Substitute Boyfriend:
Shirley’s been dumped again. This has been happens frequently lately. She can’t seem to understand it. She has everything going right for her. Shirley always grew up with her looks. In her kindergarten, she was voted the cutest in the class. Her looks evolved over the years. She couldn’t remember a time when guys didn’t notice her. Shirley did enjoy the attention from time to time, but she had to have something else going for her. Lucky for her, she did.
Shirley was one of the nicest girls in school. Everyone could call her an angel. She wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. The girl did volunteer work after school and helped tutor the little kids. Everyone loved Shirley. No one ever had a mean thing to say about her. All of the boys liked her. The girls even liked her.
Her grades were tops of her class as well. She studied in between social life and volunteer work. Overall, she did her best to make everyone proud. The girl never seemed to want anything in return. Well, there was one thing that she just always wanted besides being a teacher. This led to her current problem at hand.
Aside from being a teacher, Shirley wanted to be a wife and mother. In order to do that, she needed a boyfriend. The girl could get herself a date, but she just couldn’t keep one for some reason. The guys that she attracted just wanted sex. Yet, she did not give in so easily. The girl had her values, you know.
Shirley couldn’t really understand it. Why can’t I ever find all of the good men?, she thought. I keep finding all of the creeps. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl. Her last boyfriend, uck! What a perv! He just seemed to have this twisted obsession with sex. The ex kept trying to grope her perky breasts and tight ass.
“Don’t be scum,” she would tell him. “I’m not ready to go that far.” In the beginning, he would back off. But within a year, his patience grinded down to a breakable shoe string. Her ex began flirting around with other women just to piss her off. Shirley didn’t like it, but she stayed true to her own morale. Her man just didn’t want to get it.
“You won’t put out,” he said.
“Not until we get married,” she said. The jerk didn’t want to hear that one. Sensing that she wouldn’t cave no matter what he did, he dumped her right on the spot. That’s how it always ended for her. She couldn’t break that nasty cycle.
This evening would make it tighter.
Her parents were coming into town today. They wanted to go out to dinner with her. Her parents really wanted to become grandparents. So far, they worried about not have their wish come true. The poor woman just wanted to make them happy. So, Shirley told them a little lie. She said that she had a boyfriend.
“I have a boyfriend now,” she said.
“You do?” her mother asked.
“Yeah!” Shirley said. “I think he might be the one this time!” Her mother didn’t seem convinced.
“Are you sure? You just went through another bad break-up,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” her daughter insisted. “He’s a good man this time.”
“Hey, why don’t you bring him by for dinner tonight?” dad insisted in the background. Shirley froze up at that suggestion.
“What?” she asked.
“That’s a great idea!” her mother said. “Bring by that young man with us for dinner!”
“Uh… I’ll see what I can do…” she mumbled.
“Great! We’ll meet you at the hotel restaurant at six tonight, okay?” her mother said.
“Yeah, sure!” the daughter said. “See you then!” They both hung up. Shirley bit her lower lip as she panicked in her head.
Oh crap!, she thought. Now what do I do? I can’t let them be disappointed anymore than they have been in past. What do I do? What do I do?
Suddenly, she heard the door close behind her. Shirley turned around to see Norman walking into her office with more permission forms.
“I’m sorry, but is this a bad time?” he asked. The kindergarten teacher blinked at him for a good five seconds. Her eyes lit up really bright like the stars in the sky. The teaching assistant blinked at her.
“Is… something wrong?” he asked. Shirley rushed forward and grabbed him by the hands.
“Perfect!” she cried. “You’ll do perfectly!” Norman gave her a long blank stare.
“Uh… did I… just… miss something?” he asked. The teacher leaned in close to the face of her long time friend.
“Are you doing anything tonight?” she asked. His cheeks heated a little pink.
“N-No! Why?” he answered.
“Great!” she said. “I have a real problem, Norman.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“My parents are coming into town and they want to eat out for dinner tonight.”
“Okay, so?”
“You know how much they want me to get married and have children as much as do, right?”
“Of course, I do.”
Shirley bit her lower lip. Norman’s own hazel eyes filled up with concern.
“What did you do?” he asked. “Shirley, what did you do?” She lowered her head. Her strawberry blonde bangs hid her blue eyes.
“I kinda of said that I have new boyfriend…” she mumbled. Norman looked at her with big eyes behind his glasses.
“Shirley! You didn’t!” he gasped.
“What choice did I have?” she whined. “I’m tired of disappointing them!” The poor woman sighed aloud. “I just want them to be happy for a change, you know?”
“Well… yeah…” her old friend said. “I guess… But how am I perfect?” Shirley looked up at him with desperate eyes. Norman quickly caught her drift.
“Wait! You want me to…” he said. The man shook his head. “Oh no. I can’t do it.”
“Please!” Shirley pleaded with him as she grabbed onto his black suit with all of her might.
“They won’t go for it,” he said. “Your mother has like this weird sixth sense about her.”
“It’ll only be for tonight,” the teacher begged. “I really need you for this one! Please! I’ll do anything.” Norman looked at her with a shock of surprise running loose in his brain.
“Anything?” he asked.
“Yes!” Shirley cried aloud. Something sprung awake in Norman’s mind. For years since sophomore year of college, he had developed feelings for the foxy teacher. They had been friends since junior high on top of that. Norman couldn’t take anymore of her poor choices in men. But yet, he never had the courage to ask her out himself. That was until today. He looked her dead-on in the eyes.
“I want a real date with you after tonight on Saturday,” Norman announced. “It doesn’t have to be lavish. We could do something really simple like a walk or lunch out somewhere.” His crush blinked at him.
“What? Why?” she asked. Norman fought to keep down his nerves long enough to talk.
“Because I like you!” he announced.
“Norman…” she murmured as she struggled to speak.
“No, listen!” he insisted. “I have liked you since college. I hate that you’re going out with all of these losers. You’re way too good for them. Just give me one chance to prove myself to you. That’s all I ask in return.” Shirley nodded at him with a blank look on her face.
“O-Okay…” she said. Norman smiled at her as he relaxed. He breathed out.
“Should I dress up for dinner with your parents?” the man asked. Shirley gave him a deep smile. Could Norman be the husband and father she was looking for?