Shawn looked at the numbers on the building walls. He passed on to another block and then found what he wanted. He slowed to a stop in a space right in front of the address Sara had given him. He made sure to call her right after he had gotten off of his shift. It was almost nine and he was anxious to get this date started.

  He went to his place and quickly changed into clean jeans and a sports coat. He always struggled with casual and semi-formal and found this ensemble to be a nice in-between. He pushed on the parking break and turned off the ignition; he pulled down his sunshield to take a look at himself in the mirror on it's other side. He cocked an eyebrow and used his tongue to pry something loose from between two of his teeth. He nodded to himself.

  "Yummy." Shawn opened his door and stepped into the street. He had never seen Sara at the store before and couldn't believe he had looked her over until now. It wasn't like him to miss someone like her for so long. Maybe she was in a department on the other side of the store. She was close to Evelyn Drake in beauty and a lot more accommodating. While Drake teased him all the time with her very presence, Sara was actually willing to go out on the town; and that was all the reason he needed to agree to the date.

  He walked up the short flight of steps to the outer complex door. They were a pair of large oaken doors, designed to be fashionable and elegant when they were made thirty years ago. But they had lost something over the decades; at least they did so in his eyes. He navigated the hallway until he quickly came upon the apartment door he wanted. He pressed the buzzer and waited.

  As he heard Sara approaching the door. He sucked in his gut and puffed out his chest slightly, like a bird showing off it's crest. She opened the door, and he was forced to breathe out in admiration. Damn. Shawn shook his head and 'ooed' softly. He looked at her head to toe and nodded.

  "You look lovely."

  Sara smiled.

  Yep, the cheap compliments always do the trick.

  "Hello Miss, my name is Shawn and I'll be your escort for the evening."

  She giggled and he knew she would.

  "After you milady, your carriage awaits us on the curb before your lovely home."

  "Thank you Shawn."

  He watched her step out and he closed her door behind her, making sure it was locked, and followed close behind her. He looked at her body from behind and sighed a sigh filled with desire.

  She was wearing a tight black dress that hugged her body in all the right places. It came down almost to her knees and he stared at her great ass as her hips swayed while she walked, each cheek lightly bouncing up and down in succession in rhythm with her high-heeled steps.

  Shawn licked his lips.

  He could tell she did whatever she could to keep herself in shape. He mentally congratulated her on a job well done; it was a fine shape. Her outfit had very short sleeves he noted, as he traveled up her back. He marveled again at her size. He probably hadn't gotten a good enough glance back at work. He loved the tall ones; and she certainly qualified as one of them.

  They walked out into the street and he paused to open the passenger door to his car. Chivalric acts always scored a few points. Shawn watched as Sara sat and swung her legs inside. He closed the door behind her and moved over to his side, humming to himself along the way. He got in his car and stuck the key in the ignition. He looked at his date.

  "Ready?"

  Sara smiled and nodded.

  The engine turned over and the exhaust rumbled as smoke began to pour out of his dark blue Camero. He stepped on the clutch and shifted into first gear as he pulled out of the parking space and into the light traffic. As he did, he opened a little compartment by his side filled with tapes. Shawn rummaged past his copy of Barry White's Greatest Hits along with Enigma's first offering and chose a tape of assorted soft rock.

  Better save the sex tapes for later; later that night when I play my cards right.

  The speakers hummed into life, he stole a glance at Sara's long and firm legs, and he drove to one of his favorite bars.

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  Sara watched as Shawn opened the door to her side and offered his arm to her. She was almost too overcome by the romance of the moment to even grab it. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked around.

  It had been a while since she had been to this part of downtown San Diego and didn't recognize this particular bar. It was a little grimy, but the same could be said for all bars, the thing that really caught her eye was the abundance of small bulbs flashing all over the front of it. They kept blinking in various formations and the effect quickly gave her a headache.

  She turned her eyes away and watched Shawn hand over his keys to the valet. The guy licked his lips and promptly plopped himself behind the wheel and started the car.

