Awakenings: The Greek, The Russian and Me

Chapter 7

I'm exhausted Saturday morning, as I didn't sleep well last night. Dreams of Conn assaulted me throughout the night. I awake at nine o'clock to a massive headache and decide to stay in bed contemplating my situation. Yes, I'm very attracted to him, and he must feel the same or he wouldn't be kissing me. But are we dating? What's going on? Who was that girl he was with in the cafeteria? Lord, he is gorgeous, but what can he see in me? I wonder what we are doing today. What should I wear? I'm brought back to reality as the cat jumps up on the bed and begins meowing. I know, Mona; you must be hungry; let me get you some food.

Going through my closet, I notice that I really have nothing nice to wear. My wardrobe consists of jeans, T-shirts, button-down shirts, and blouses. I decide on my favorite pair of Levi's blue jeans and a deep-orange blouse. I don't want to wear my regular old sneakers even though they are so comfy, so I opt for a black pair of Clarks Mary Jane flats. I lay the outfit on my bed and feel pretty confident in my choice of clothes. So I head to the bathroom for a good long shower. The hot water feels wonderful, and I start to feel more at ease. I get out of the shower, dry off, wrap my hair in a towel, and get dressed. My hair is so thick and wavy that it takes forever to blow-dry. Now some mascara and a little spray of Chloe, my favorite perfume. I walk over to the bathroom mirror and look myself over. Letting out a huge breath, I realize this is as good as it's going to get. "What does he see in me?" I wonder aloud. Mona meows in response as she rubs herself against my leg. I quickly check my watch. It's 1:50 p.m.; he should be here any moment. I grab my purse, keys, and jean jacket as I peer through the living-room blinds. Mona is sitting on the sofa chair near the window looking in my direction with interest. "I have a date, Mona! Can you believe that? He's drop-dead gorgeous too." Mona just sits there and blinks. I laugh aloud. "I'm losing my mind! Now I'm having conversations with the cat," I tell myself. I walk over to Mona and gently pet her. She closes her eyes and purrs loudly. I smile to myself. "Oh! Yes, I know that feels good."

The doorbell rings, and I open the window. Conn is there shading his eyes from the sun with his hand as he looks up. "I'll be right down," I call and close the window quickly. Grabbing my keys, purse, and jacket, I run down the stairs and stop before I open the front door. I look down, adjust my shirt, take a deep breath, and open the door. He is smiling, and I lean toward him, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. I get in his car, and he says, "I thought that maybe we could do something around here, since I'm really not familiar with this part of Queens. Is there anything going on today?"

I'm caught off guard, not sure where to go. I really don't lead an exciting life—just work and school, I tell myself. Then it hits me. "It's Saturday. Have you been to the flea market at the Aqueduct Race Track?"

"No. What's a flea market?"

"Well, it's a place where they sell old and new things out in the open area. They also have food vendors and all sorts of things to look at," I tell him enthusiastically.

"All right, let's go there." He turns on the car.

"Lucky for us the flea market is close to my house, and it's a beautiful day to be outdoors," I say as I give him directions.

We arrive at the Aqueduct Flea Market and find a parking spot pretty close to the main entrance. Conn is looking at everything with genuine curiosity, which makes me laugh. We walk through the aisles, venturing into various tents and market stalls. After about an hour, he asks, "Are you hungry?"

My stomach picks that exact moment to growl. "Yes, a little," I reply.

"Let's go somewhere to sit down and have a nice lunch. Is there a diner around here?" He turns, holding my hand, and starts walking toward the car.