Early evening, Saturday, September 13, 1947
I got home at a quarter past six and found Alan already waiting for me on the front stoop of the building, dressed in the tuxedo I had bought for him in Chicago a few months earlier. A small brown leather satchel was at his feet, which were encased in well-polished, black cap toe shoes.
“Holy moly, will you look at you?” I said as I came up the walk.
“What?”
“Just that never have I ever seen a more dapper-looking gentleman in all my life.”
“Aw, quit,” Alan said, smiling.
“Totally true. I’m sorry I’m a bit late. After I left the station, I stopped and got a haircut and shave, then I had lunch downtown and did some shopping.”
“It’s fine. I was visiting with your downstairs neighbor, Mrs. Murphy. She wanted to know where I was going all dressed up like this, in my glad rags.”
“And you said?”
“To the opera with you, of course. But I also told her we had to swing by and pick up our dates yet.”
“Good thinking. Mrs. Murphy is a nice lady, but we don’t want her getting the right idea, so to speak.”
“Yeah, I figured. She wanted to know if I was serious about this girl I’m supposedly taking tonight, because apparently there’s a Miss McBain who lives here. Her fiancé was killed in the war, and Mrs. Murphy thinks she’d be perfect for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh my. Yes, she’s tried to fix me up with her, too. She’s all alone, you know, and such a sweet young thing.”
Alan laughed. “That’s exactly what she said to me, but I told her I was pretty serious about my sweetheart, which is the truth.”
“Well, your sweetheart’s pretty serious about you, too.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I feel kinda sorry for this Miss McBain, though.”
“Yeah, I know. Eligible men are in short supply these days, after the war. But she’ll find someone soon enough, I’m sure, especially with Mrs. Murphy in her corner.”
“She is quite a matchmaker, it seems.”
“Yes, and determined.” I studied Alan, standing there on the stoop in the twilight, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, his dark, wavy hair slicked back. “I can see why Mrs. Murphy would try to set you up with Miss McBain, though. You have the curse, like I said last night.”
“The curse?”
“Of being too good looking. You wear that tuxedo well, you know.”
“Thank you, kind sir. Compliments of you, I must say.”
“But you’re missing one thing.”
Alan looked down at himself and then back up at me. “I am? What?”
“An opera scarf. White silk.”
“Oh, well, I’ll have to get one, I suppose.”
I reached into my inside suit coat pocket and pulled out a tissue-wrapped package. “You just did,” I said, handing it to him. “It’s partly why I was a tad late. I stopped at Boston Store and Gimbels to find just the right one.”
He smiled, his face beaming. “For me? Gee, Heath, you shouldn’t have. Why? It’s not my birthday.”
“Because,” I said.
He unwrapped the tissue and removed the scarf, draping it around his neck. “It’s beautiful, and so soft. Do I wear it like this?”
I adjusted it slightly. “Yes, perfect.”
“Gosh, thanks, but you really shouldn’t have.” He looked ever so pleased and happy.
“I should have and I did. You’re worth it. That look on your face is all the reason I needed. Besides, it was on sale. Like it?”
“I do. I really do. I feel so elegant.”
“Good, I’m glad. Ready for tonight, then?”
“Yes, sir. Like I always say, if you’re waiting for me, you’re wasting your time.”
“Let me get upstairs, put on my tuxedo, and give my shoes a quick shine, and then we should be ready to go. Since I was a bit late getting home, I think we’ll have to settle for grabbing a quick bite at Art’s Diner, if that’s okay with you.”
“Sure, if you’re buying, though I think we might be a tad overdressed for Art’s. Maybe we should have a light dinner afterward instead, perhaps at the Circle Room.”
“That sounds like a lovely idea, and that way we won’t be so rushed. What’s in the satchel?”
Alan glanced down at the bag by his feet. “A few things for when we get back from the opera, and some fresh clothes for tomorrow. That is, if you still want me to stay over.”
“Silly boy. I want you to stay over tonight and forever. I should get you a key so I won’t keep you waiting out in the cold. In fact, I’ve got a spare building key upstairs. I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks. It has gotten a bit chilly, but I’m fine, really. Maybe if we get that two-bedroom.”
My spirits lifted even more. “So you’ve been thinking about it?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m still not sure, but I’m thinking about it. I said I would.”
“Excellent. It just makes sense, you know? You wouldn’t have to pack an overnight bag, we’d both save money, people wouldn’t wonder…”
“Yeah, so you’ve said. But right now you’d better get upstairs to change, shine your shoes, and freshen up. It’s nearly six thirty.”
“All right, handsome, I’m going. Do you want to wait here or come up?”
“I’ll come up. I need to use your bathroom, you can get me that building key, and I can leave my bag in your bedroom.”
“Okay, let’s go.” I unlocked the front door and held it open for him.
“Have anything to snack on to tide me over until dinner?” Alan said as we started up the two flights of stairs to the third floor.
“I think I have a few apples. We can each have one, which should keep our stomachs quiet during the opera and won’t spoil our appetites.”
“Good idea. I’ll slice them up while you change.”
We made it to the Pabst Theater by seven thirty, and to the Circle Room in the hotel LaSalle for a late dinner afterward by ten, finally getting back to my place at just a few minutes before midnight, both of us exhausted but happy.