Page 16 of Sassy & Sixty
"That," Lisa said with satisfaction, "is the real you. The you that's always been there, just waiting for the right moment to shine."
Rosie felt tears prick at her eyes. "Thank you," she said, turning to embrace each of her friends in turn. "I couldn't have done this without you."
"Of course you couldn't," Emma said briskly, but her eyes were suspiciously bright. "Now, no crying! You'll ruin Julie's masterpiece."
Just then, the doorbell rang, making them all jump.
"He's early!" Rosie yelped, suddenly panicking again. "Oh god, I'm not ready. I can't do this. What was I thinking?"
"Deep breaths," Lisa instructed, gripping Rosie by the shoulders. "You can do this. You're gorgeous, you're intelligent, and you're going to knock his socks off."
"But what if I say something stupid?" Rosie fretted. "What if I use the wrong fork? What if--"
Her spiral of worst-case scenarios was cut off by Emma, who thrust a small flask into her hand. "Emergency backup," she said with a wink. "Just in case."
Before Rosie could protest, she was being ushered down the stairs, her friends following like a very enthusiastic honour guard.
"Remember," Julie called as Rosie reached for the door handle. "You're not just Rosie tonight. You're Rosie 2.0 - sassy, confident, and ready for adventure!"
With one last deep breath, Rosie opened the door.
Mike stood on the doorstep, looking devastatingly handsome in a well-cut suit. His eyes widened appreciatively as he took in Rosie's appearance.
"Wow," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You look... amazing."
Rosie felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "Thank you," she managed. "You look very nice too."
There was a moment of awkward silence, broken by a not-so-subtle cough from behind Rosie. She turned to see her friends attempting (and failing) to look inconspicuous.
"Oh! Um, these are my friends," Rosie said, gesturing vaguely behind her. "They were just... helping me get ready."
Mike's smile widened as he waved to the group. "Hello, ladies. Thanks for taking such good care of Rosie. I promise to have her home by midnight."
"Make it one!" Emma called out, earning herself an elbow in the ribs from Lisa.
As Mike offered Rosie his arm and led her to his car, she could hear the excited chatter of her friends behind her. She smiled to herself, feeling a surge of affection for these women who had brought so much joy and laughter back into her life.
The drive to the restaurant was filled with light conversation, punctuated by moments of comfortable silence. Rosie found herself relaxing, Mike's easy manner putting her at ease.
As they were seated at their table, Rosie's earlier panic about using the wrong fork resurfaced. She eyed the array of cutlery before her with trepidation.
Mike, noticing her hesitation, leaned in conspiratorially. "I'll let you in on a secret," he said in a low voice. "I never know which fork to use either. I just start from the outside and work my way in."
Rosie laughed, feeling the last of her tension melt away. "And here I thought doctors were supposed to know everything."
“Certainly not," said Mike with a wink. "We're just very good at faking it when we don't."
As the evening progressed, Rosie found herself thoroughly enjoying Mike's company. He was intelligent, witty, and a great listener. They swapped stories about their careers, their families, and the joys and challenges of starting over in their sixties.
"I have to admit," Mike said as they lingered over dessert, "I was a bit nervous about tonight."
Rosie raised an eyebrow. "You? Nervous? But you seem so confident."
Mike chuckled. "Well, as I said, doctors are very good at faking it. But the truth is, it's been a long time since I've been ona first date. And when I saw you in the pub that night... well, let's just say you made quite an impression."
Rosie felt a warm glow spread through her. "Even with the impromptu shower courtesy of the sprinkler system?"
"Especially then," Mike said, his eyes twinkling. "Any woman who can laugh in the face of disaster is someone I want to get to know better."
