Dan returned home from his date with Alison feeling very good about the evening. It had gone much better than he had anticipated. He found his sister seated on the edge of her chair waiting for him in the living room. As soon as he entered the room, she asked, "How was it?"
"How was what?" Dan asked teasing his sister a little. She hadn't even greeted him.
"How was the date?"
"I never realized that my little sister was so nosy," Dan said pretending to look shocked at the revelation.
"So tell me already," Diana said ignoring the comment about being nosy. It was a well established fact in the house that she took inordinate interest in her brother's life.
"It went well. I picked her up and took her to the restaurant. We ordered and ate dinner. After dessert, we went for a walk," Dan said giving her the study notes version of his date.
Diana shook her head in frustration. She was half tempted to ask Dan for Alison's telephone number so she could find out what really happened on the date. Crossing her arms, she sat back in her chair and asked, "What was she wearing?"
"Clothes," Dan answered intentionally being dense.
"What kind of clothes?"
"She was wearing a very attractive red dress. She really looked nice in it," Dan answered. He had been amazed when she had opened the door. Although he had talked with her for a couple of hours the previous night, the loose clothes that she had been wearing did not even hint at the stunning body underneath them. It had taken him a long moment to recover from the surprise.
"Was it new?"
"I didn't ask. It looked new," Dan answered wondering how he was supposed to know something like that. He had complimented her appearance and had managed it without drooling or acting like an idiot.
"That's a good sign. That meant she was looking forward to the date," Diana said.
"Or that she outgrew all of her other clothes," Dan said winking at her.
Diana laughed at the comment. Dan was wearing new clothes for the date only because he didn't have any clothes that fit him. The shopping trip that afternoon had resulted in a lot of clothes getting purchased. She asked, "Did you hold the door open for her?"
"Nope. I slammed the door in her face. Took her out in one good blow," Dan answered.
"You did not," Diana said with a snort. She was trying to find out how the date had gone and he was being a jerk.
"Okay. I did all of the gentlemanly things," Dan said.
"What did she order for dinner?"
"A Caesar Salad with grilled chicken," Dan answered wondering why his sister wanted to know that. He added, "I had the Surf and Turf."
"She must have really wanted to impress you. She ordered a fairly inexpensive meal. It is low in calories so that she won't ruin her figure," Diana said.
"You got all of that from what she ordered?"
Diana said, "You don't get it, do you? She could have ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, but she was being careful not to cost you too much. A salad is a nice safe dish to order on a date. No strong spices to give you bad breathe. If she went light on the salad dressing, there's not much of a chance of messing up the dress."
"Really?" Dan asked. He hadn't given a second thought about what Alison had ordered for dinner.
"That's right," Diana said. She looked at him and asked, "What about dessert?"
"We shared a chocolate dessert," Dan answered. The meal had been filling, but the waitress had described the dessert in words that were too tempting to refuse. Since neither of them had wanted to eat an entire dessert he had suggested that they share one.
"You shared?" Diana asked.
"Yes," Dan answered. Listening to his sister was putting an entirely different interpretation to the date.
"She must have really enjoyed herself," Diana said. There was something romantic about sharing a dessert with a date. She asked, "Were there many long pauses without conversation? Did you hog the conversation?"
"No. She told me about her family. They seem to be rather close knit. A couple of weeks ago, she visited her cousin out in the country. Her cousin came out here to visit for a couple of weeks," Dan said. He actually thought it was interesting that the parents sent their kids to visit their cousins while they went on a vacation trip.
"You talked about family?"
"Among other things," Dan answered with a smile.
Diana asked, "So after you finished eating dinner you went for a walk. Did you hold hands? Did she offer her hand to you?"
"We went for a walk. I don't quite remember who initiated holding hands, but we did hold hands," Dan said. It had been very nice walking around the park holding hands. They had walked a little, talked a little, and then kissed a little.
"So did you kiss her?" Diana asked.
"I'm not saying," Dan answered. He was going to use the line that a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, but that was as good as saying that they had kissed.
"Are you going to see her again?"
"Yes."
Diana settled back in her chair pleased with what she had learned. Finally, her brother had a good date. It was long past due. She said, "That is good. That is very good."
"Why are you so interested in my date?" Dan asked.
Diana was silent for a moment before she answered, "I've worried about you for years. You're the nicest guy I know. It wasn't right that you didn't have many dates."
Sunday afternoon, Dan went into his room and sat down at his desk. It was time for him to do what had been recommended at the end of the article on the pursuit of happiness. The very last section of the article provided a list of questions to answer. In the process of answering those questions, he would develop a personal definition of happiness. After finding a pad of paper, he picked up his pencil and wrote across the top, 'A Personal Definition of Happiness.' He knew this would be the first draft, but there was no sense in rushing through it.
