Penny Serenade by Ann Cory

think you’re the coolest uncle ever.”
    He could barely form a word his lips were stretched so damn wide.
    “I love that you love it.”
    “Anyway, I better go,” she said, her voice somewhat muffled. “Mom watches the minutes on my phone. Bye.”
    “Okay, bye kiddo.” He half expected her to give him grief for calling her kiddo, but she either she didn’t hear or she didn’t mind.
    He hit end and closed the phone, tucking into his back pocket. Again he was assaulted by a heat wave when he opened his car door. Something had to be done soon or he’d start taking the bus too. The thought didn’t sound too bad if Audrey took the same bus. Dominic cringed. Why had he insisted on picking her up when his car was a sauna on wheels? She’d melt into a big puddle before they got to the planetarium.
    “Smart move, dude,” he muttered beneath his breath. Unable to do anything about it, he pulled out onto the road and was surprised to find the traffic lighter than usual. It took hardly any time to get home, which gave him more time to clean up. The plan was to make a better first impression. He didn’t know if he’d succeed, but it was worth a try. He turned on the radio and sang along to the old classic, Brown-Eyed Girl. It reminded him of Audrey, even though her eyes were more of a golden honey color. Soft as they were, she could pierce him with some of the sharp looks she gave. He liked feisty, so if she was attempting to make him turn tail and run, she’d be in for a long wait.
    Dominic turned into his apartment complex and parked in his designated spot. He grabbed the mail from the row of metal boxes, and headed inside his place. After downing a cool glass of water he pulled his shirt up over his head and kicked off the rest of his clothes. Scratching his head, he padded into the bathroom and stared hard into the mirror, ignoring the paint and flecks of plaster in his hair. At thirty he didn’t have much in the way of wrinkles, maybe a few lines around the eyes, but nothing tragic. No signs of gray…yet, and he sported a full head of hair. Overall not a bad catch if a woman took interest in him, and only one interested him at the moment.
    Looks aside, he knew Audrey had some serious expectations and he wondered how high she’d set the bar. He wanted to let her see the side of him that could say and do all the right things. If such a side existed. Unlike him, she didn’t seem to have trouble with words. She was smart, talented, and he admired her calm, cool exterior. Those weren’t the qualities he used to like in a woman, but then again when he was dating he didn’t have any interest in something long-term. Now his thoughts drifted toward the idea of a serious relationship. It scared the hell out of him.
    He took a speed shower, dried, and chose black pants with a silver-gray short-sleeved shirt to wear. The temperature was still mild outside but he didn’t want to show up in shorts, or make the mistake of wearing something sweat-inducing. His pride would take a serious hit if he smelled so bad Audrey had to get up and move away from him. Dressed, he tried to do something with his flyaway hair and headed for the kitchen. He nuked leftover macaroni and cheese and scarfed it down in about five gulps. A glance at the clock made him slow down his pace. There was plenty of time and he didn’t want to show up too early.
    Dominic wandered around his apartment, picking up his laundry and straightening magazines. It helped burn off nervous energy. He tried to play out in his head how the night would go, and didn’t like the outcome at all. His excitement dwindled the more he thought about it. Not because of Audrey, but because he sucked at conversation and was certain he’d say the wrong thing. Maybe not right away, but it would happen. Damn he was out of practice. He should call and cancel rather than put himself through the embarrassment.
    By the time seven rolled around, he was a mess. This wasn’t like him at