A Case of Getting What You Need

Here we are - first week of August and the summer heat is on.  Had a wonderful anniversary weekend.  Ray is a real romantic, much more so than I and I'll leave it at that.  

Not the best story, but it's new and you can all fill in the blanks if you're not happy.  It's hard to make them all a little different when we all know the outcome, right.  I try.

Billie Jean Mowry was named after Billie Jean King.  In case you don’t know about Billie Jean King, she was and maybe still is, a tennis player who took on Bobby Riggs, another tennis player, in a match that was supposed to decide whether women were capable of beating men in competitive play.  The match took place sometime in the 70’s and when Billie Jean was born her mother bestowed the name on her.  She wanted to implant in Billie Jean that women were strong, independent and didn’t need a man.  Her mother was a feminist, her father a man who didn’t have strong opinions about anything and was, therefore, not a man in the eyes of her mother. 

It was not easy growing up in that household.  Billie Jean adored her father and often wished he would take a stand against her mother.  In her teenage years, she questioned her father about it and he responded that it wasn’t important to him, but it was important to my mother.  She never questioned it again.  Her father went about his life, loving her and her mother, supporting them until his death at too early an age.

Regardless of what her dad told Billie Jean, she believed his early demise was because he didn’t like his life.  What she gleaned from living in that household, was what she did and didn’t want as a woman and as an adult. Just as her mother hoped, Billie Jean grew into a strong, independent woman but her ideas about men were different.  She dated men who were like her, strong, independent and more often than not way too domineering to suit her tastes. She didn’t need someone bossing her around and telling her what she could and couldn’t do. But neither did she date men who seemed to be more like her father.  If she could browbeat a man, she wasn’t interested.

Along came Mitch Monroe.  His name alone bothered Billie Jean for some reason.  What kind of name was Mitch – there seemed to be no strength in it.  Nonetheless, as they worked together and she got to know him better, her opinion changed somewhat.  When he invited her to dinner, she balked but told him the reason was she didn’t date among her co-workers.  He accepted her stance and didn’t ask again.

That is until he left the company.  Then he called and invited her again.  Billie Jean accepted even though a tiny wiggle in her brain wondered if the reason he left Bixby & Hall was because of her turndown. 

When the day arrived, she liked that he had chosen the restaurant, yet still asked if it met with her approval.  Deciding not to test the waters, she agreed and they had a nice time.  On the way home, Billie Jean’s curiosity got the better of her and asked if the reason he left Bixby & Hall was because of her turning down his dinner invitation.

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“It’s something that crossed my mind because you left shortly afterward.”

“Wow.  I knew you were full of yourself, but I never realized just how much that was true.”

“I’m not full of myself.  I’m just a strong and independent woman.”

“Yes, I agree with that and they are admirable qualities in both men and women.  But you, Billie Jean, are a little too cocky and I have a feeling you need someone to take you down a peg or two.”

“Then, why did you even bother to ask me out.”

“Because I think I might be the one to do just that.”

“Why you arrogant prick.  Here I thought you were a gentleman.”

“I’m very much a gentleman.  Haven’t I treated you as such?”

“Yes, you have.”

“and I will continue to do so.  However, make no mistake that if you cross over to the ‘dark side’ as I’ve seen you do, I will take take matters into my own hand, so to speak.”

“What does that mean?”

“Don’t cross over and you will never have to know the answer to that question.”

“Well, I’ll never know the answer to that question because when this date is over, so is this relationship.  Take me home and don’t call again.”

He listened to her and did just as she asked.  When he walked her to the door, he bent over and she thought he was going to kiss her.  She pulled away.  “Don’t you even dare to try to kiss me, you arrogant prick.”

He pulled close to her again.  “Don’t you ever call me that again.” He warned

“No worries.” She told him and as she opened her door she heard him call out “chicken”.

Mitch Monroe chuckled to himself as he walked down the path to his car.  Somehow he knew that he would hear from her again – it may take a while, but he’d hear. He was a patient man.

Billie Jean Mowery couldn’t believe the arrogance of the man with whom she shared dinner. He was such a pleasant companion until that last remark. ‘ Who the hell did he think he was telling her she was full of herself.  She had self-confidence sure, but she didn’t think she was overbearing.  Just because she seemed to have the best ideas among her friends and cohorts didn’t make her bossy, did it? ’

Over the next couple of weeks, Billie Jean took note of her behavior in work related meetings and social occasions.  She had to admit to herself that she always seemed to take charge, but that didn’t mean she was overbearing.  Billie Jean decided that Mitch Monroe was wrong and she was going to prove it to him when he called.