The first question dealt with the physical environment. Turning to the first section of the paper, he considered the physical environment that he wanted. With great deliberation he started writing. He struggled over every word, but it wasn't an unpleasant struggle. It was an attempt to be precise in what he wanted.
As he worked, a very nice picture emerged of what he wanted out of life. It wasn't a fantasy image, but one that was reasoned and obtainable. He didn't write down that he wanted a mansion; he wrote down that he wanted a modest house in a middle class neighborhood that was safe enough to raise his future children. He liked the part of the country in which he lived.
The next few questions concerned the social environment. He described the social environment that he wanted. He wasn't the type that needed to be surrounded by hundreds of friends. He enjoyed chatting with lots of different folks, but nothing too personal. He wanted to have a handful of friends with whom he had shared experiences, a number of close acquaintances, and the chance to interact in a controlled way with lots of people. He didn't want to deal with the same people day in and day out like in the typical office. Twelve years of putting up with Kim Parker and his other classmates had turned him off of that idea.
The third set of questions dealt with the emotional environment. This was much more difficult to describe. He wanted to have a close friend or two. He wanted to have a wife and children. He didn't want it to be an overtly emotional relationship where people wore their feelings on their sleeves. He preferred things like he found at home. Affection was expressed by doing things together, not by repeating words until they became meaningless. Love was expressed by supporting the person through their problems.
He wanted a basically neutral emotional environment outside of the house. He didn't want to deal with other people's problems. He didn't want a great deal of drama in his life. The emotional environment that police, nurses, and others who dealt with people in crisis wouldn't be nice at all. He didn't want a high pressure job in which he was competing against everyone around him.
The next set of questions dealt with the biological environment. He went to the appropriate section of the paper and read it over keeping in mind the questions that were to guide him in writing his ideal. Feeling better than he had in years, he wanted to remain physically fit. He enjoyed good food, but he wasn't a gourmand. He liked the basic foods on which he had been raised.
The hitch came when he got to the part about sex. For twenty minutes he thought about it, but didn't know what would affect him in a positive manner. His lack of experience in that area really made it difficult to know what kind of sexual life he wanted beyond getting laid on a frequent basis. He decided that he would prefer to have a conventional sex life with occasional forays into things that were a little more risqué.
There wasn't too much to say about the spiritual aspects of his life. He wasn't a particularly religious man, but he did believe in God. The family didn't attend church every week, but did go on special occasions. The image of him taking his young children to the church and watching as they dropped a dime each in the collection tray brought a smile to his face. He wanted to feel that God was watching over him. It wasn't that he was a fervent believer of God, but that he didn't want to discover one day that God had been watching over him for decades with disappointment.
The next set of questions dealt with his life's calling. This was the most difficult section for him to address. He had pretty much accepted that he was going to have to work to support a family, but he didn't know what kind of work he wanted. He didn't really have any hobbies other than cooking. He tried to identify the kinds of characteristics that his ideal job would have.
With respect to his career he didn't want a physical job like construction. He wanted a job where he dealt with people, but not exclusively. He wanted a job that required some skill and attention to detail. He wanted the job to have its quick times and its slow times. He also wanted a little independence in his job. As he thought about it, he realized that he'd rather have a job where there wasn't much reading beyond what was necessary.
He sat back in his chair and considered what he had written down. Reading it over, he decided that his ticket to happiness was basically a moderate lifestyle. Thinking about what he had written, he liked what he had identified. If he could achieve all of the things in his description, he would be happy. He realized that he would be happy just pursuing that life.
Looking down at his write up, he said, "I am responsible for my own happiness."
Tom, Susan, Dan, and Alison arrived at the picnic area at the local lake in Tom's car. It was a summer day that bordered on being a little too hot, but they had plenty of iced drinks. The lake wasn't too far away from the picnic tables and the water was inviting. The picnic table they found was in the shade so that they wouldn't be baked by the sun.
Once Tom had parked his car, he and Dan carried the cooler and the box of food they had brought over to the picnic table. The women followed along chatting a little. They knew of each other from school, but had never really met since they had belonged to two different social groups. As he put the cooler on the table, Tom said, "This is nice."
"Yes, it is," Dan said. He glanced over to where to women were talking and asked, "Did you ever think we'd be going on double dates?"
"To tell the truth, no. I never figured that both of us would have a date in the same month much less the same day," Tom said. The two of them had very few dates while in high school.
"Same here," Dan said. It hadn't started out as a double date. He had mentioned to Tom that he was taking Alison to the lake and Tom had said that he was taking Susan. The suggestion that they go together just naturally followed. It had taken their dates by surprise. He looked at Alison and said, "She's very pretty."
"Yes, she is," Tom said looking over at Susan.
The pair of women arrived at the table having come to a satisfactory agreement about the double date. Susan asked, "So what did you two cook up for us?"
