Later that evening, Isaac and Wendy sat on the swing that was on her front porch.
"I had a great time tonight, Isaac."
"I'm glad." he said.
"You're family sure is great." She said.
"They liked you."
"I liked them." She said, looing thoughtfully over at the Hanson house.
They sat in silence a few minutes, just listening to the crickets and the evening birds chirping.
"You know, I've been meaning to ask you something." Isaac said.
"What's that?" She asked looking at him, her soft green eyes focusing on him. Isaac felt his stomach drop.
"Well, you heard my mom mention the grammies, right?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah."
"Would you like to go with me?" He asked.
Wendy looked at him, her mouth open. "Me?" She asked.
"Yeah." He said "It would be fun." He said.
"Oh, I don't think so." She said, looking away. She folded her hands in her lap and started to fidget.
"Why not?"
"Isaac, think a minute here. Me, a small time girl at the grammies? I'd feel so out of place." She said. "And you're so much older. I'm just turned 19, and you're almost 24." She added.
"That doesn't matter." he said. "You're so mature, and I'm such a goof."
The two of them laughed.
"Besides, when I'm with you, I forget about the age difference." He said. "Look at me and tell me that you forget it too." He said.
She turned and looked back at him. "Well, I do feel like we're the same age." She said.
"I knew it." He said.
"But that would look a little odd. I'm only a little older than your little brother." She said. "Don't you think that would be strange to some?"
"I don't think so." Isaac said.
"Besides, I don't know anything about dressing fancy and doing all these extravagant things." She said. "I'd feel so out of place."
"You'd be with me and my brothers and my parents...You wouldn't be out of place at all." he said.
"I know, but then i'd have to get a dress, and they wear fancy things." She said.
"I know."
"Isaac, that would be awfully expensive." She said, looking at him. "You know I have no money."
"The dress, getting your hair done, the limo, everything would be paid for." he said.
"I don't know." She said, looking down.
"Please?" He begged.
"I'd just feel like I was mooching off of you because you've got money." She said.
"You're not a moocher." He said with a smile.
"Then what am I?" Wendy said quietly, looking at him.
"You're my friend." He said softly. "Please go with me?"
"Isaac...."
"I really would like you to go with me." He reached over and took her hand. "We would have fun." He said, nudging her.
"I.....Isaac...." She said, speechless.
"Please?" He asked, her, giving her a puppy dog look.
"........I guess." She said.
"Yes! I knew you'd go!" He said.
"But I'm still not sure about this." She said, squeezing his hand.
"You'll be fine. We're leaving on Saturday, the grammies are on Tuesday." Isaac said.
"Oh my, it's less than a week away!" She said.
"I know."
"I've got to get going!" She said, jumping up.
"Okay...." He said slowly. "I"ll get ahold of you tomorrow, and we'll talk the details over." he said.
He watched her walk across the street and inside her house. "Yes!" He said, doing a little dance on his front porch. Now they HAD to win.
"So she said yes?" Taylor asked the next day.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe it." Isaac said. He had just spent another day with Wendy, doing yard work. They had cut her grass, cleaned her windows, and weeded her driveway. He hadn't been able to stop talking about them, and Wendy seemed pretty excited too.
"So how is she paying for everything?" Taylor asked.
"Huh?"
"Well, no offense or anything, but she doesn't look like she has any money." Taylor said.
"She doesn't." Isaac said.
"Sooo...."
"So I'm paying for it."
"Whoa, this is getting pretty serious." Taylor commented.
"I don't know anything for sure yet." Isaac said, gazing across the street.
"That's cool." Taylor said.
"Don't you have a date?" Isaac asked with a wicked grin.
"Nope." Taylor said. "Thinkin of goin to this one solo." He said.
"Awwww." Isaac said. "You shouldn't."
.
"I think I might bro." Taylor said, patting Isaac on the shoulder. "I can't think of anyone I'd like to be seen with in public right now." He said.
"Are you sure? Cuz I'm sure I could hook you up...."
"Nah." Taylor said, shaking his head. "I'm going to go alone." He said dramatically.
"Okaaaaay." Isaac said.
"I'll be fine." Taylor said, shrugging. "So how are you and Wendy doing?" He asked with a southern accent.
"We're fine." Isaac said, playfully smacking his brother on the arm.
"Ohhhh....."
"What goes on over there anyway, cuz i know you've over there a lot." Taylor said.
"There's not really anything going on." Isaac said with a grin.
"What do you mean?" Taylor asked. "You've been over at her house over half the summer and nothing?"
"Uhh....yeah, baisically." Isaac said, absentmindedly scratching his head.
"Not even a date?" Taylor asked.
"No...." Isaac said.
Taylor gave him a look of disbelief.
"What?"
"You haven't been on one date?"
"Well, no." Isaac said.
"Dude, you gotta do something..." Taylor said.
"Like, what?"
"Um, for starters, ask her out." Taylor said.
"I don't know." He said.
"What? Why?" Taylor asked.
"Because...."
"You don't even have a good reason not too. I mean, she's cute, she lives across the street, and you obviously have quite the thing for her...why not?" He asked.
"It's just that....we have such a great friendship, and I really dont' want to screw it up at this point...." Isaac said, running a hand through his hair.
"Oh." Taylor said.
"Yeah."
They were both silent for a moment. Isaac gazed across the street to her house. He saw a car pull into her driveway. Isaac frowned.
"What?" Taylor asked, walking over to the window where Isaac was looking.
"There's a car in her driveway." Isaac said.
A young woman got and walked up to Wendy's door. Wendy opened it, and then started jumping up and down with excitement. The two women hugged, then went inside.
"That's strange." Isaac said. "I didn't think she knew anyone around here."
"She was hot."
"Wendy?"
"No, that girl."
"I'm going to go over there later to get her dress measurements with the tailor, i'll check it out." Isaac said.
"Cool."
"Maybe you will have a date."
"No, not this close to the grammies, not a chance."
"I'm just kidding." Isaac said. "i've got a date." he sang to himself, doing a dance in the kitchen.
"Ike you are obviously hung up on this chick, why don't you just ask her out?"
"I don't know Taylor..."
"You could take her out to eat or something....."
Isaac thought a moment. He didn't really have a good reason not too. It ws just one date, after all. One date, that's all it was.
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