The Journey to Freedom: Path to WW3

Chapter XXXI

Dating is different when you get older. You're not as trusting, or as eager to get back out there and expose yourself to someone.

Toni Braxton

I walk to the front desk and ask if there's a tailor in the area. They tell me that they have one on call and that the suits can be made in a few hours. I tell them that I have a date at 8 pm and if the suit can be ready by then, they tell me that its short notice but they are confident that it can be done. I tell them to send the tailor to my room to be fitted.

We all go back up to our rooms and get some sleep. I anxiously wait for the tailor and then I hear a knock on the door and let the tailor inside. "My name is Lloyd and I will be your tailor today."

Lloyd was a white gay man about 5'7" and was wearing a suit that was purple but shined like it was covered in turtle wax. I tell him that I wanted a black suit with a silk white shirt to be ready as soon as possible. He tells me that it can be done and he immediately tells me to get undressed so he can take my measurements. I take off my dressed blues and he sees that I'm scarred from the chest down. I tell him that I was in a lot of wars and that he shouldn't be discouraged by how I look.

The man tells me, "You poor thing, I will make sure that your date will not even think about your scars once I'm done with you."

Lloyd was a flaring gay man with impeccable taste for dressing up. Honestly, I don't think that a straight man would dress me any better than a gay guy. He measures my arms, chest, back waist, legs and writes everything down. I tell him that I don't want the suit to fit me too tight or at my size, and ask him if he could give me an extra few inches to move around in because I don't ever feel comfortable when I feel like I can't move too freely, he nods and tells me that the suit would be ready by 4 pm. It was 10 am at the moment so I'm sure that he had something that would be fixed immediately so that he could make it in six hours. He takes his leave and I lay down to take a nap.

The phone in the room goes off and wakes me up. I stretch over to get it and the front desk tells me that the tailor is here with my suit. I tell them to send him up. I look at my cell phone and see that it was 4:30 pm. I can't believe I slept so much. I was planning on looking for restaurants to take Evelyn to. I call the concierge and ask him to come upstairs because I had an emergency, he says ok and that he would be up in a bit. I pace back and forward and wonder what kind of date I should do. I didn't even have her phone number. I was getting more worried. I start to think and wonder the stupidest thing I can think of.

"I wonder if the pentagon has a number I can call and talk to Evelyn?" I ask myself.

I facepalm myself and tell myself that I was stupid. There was a knock on the door and go to answer it.

"Your suit is ready baby," Lloyd tells me.

He takes it out and hangs it piece by piece on the coat hanger. "I didn't know what size shoes you were, so I brought from sizes nine and up." He tells me.

I told him I was a 10, and he gives me a box of size 10s. I open it and there were these penny loafers that looked like they were made for the President. I look at the suit and tell him that I never expected to ever wear a suit of this caliber. He tells me what the suit's material is, and that I needed to put it on to see how it fit me. I take off my shirt and then there's a knock on the door. I open it and the concierge asks me what the emergency was. I tell him to come in and tell him that I was going on a very special date at 8 pm. But I needed a very elegant restaurant. The more exclusive, the better. Also that it had to have a band playing classical music. And if it was possible, that he could find me a place where they do horse carriage rides. I told him that I wanted to go the full 100% on this date. I wanted to make it a night that neither of us would forget. He tells me that he would get on it. But before he leaves, he asks me what kind of flowers she liked, I told him that I didn't know. I said just get me the best roses that you can find. Something with a lot of colors. And if he knew how to contact her through the pentagon, then if he could contact her and tell her to dress up for a fancy dinner. He tells me that he was going to get on it and to leave it to him. I go over and shake his hand and tell him that he's a good man. He thanks me and leaves.