Tom pointed to the box and said, "My mom fried up some chicken. She makes the best fried chicken in the world."
Gesturing to the box that he had brought, Dan said, "I made some potato salad, cole slaw, and my own homemade rolls."
Raising an eyebrow, Alison asked, "You cook?"
"Just a few things," Dan answered.
Grinning over at Dan, Tom said, "Wait until tonight. Dan said that he was going to make some of his Parker's Perfect Pizza for us."
"Parker's Perfect Pizza?" Susan asked looking over at Dan. She had known that Dan was Tom's best friend and had never understood the relationship. Tom was brilliant and Dan was the school dummy. She had been shocked when Dan had shown up with Alison.
Tom said, "Dan makes the best pizza in the world."
"It's okay," Dan said with a smile.
Teasing him, Alison said, "I didn't know that you cooked. You've been holding out on me. What else haven't you told me?"
"Not much; just that I'm a superhero in disguise," Dan answered with a wink.
As Dan and Alison traded witty remarks about the advantages and disadvantages of being a superhero or dating one, Susan watched the exchange with a puzzled expression on her face. Dan was a lot wittier than she had suspected. Tom noticed her watching the couple and said, "He's not stupid."
Susan looked over at Dan and asked, "So why did they say that about him throughout school?"
"Because he was forced to learn how to read one way when his brain is wired to do it a different way," Tom answered. He said, "Don't underestimate Tom. He's a lot smarter than anyone ever gave him credit for being."
"You're just saying that because he's your friend," Susan said finding it difficult to believe that the entire school had been wrong about Dan.
Tom shook his head and said, "He graduated in the top five percent of our class. No one realizes it, but he earned his grades."
"You're kidding?" Susan said looking over at Tom. The serious expression on his face told her all that she needed to know. She suspected that he would dump her if she didn't give Dan a fair chance.
"No, I'm not. We used to study together," Tom said. He credited working with Dan for giving him what few good study habits he had managed to acquire going through high school. The material had never been challenging enough to require him to develop good study habits.
Finished trading quips with Alison, Dan asked, "Do you want to have a quick swim before we eat?"
"I'd love to have a quick swim. How about you two?" Alison answered turning to look at Dan and Susan.
Tom said, "It's up to Susan."
Susan had just purchased a new swimming suit in the hopes of impressing Tom. It was a lot more revealing than the one piece that she had worn on previous trips to the lake with him. Part of her concern about having Dan and Alison along was that she had wanted to surprise Tom with it. With the time for showing it upon her, she was more than a little concerned about what others would say. She was worried that Alison would think she was some kind of slut. Less than enthusiastic about the idea, she shrugged her shoulders and answered, "I guess that sounds fine."
"Great," Alison said. She whipped off her top to reveal the smallest bikini top that Dan or Tom had ever seen. There weren't any tan lines that any of them could see.
Susan stared at her and then removed her top to reveal a bikini top that was considerably larger. She didn't have to worry about Alison thinking her bikini top was too small. Judging by the reaction of the men, they were both pleased with what they saw.
Dan removed his shirt revealing that he had a remarkable tan. Susan hadn't realized that Dan was quite so muscular. Alison went over to Dan and ran a hand along his chest. She said, "Wow. Muscles. I like muscles."
Dan looked down at Alison barely able to talk. Her top was so small that it just barely covered her nipples. He didn't know what to say to her. Finally, he managed, "I like your bikini."
Everyone froze when Alison removed the skirt she had been wearing to reveal a thong bikini that barely covered the important parts. There were definitely no tan lines. She turned and smiled brightly at Dan. In a teasing voice, she said, "Your turn."
Stunned at the body Alison had displayed with such casual ease, Dan removed his shorts to reveal his standard trunk style bathing suit. She looked down at his swimsuit and said, "We're going to go shopping and get you a Speedo for our next trip to the lake."
"Okay," Dan said feeling like his brain had turned to mush. The red dress Alison had worn on her date had suggested that she had a stunning body. The bikini left no doubts about the matter.
She patted his rear and said, "I want to see those buns of steel."
"Okay," Dan squeaked.
Susan removed her shorts to reveal a typical bikini bottom. She almost felt over dressed compared to Alison. It was hard for her to believe that Alison could be so calm about wearing such a revealing outfit. Her mother and father had thought her swimsuit was scandalous. She turned to look at Tom and saw that he was watching her with wide eyes. It was obvious to her that he liked what he saw. She found it incredible that he wasn't ogling Alison.
Licking his lips, he said, "I like your new swim suit. I like it a lot."
"Thank you," she replied with a blush. Wearing such a revealing suit had been one of the hardest things she had ever done.
Turning to look at Susan, Alison whistled and then said, "Wow. You have a nice body. Tom's a lucky man."