  Sara swallowed. Her date startled her by putting his hand on her shoulder. She smiled and walked with him inside. As the the saloon-style doors opened, the putrid waft of cigarette and cigar smoke blew against her and began to cling to every inch of her skin and clothing; she quickly winced. Shawn looked back at her.

  "It's okay, there's a non-smoking area in the back. Their still having a little trouble coping with the new laws." He smiled reassuringly and Sara nodded in response.

  A wrinkled waitress came up and looked at them expectingly. Shawn held up two fingers and the waitress put two fingers to her lips as if holding a cigarette; Shawn shook his head negatively. The waitress blew a a purple bubble and rolled her eyes. She started to walk around tables towards the back of the bar and Shawn beckoned Sara to follow. After navigating the table labyrinth through hazy mist, they walked through a small doorway, past a few bathrooms, and into a small back room that was obviously once a gaming area. The floor was worn in a few places where pool tables once sat and a dart board was set up against one wall that was covered in the holes of bad throws. The waitress motioned her hand to one table and scratched her smoke-scarred face as the couple sat down.

  "What'll ya' have?"

  Shawn looked up.

  "I'll have a rum and coke and the lady will have a khalua shake."

  She wrote down the order and promptly walked out. Sara stared at Shawn.

  "Why did you order for me? How do you know what I want?"

  "Trust me, this bar may not look like much. But they make a fantastic khalua shake. I thought we could have a few and talk before we went to dinner."

  "So we are going to dinner?"

  "Sure we are, what kind of cheap date do you think I am?"

  Sara laughed.

  "Actually, I was beginning to worry. So, how did you find this dive?"

  "I came here when I first turned twenty-one. It's been kind of a tradition ever since." Shawn smiled. And a great place to soften up dates.

  He stood up and fished in his pockets for a few quarters; he walked over to the jukebox and, after putting his money in the slot, chose a few selections. When he came back to sit down, Elliot Smith rose up softly over the aged speakers.

  The waitress came back with his order and placed their glasses in front of them. She stood there for a few moments chewing her gum, until Shawn pulled out a ten dollar bill and laid it on her tray. She picked it up and stuffed it in her blouse contentedly, walking away while still chewing.

  Sara sipped her shake, her eyes suddenly widening in surprise.

  "Wow! This is really good; very sweet and not strong at all."

  That's the point.

  "I know, what did I tell you?" Shawn took a sip from his; he took the cocktail stick and stirred his drink a few times before pulling it out and setting it aside. While Sara busied herself with another taste, Shawn stole himself another gaze at her body. Her arms were strong and dark from tanning, they were extremely shapely and ended in long and smooth fingers. She had painted each of her nails to match her black dress. Her low neckline hugged her firm breasts close to her body, pushing them slightly upwards.

  Set them free, can't you see their suffocating?

  Her hair was long and curly, framing her beautiful face with it's straight nose, high cheek bones, and gorgeous amber eyes. Their eyes met as she set down her glass.

  "So, Sara, how long have you worked at Nordstrom's?"

  "Oh, just for about two weeks." Sara inwardly shrugged, he never even noticed her for the past year at the store.

  "I can't believe we haven't met before"

  "Yes, neither can I." They had actually; but just in passing. That was all in the past now; a past she didn't feel like returning to ever again. "So, what's the plan for the evening?"

  "Well, I took the liberty of getting us reservations at Wolfgang's down in the Gaslamp District."

  Sara's smile broadened.

  "That place is tough to get into, and almost impossible on such short notice." She looked back at her drink and readied herself for another sample of it's soft sweetness.

  "I pulled a few strings and called a few friends." Shawn glanced down at her long legs from behind the side of the table. They glistened in their dark hose under the soft bar light. She was wearing black open-toed pumps over her thin feet and he watched as she curled them slightly as she sipped her khalua. "And, if you feel up to it, I thought we'd catch a late movie afterwards." Shawn smiled with a raised eyebrow. He didn't expect it to go that far, they never did. Sara tilted her head back and drank the last of her drink. Shawn nodded in appreciation.

  She's a natural.

  Sara burped lightly.

  "Excuse me!"

  Shawn looked back and raised his hand, signaling the waitress.

  "Would you like another?"

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