don't know. I wanted it to be a little bit of everything, I guess. I think we've got a good plan in place now." Polly pointed to the back corner of the building. "A classroom with tables," then she pointed at the room just behind Henry, "a room with a dozen or so chairs for book clubs, bible studies, meetings, whatever," then she pointed at another room, "a computer room with study carrels, and this open space will just be a lounge. That all makes sense, doesn’t it?"
"Good enough," he replied. "Windows into these two rooms, right? But nothing into the classroom."
"Right," she said. "See, I told you. You know what's going on."
"I know what's going on here, but what I don’t know is when I’m going to get you to go out with me again?"
The sudden turn of conversation had Polly blushing. Their first date had happened several weeks ago and with the excitement of the holidays, they hadn't found another opportunity. It had been a dream of a first date; Henry had gone all out. When she expressed a desire to go slowly, he respected her wishes. The only problem was her friends. They already considered the two of them a couple and she was worried Lydia and Beryl would have her married to him by the end of the year. Polly gave a slight shake of the head as she thought about that possibility. It wasn't what she wanted at all. There was too much happening in her life to settle down into marriage.
Henry interrupted her reverie, "The question wasn't that serious, Polly. Is there a reason it is taking so long for you to answer me?"
"Oh!" she laughed, "I'm sorry! Uh, well, uh. My mind wandered," she said as her voice trailed off. This time she blushed from embarrassment.
"Me asking you if you will go out with me again caused your mind to wander?" Henry looked down at the workbench and shook his head. He braced his hands on the edge, then looked up again. "That doesn't give a man much confidence, you know."
"Okay," she said. "I apologize. Here's the deal. Lydia and Beryl already have us married with children. I'm not ready for that."
"What!" Henry's laugh carried an edge of panic. "I'm not ready for that either. I only wanted to go out for dinner and a movie."
Polly snorted back a laugh. "You're right. I'm letting them get to me. So, let me take you out, then."
"Am I supposed to be a twenty-first century man and tell you that’s a great idea?" he asked.
"If you aren’t courting me for marriage," Polly paused and looked at him through her eyelashes, "then I believe we can forego standard dating traditions and be comfortable with either of us making plans and paying for the evening. Don't you?" The look on her face dared him to disagree.
"Fine," he huffed. "You can take me out. I'm not a cheap date though. I want a nice dinner and you have to buy me popcorn at the movie. We aren't splitting a small one either. I want my own."
"It's a deal," she said. "Friday night?"
"Friday night," he replied, "It's a date."
"She hasn't taken us out for our date yet," came a voice from behind her. Polly turned around to see Doug Randall and Billy Endicott standing there with silly grins on their faces.
Doug continued, "She promised us steak. Have you had steak yet, Billy?"
"Nope. No steak," Billy sighed. "I think she was just teasing us."
"Every man in my life wants something from me! Dates, steaks, and what do you want from me?" she whirled on Jeff as he joined the group.
"Ack! What?" he said. “I'm almost afraid to ask!"
"If it's a date for Friday night, she's already busy," Doug said. "With him," and he pointed to Henry.
"She's not my type," laughed Jeff. "And she's my boss. No dating allowed, you know."
"What did you need, Jeff?" Polly giggled. She was continually surprised at how much fun life was since she'd moved back to Iowa and started building a life here.
“Whoops, I guess I do want a date. Can I set the date for the barn raising?" he asked.
"Don't be surprised if you do and we have a blizzard that day. Iowa is mean that
"Good enough," he replied. "Windows into these two rooms, right? But nothing into the classroom."
"Right," she said. "See, I told you. You know what's going on."
"I know what's going on here, but what I don’t know is when I’m going to get you to go out with me again?"
The sudden turn of conversation had Polly blushing. Their first date had happened several weeks ago and with the excitement of the holidays, they hadn't found another opportunity. It had been a dream of a first date; Henry had gone all out. When she expressed a desire to go slowly, he respected her wishes. The only problem was her friends. They already considered the two of them a couple and she was worried Lydia and Beryl would have her married to him by the end of the year. Polly gave a slight shake of the head as she thought about that possibility. It wasn't what she wanted at all. There was too much happening in her life to settle down into marriage.
Henry interrupted her reverie, "The question wasn't that serious, Polly. Is there a reason it is taking so long for you to answer me?"
"Oh!" she laughed, "I'm sorry! Uh, well, uh. My mind wandered," she said as her voice trailed off. This time she blushed from embarrassment.
"Me asking you if you will go out with me again caused your mind to wander?" Henry looked down at the workbench and shook his head. He braced his hands on the edge, then looked up again. "That doesn't give a man much confidence, you know."
"Okay," she said. "I apologize. Here's the deal. Lydia and Beryl already have us married with children. I'm not ready for that."
"What!" Henry's laugh carried an edge of panic. "I'm not ready for that either. I only wanted to go out for dinner and a movie."
Polly snorted back a laugh. "You're right. I'm letting them get to me. So, let me take you out, then."
"Am I supposed to be a twenty-first century man and tell you that’s a great idea?" he asked.
"If you aren’t courting me for marriage," Polly paused and looked at him through her eyelashes, "then I believe we can forego standard dating traditions and be comfortable with either of us making plans and paying for the evening. Don't you?" The look on her face dared him to disagree.
"Fine," he huffed. "You can take me out. I'm not a cheap date though. I want a nice dinner and you have to buy me popcorn at the movie. We aren't splitting a small one either. I want my own."
"It's a deal," she said. "Friday night?"
"Friday night," he replied, "It's a date."
"She hasn't taken us out for our date yet," came a voice from behind her. Polly turned around to see Doug Randall and Billy Endicott standing there with silly grins on their faces.
Doug continued, "She promised us steak. Have you had steak yet, Billy?"
"Nope. No steak," Billy sighed. "I think she was just teasing us."
"Every man in my life wants something from me! Dates, steaks, and what do you want from me?" she whirled on Jeff as he joined the group.
"Ack! What?" he said. “I'm almost afraid to ask!"
"If it's a date for Friday night, she's already busy," Doug said. "With him," and he pointed to Henry.
"She's not my type," laughed Jeff. "And she's my boss. No dating allowed, you know."
"What did you need, Jeff?" Polly giggled. She was continually surprised at how much fun life was since she'd moved back to Iowa and started building a life here.
“Whoops, I guess I do want a date. Can I set the date for the barn raising?" he asked.
"Don't be surprised if you do and we have a blizzard that day. Iowa is mean that
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