Donna stayed with JoAnn for a week and already she only used the crutches for longer walks than just to the den or dining room. JoAnn and Donna were enjoying a glass of wine and kicking back. JoAnn began to fuss at Donna a little out of concern. "Donna don't you think you're pushing yourself a little hard?" I could be, JoAnn." "I guess I'm just ready to get back to something that's normal again in my life."
"I can sure understand that! I was there three or four years ago but thank God, it started getting better and I started getting back to my old self ,Donna, but it took a visit to a counselor and some meds and about six weeks."
JoAnn, is the depression showing on me, can you tell? ' "Honey, I'd be real surprised if you weren't depressed!" "You've had so much happen, so many emotions, so much damage to who you were and who you are going to be? "I know." "Honestly, I don't know if I'm going to stay at the hospital after all this is over, the divorce, the storm, the loss of my home!"
JoAnn started smiling!" "I didn't know my depression was so funny Jo." 0h, it's not but I just got a bright idea Donna!" What? I could use some help!" "Well, first, we get all dolled up and go out to that new comedy club for some laughs. I heard it's a lot of fun." "Then, after another glass of wine or so, to lighten us up, we'll go to one of those places where they have the 5 minute blind dates!" "Five minute what?" Donna must have been out of the dating scene longer than she realized. "You'll love it Donna, because if you get someone you don't like, it's only a five minute date but if you like them, then you exchange phone numbers." You sure it's safe?". Donna was getting second thoughts. Yes! Hopefully!" JoAnn said as she began laughing again. Now what's so funny?" Doesn't it feel good to laugh again like we used to when we were together?" It sure is Jo. Good, now let's get ready and just go!". "Okay but how do we handle my handicap" as Donna points to her ankle. "Donna Jamison, you've never been handicapped your whole life no matter what comes your way!" "You know I admired you for not killing John and sweet Deanna when you caught them in bed!" You mean when I jumped in the bed and squeezed another woman's boob?" Now, they were both laughing! That was more boob than I had hoped would be in the bed! "In fact, needless to say, I wasn't expecting any female parts to be in the bed with my husband except mine when I got there!
JoAnn and Donna picked out a comedy club that a friend had mentioned with dinner and clean comedy since neither of them like hard core comedy.
They laughed a lot. They had a second glass of wine and it almost felt like the good old days when the nurses and trainees went out the night after hard test and shook off some leftover stress!
When they were ready to go, Donna tried to talk JoAnn out of going to the club where they had the 5 Minute Blind Date games but JoAnn wouldn't hear of it. They both had to register as soon as they got to the club and luckily the dating games were about to begin.
The Announcer for the game drew names out of a hat for the first 10 lucky ladies and then the first 10 lucky men to participate. Both JoAnn and Donna's names were called out as part of the 10. "Okay ladies take your places at the tables for our 5-Minute blind date game.
The rules are as follows: Ladies every 5 minutes another man will be seated across from you and you will be allowed to ask him personal questions as they relate to dating. No poor manners or foul language. Respect the person in front of you. At the end of 5 minutes, a warning whistle will blow and if you ladies like the possibility of dating the gentleman, hand him one of the pieces of paper with your name and phone number on it. If you do not wish to go out with the gentleman, you will simply wish them well and when the second whistle blows, the gentleman will move to the next lovely lady for 5 minutes. There are a total of ten ladies tonight so plan on spending around an hour or so before you leave please! Gentlemen even if you get your dream date on the first try, you will need to also meet the nine additional ladies before you leave. You could end up with more dream dates than you know."
Both Donna and JoAnn were laughing at the game but still very interested in participating. The Announcer blew the whistle and announced "Let the games begin."
And indeed they did!
Donna's first date was a stately older businessman, George, about 18 years her senior. Okay, Donna thought, he may be interesting and the first two or three exchanges were good but then he switched to his gallbladder problems and when the whistle blew Donna smiled and shook his hand and wished him well.
Her second gentleman was much younger than her and as country as they come. Nothing wrong with him that ten years and some instructions on how to talk to a lady you're might be interested in dating. What really did it for Donna was when he asked her if she would like to go for a ride in his new 4-wheel drive truck after the dating game was over.
Donna was wondering just how great this game actually was when the next gentlemen in the chair was Don Sanderson, the attorney she met at Chick-fil-A.
Donna, I can't believe my luck! It's so good to see you!" "And you too Don", though it really didn't sound like she was all that happy to see him. Are those crutches yours?" What happened? After Donna explained about the tornado and her injury to Don said so that's what happened! Please let me explain why you didn't hear back from me. My boss sent me out of town to Nevada on a case we definitely needed to win! When I got to Nevada and checked in to the hotel, every time I tried to call your number, I kept getting a "temporarily out of order" recording when I called you so I just gave up on it, and hoped I could bump into you again at the Mall so I went to Chick-Fil-A for two Saturdays in a row during lunch hoping to run into you! "Honestly, that's the truth. " "Could we please try again?" Donna smiled and extended her hand to Don and replied, "Hi, my name is Donna and Don squeezed her hand tightly and reached over and gently kissed her on the cheek. Needless to say, a piece of paper with Donna's phone number was handed to Don when the whistle blew.
Donna managed to get through the other seven gentlemen with two other possible prospects for dating. One a doctor of Pediatrics and the other a construction project manager.
JoAnn also met several very interesting men and gave her phone number to two of them also but she had as many as Donna who were totally different. They were both in agreement not to do the blind date game again for a long, long time!