Paragraph(s) of the day from A Different Closet
A moment later Dampier’s car coasted to a stop in front of Karen’s house. “Keith, that was fun. We’ll have to do it again.”
“Sure, why not,” Keith said. “That was great pizza, and I really had fun.” This was the moment about which Keith had worried most. It humored him earlier to think his concern was similar to those he’d had before and during all of his first dates, except that his perspective had changed for this one. His question wasn’t whether or not he should lean in for a kiss, forever the greatest dilemma of first dates, but how he would react if it were Dr. Dampier who leaned. Keith reached forward and pulled the door latch, turned his head toward the house, and began to step up and out of the low sports car, when Dampier placed a hand on his arm. Keith was never quite sure what motivated his response, though he always suspected something very close to instinct. He literally jerked his arm away. “Oh,” Dampier said. “I was about to say that I hoped to see you again, but I guess I won’t.”
Keith paused. As uncomfortable as he was, this ending was no good. He sat back down. He would have to adjust, improvise, lie. That was manageable, he knew, but habitual deceit was still new to him. “You know, I am sorry,” Keith said. “I just, uh, I get a little claustrophobic sometimes. Please, please, please don’t take it personally.”
Dampier laughed. “You know, it’s kind of hard not to take it personally when someone reacts to me as if I were a hot pan.”
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