I don't have a clue anymore how to ask a girl out on a date. It's like the first time all over again."

"You mean, since or during your separation and divorce you never dated?" Michelle giggled. She could not believe that Bob was so naïve. Whatever split those two up in the first place? Did his wife cheat on him? Things were beginning to get intriguing. A new area of this man's life to discover it seemed.

Subconsciously, Michelle found herself touching her nipple. He dropped the tone of his voice whilst he began to explain his predicament with passed and failed relationships, some in great personal detail. To her, over the phone his voice somehow grew sexy and it was hard not to feel those goose bumps and the tingling both his voice and her vivid imagination encouraged. After a while, things went quiet and he asked? "Michelle, you still listening to me?"

"Sorry Bob, my mind just drifted for a moment. Can I ask you why you mentioned one of your recent... dates in such detail?"

"Er... sorry Michelle, I didn't mean to give out too much information. I get carried away sometimes. She was hot and I temporarily forgot who I was talking to."

Michelle took in a long deep breath. She enjoyed what he told her and in that soft sexy voice. To her, their age difference did not matter. But, Bob still felt uncomfortable. Maybe after Saturday things will feel less difficult.