The Waiting Game

Worth it.

He sat on the couch in his best pants and suit jacket sipping coffee. Actually, it was his only suit jacket, but he sat there waiting for her as he had hundreds of times before in their 27 years of marriage. Tonight they were meeting friends who had driven two days to be with them, so it would be embarrassing to show up late when they were only 15 minutes away.

“You have an ETA on when we can expect you to grace our living room, Emma?” Ian asked.

“I wish you wouldn’t keep rushing me. I’ll get there when I get there. They won’t care if we’re a few minutes late.”

“True, but you’ve seen how the restaurant is – they’ll let the table go if we won’t show up in a timely…”

Before he could finish, Mickey appeared in a long-flowing baby blue dress, pearl necklace, wearing a touch of red lipstick. Her hair was meticulously put up in the back with two strands hanging along the side of her face.

“On second thought,” Ian said, standing to his feet. “Why don’t we just sit this one out tonight and have a nice quiet evening at home?”

“Not on your life, Bud. It’s taken me two hours to get this way and I’m not gonna let it go to waste. As much as I appreciate the offer, I’d kinda like others to see it as well.”

“I feel so underdressed with what I’ve got on. Maybe I should go change…”

“We’re gonna be late if we don’t go right now, aren’t we, Ian?”

“You’re right,” Ian said holding out an elbow for her to grab onto. “When they see you, they won’t care what I look like. Shall we go, my Beauty Queen?”

“But of course.”

“And I might add, it was well worth the wait.”