"Thank you," Susan said. Tom was still dressed. He had been shocked when Susan had taken off her shirt to reveal the tiny bikini top. He had completely forgotten why they were there when she had removed her shorts. Pleased by his reaction to her, she nudged him and asked, "Are you going to stand there all day?"
Recovering a little from the shock, Tom pulled off his shirt and shorts. Once he was standing there in his bathing suit, he took Susan's hand and led her off to the edge of the lake. Alison watched them go and turned to Dan. She said, "I thought they had been dating for a while. Hasn't he ever seen her in a swim suit before?"
"Sure he has, but not one quite that revealing," Dan answered. Tom had told him about her one piece suit that she normally wore to the lake.
"Oh," Alison said looking at Susan. She said, "With a body like that, I'd show it off every chance I got."
Dan, who hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of Alison, said, "I like your body much more than hers."
"You say the sweetest things," Alison said. Gesturing to the lake, she asked, "Would you care to take a quick dip in the water?"
"I definitely need one," Dan said.
Looking down at the obvious bulge in his crotch, Alison smiled and said, "Let's go."
Susan and Alison sat at the dining room table watching everyone else gathered there. Everyone else kept eyeing the oven where the pizzas were cooking with anticipation. The two young women looked at each other wondering what the big deal about a pizza or two was. Tom was rubbing his hands in anticipation.
Looking over at the pair of young women, Diana said, "You two are in for a real treat. My brother makes the best pizza in the world."
Alison said, "That's what we heard."
Dan removed one of the pizzas from the oven and cut it into eight slices. Still piping hot, he carried it over to the table and set it down. Four hands reached out to grab slices before the pan even hit the table. The speed with which it had happened startled Susan and she jumped back in surprise. Alison laughed at the eagerness that everyone displayed.
Dan's father said, "It's a force of habit. We usually have to fight over the last slice."
Dan said, "I made four of them this time. Let me get the other one out and I'll put the next two in the oven."
"You made four pizzas?" Susan asked staring at the huge pizzas in the middle of the table.
Shaking his head, Tom said, "You should have made five."
Dan laughed and returned to the oven. He pulled out the second pizza and with deft movements cut it into eighths. He put it on the table before putting the other two pizzas in the oven. By the time he had taken a place at the table, Susan and Alison were busy on their second slice of pizza. Alison groaned and said, "This is the best pizza I've ever eaten."
"You can say that again," Susan said. She figured that her diet was going out the window.
Dan grabbed a slice of pizza and said, "I'm glad that you like it."
Diana, who had managed to have a seat beside Alison, nudged the girl with her leg and asked, "So how was the date at the lake?"
Alison looked over at Diana somewhat surprised by the question. She glanced over at Dan expecting to see him embarrassed by the questions his little sister was asking. He noticed the glance and said, "You might as well tell her. She's going to pester you all dinner until she gets the answers she wants. If you don't tell her, she's going to pester me all night."
Alison looked over at Dan's mother to see if she was going to say anything. Dan's mother laughed and said, "I'm not going to stop her. We worked all afternoon coming up with a set of questions for you."
Everyone laughed. Feeling comfortable with the family, Alison winked and answered, "It went very well. You're brother is such a hunk that I found I was running my hands over his muscles all afternoon."
"Oh?" Diana said assessing Alison and deciding that she liked her. She asked, "How did he react to that?"
Alison gave a mock look of disappointment and said, "Unfortunately, he was a perfect gentleman."
Dan's father said, "Good for you son."
"I was quite disappointed," Alison said causing Diana to burst out in laughter.
Susan couldn't believe the conversation. Hints about anything like that would have been frowned upon in her home. She couldn't believe that Alison was so open about sexual matters. She was in awe of Alison and wished that she could be a little more open about sex. She was speechless when Tom said, "Dan and I almost came to blows over which one of us was with the prettier woman. Fortunately he backed down."
"I did not. If I remember correctly, we agreed to meet at dawn with pistols for an old fashioned duel," Dan replied. He reached for a second slice of pizza.
Dan's father said, "Well, I think you are both attractive young ladies. Both boys are lucky to be with you."
"Thank you," Alison said smiling over at Dan's father.
Diana winked at Alison and said, "I hope your intentions towards my brother are totally dishonorable."
"Of course," Alison said. She dropped a hand down to his thigh and then traced a line upwards. He sat up straighter provoking a laugh from his family.
Dan's mother watched the exchange with a satisfied smile. She felt that Alison was the perfect girl for Dan's first love. She had a good sense of humor, wasn't overly sensitive to teasing, and could handle herself among strangers without being flustered. She had a feeling that Dan was in for a wild ride before the relationship ended.
Dan was saved by the bell. Getting up, he said, "The pizzas are ready."
Looking at the empty pizza pans on the table, Tom said, "It's about
time."