The thing was, he didn’t call.  Two months had gone by and Billie Jean hadn’t heard a word from him. It bugged her until she took matters into her own hands.  She knew he worked out at a gym on Colfax Avenue and she would happen to accidently bump into him.  Sure enough, after scouting out the perfect place for the ‘accidental meeting’, she bumped into him.  After sharing hellos and small talk, she invited him to dinner.

“I’m sorry, Billie Jean.  I’d love to but I have other plans this evening.”

“What other plans?”

“I really don’t see how that is any of your business.”

“You’re right.  I’m sorry. How about another night?”

“Sure,  I’ll call you.”

“When will you call?”

“After I’ve checked my calendar.  I have to be going now.  Glad we bumped into each other.” And off he went down the street, leaving Billie Jean standing there stupefied.

Mitch walked off with a smile.  He didn’t have plans but he was going to give Ms. High and Mighty a lesson in humility.  He didn’t plan on calling right away.  If he was right, his phone would ring before he got around to making a date with Billie Jean.

Sure enough, about two weeks later he received a call at his office.  He wasn’t in but she left a message to call.  The following day he returned the call.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get back to you sooner, Billie Jean.  What can I do for you?”

“You said you were going to call after you checked your calendar.  Have you checked it yet?”

He heard the snippy tone in her voice.  “I’m sorry I must have forgotten to get back to you,” 

he told her .  He hoped the smirk on his face didn’t come through in his tone.

Based on her tone and response, he was sure it hadn’t.  “I’m here now, so when would you like to go to dinner.  It will be my treat.”

“How about next Tuesday?” he asked.

“I was thinking more of the weekend.”

“I’m sorry.  I won’t have any time this weekend. “

“Are you seeing someone else? “ she asked.

“Billie Jean, I’m free on Tuesday.  Would you like to have dinner then?”  She huffed.

“Yes,” she snarkily replied.  “What time will you pick me up?”

“I have a meeting late that afternoon, how about we meet at La Cuchina?  I’ll call you when I’m on my way but it should be around 6:30.  Is that okay with you?”

“I guess.”

“See you Tuesday then,” and Mitch clicked off the phone.

Mitch had no doubt that Billie Jean would not be in the best of moods for their dinner date.  He hoped he was right.

On Tuesday, he called to let her know he’d be there at 6:30 and that he’d made a reservation. On purpose, he arrived ten minutes late and from the look on Billie’s face, he knew she was angry.

“Sorry, I’m late.  I didn’t plan to keep you waiting but I had trouble getting a cab.”

“A likely story, tried and true, correct.”

He ignored the snide remark.  “Have you ordered anything yet?”'

“Yes, but the service is very slow here.  It’s not one of my favorite restaurants.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve always had good service here and the food is terrific but if you’d like to go someplace else, we can.”

The server arrived then with Billie’s drink.  He was surprised to see Mitch and greeted him warmly.  “I didn’t realize you would be joining the miss.  Can I bring your usual?”

Moments later, Mitch’s drink arrived along with the basket of bread and olive tray.

“I guess it pays to know the server.” Billie Jean remarked.

“Yes, I guess it does.  I do remember though from my waiter days in college, if the patron was snarky, I would purposely take my time in responding to their requests.”

“Are you insinuating I was, what was your word, snarky, to the waiter.”

“I was just telling you of my experience.  So tell me what have you been up to since I last saw you.”

After that, they had a nice evening until she asked for the bill and was told it had been taken paid.

“I told you it would be my treat.”

“Yes, you did.  But then I picked the restaurant and ended up making you wait.”

“Thank you.  I think.”

“You’re welcome, I think.” Billie Jean laughed. “I think this is a game to you.”

“And if it is.”

“I think I might like to find out who wins at the end.”

“Did it occur to you we might both win?”

“Never.” She replied.

“Do you want to play or not.”

“Oh, I want to play.  I enjoy a challenge.”

So Billie Jean and Mitch danced the dance.  They both won a few skirmishes but no one won the war.  A truce was called.  Mitch taught Billie Jean that you could still be strong and independent without being overbearing. He taught by example and Billie Jean learned just how far she could push Mitch before he took things in hand.  That hand was applied to her bottom pretty regularly when she didn't take heed. Each time she threatened to leave him – but she never did - even when he spanked her right in front of her strong independent mother.

“I wish your father had done that to me,” her mother told her afterward.

“I wish he had too.” Billie Jean replied.

And that's that.  See you later for more Aimless Ramblngs.