But no one was going to think being hard of hearing was sexy and he’d forgotten his hearing aids. “Damn, damn, damn!” No time to go back for them, it would be the quickest date in history.“Sorry I’m half an hour late, I had to go back for my hearing aids;” sexy as hell! He would just have to wing it.
Dinner went well. The restaurant was quiet and the conversation flowed; Leo began to feel more comfortable. Louise didn’t seem to mind his lack of hair, or the stomach that strained against his shirt buttons. Leo’s hearing difficulties were forgotten in the refined atmosphere of the restaurant.
Getting up to leave, Louise’s next words were drowned slightly in the scraping of the chair legs.
“Shall we go to my car,” is what Leo heard, but obviously she had mentioned a bar, for very soon they were sitting together in a cacophony of noise, having a drink. This brought his lack of hearing aids to the forefront of his mind, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that the aids would be next to useless in such a rowdy place, so he made the best of the situation by leaning in close to Louise.
“Terribly loud here,” Louise tried to make conversation.
“Yes a big crowd,” he agreed.
“Too loud I think.”
“Ok I’ll get you a drink.”
Louise wondered if he was trying to ply her with alcohol. While Leo went to the bar, Louise made her way to the ladies room to repair her lipstick. She was wearing a vibrant shade of red which was the first thing Leo noticed on her return.
“Did you miss me?” Louise blushing under his gaze made an attempt at being flirtatious. Leo, not needing to be asked twice, leant over and bestowed a kiss on her luscious lips, both seeming a little surprised at how fast the relationship was progressing.
“It’s too noisy here, I can’t hear myself think,” said Louise trying to regain her composure.
“No thanks, not another drink, we should probably go.”
“Yes alright, take me home. It's been a lovely evening but too much alcohol goes straight to my head.”
Normally that sort of forward invitation on a first date would have put him off, but really, when you were 60 and getting fatter there was no time to waste. Leo took Louise home to bed.