Now this is what he doesn’t understand. Why did he wait so long to call her after their second date? After he first met her at the party, he can understand why he didn’t call so fast. But he went over all that. Nervous about speaking to her. Didn’t want to be rejected. Thought waiting a few days before calling would up his chances of meeting her than calling right away or even in two to three days. How many days was it? He knows. Around a week. But it was mostly just nerves and that he wasn’t used to calling up someone for a date. But after the second date, when they had a good time together and the conversation flowed and so on and she invited him up and it seemed she was beginning to like him a little? They’d probably end up in bed next time they met or get pretty close to it, and then on the fourth date they would. Based on what happened at the end of their second date and something she said — he forgets what it was exactly but something like they shouldn’t rush things too fast, which meant on their second date — he was almost sure of it. Would have been so simple. And he was no longer nervous about calling her. He’d call the next day or day after that, but no longer. She’d agree to see him, but for what? Maybe he’d suggest a movie and then a bite to eat and a drink after. She might say “A movie would be fine — I love movies — but something to eat and drink after, we’ll see. Possibly just some nice place for tea. Anyway, I’d love to go to a movie with you.” Does that sound like her? It sounds like her, and she’d say “I’m free,” and mention the nights she was, and he’d say “I’m free every night this week and next, though let’s not wait till next, so whatever day works best for you is okay with me.” They’d meet, either at the movie theater or her apartment or in her building’s lobby — no, why go to her building? He’d suggest they meet at the theater — he’d have, in preparation for this, the newspaper opened to the listings of movies playing. But that wouldn’t be good for all week, maybe not even the next day, so they’d find out what movie to see and the times it’s playing some other way. Maybe she’d say she’d like to see a certain movie, and he’d look in the newspaper to see where it’s playing and call the theater for the time schedule on the evening they want to see it. Then, after the movie, they’d have a drink or snack or both or tea and pastry in a nice place close to the theater and then he’d go with her to her building and in front of it or in the lobby or during the subway or bus ride or walk to her building she’d say something like “Care to come up again for a nightcap?” Or maybe not. Maybe she’d still have work to do that night for the next day or have to get up early the next day to teach. So they wouldn’t go to bed together that night after the movie, or whatever they’d do on that date. But he’d make sure their next date would be on a Friday or Saturday night so she’d have no urgent work to do later on or a class to teach the next day. Maybe they’d go to a play this time or have dinner out again or he’d pick up Chinese or Indian food on his way to her place and some good beer and a decent wine, or maybe she’d want to make dinner for them in her apartment, and after one of those they’d make love. But he didn’t call her for a week. Again, he doesn’t know why. Thought about it a number of times and could never come up with an explanation that seemed right. He asked her about it sometime later — many months later. By now — actually, from a week or so after they first made love — they were seeing each other four to five times a week. He said “How come I waited so long to call you after our second date?” “Which one was that?” she said, and he said “When we had drinks at the West End and then dinner at the Strauss Cafe, I think it’s called. I walked you home. It was very cold — unusually so for early or mid-December.