Chapter Three:

Getting Permission to Date:

A Bob and Betty Story

5/25/2024

Bob was nervous all day Thursday thinking about talking to Betty’s dad after school.  He had known her dad, Sam Higgins, from the first Sunday they joined the church Bob’s family attended.  But that was just as another member of the church.  Now he was going to be asking to date Mr. Higgins’ daughter.

It didn’t help that Betty and their three friends kept reminding him of the talk throughout the day so he didn’t forget.

Bob had never thought of himself as being shy.  But the thought of sitting down and officially asking to date Betty scared him.  He had been at Betty’s house plenty of times.  They met there to plan for the Bible studies.  He had been there with their friends often playing games or just hanging out together.

He made it through the day.  But his mind hadn’t been on any of the classes.  His mind went back and forth all day.  How happy he was that he and Betty would finally be dating and a real couple to what was he going to say to Mr. Higgins?

The five friends met at Cal’s car after school.  He gave them a ride home from school most days.  The three girls sat in the back and Bob and Cal sat in the front.  Today would be no different.  Except for the ribbing Bob and Betty would get from their friends.

Right away Cal, Cindy, and Peggy started teasing Cal and Betty about their budding romance.

Peggy asked Cal loud enough for all around could hear, ‘’Cal, maybe Bob and Betty should sit in the back today.  Then they can hold hands.  What do you think?’’

Cindy giggled at Peggy’s comment.  Bob and Betty turned red.

‘’I don’t know, Peggy,’’ Cal answered, ‘’I think we should keep them apart until Bob gets permission from Betty’s dad to date Betty.’’

Bob gave Cal a playful punch in the arm.  ‘’Okay, Cal, you’ve razzed me enough for one day.  You can quit now.’’

Betty piped up.  ‘’And that goes for you two also.’’  She said as she shook her finger towards Peggy and Cindy.

The three friends laughed at Bob and Betty but then promised to not tease them any longer.

Bob made his way to Betty’s house just before 5 o’clock as Betty suggested.  Her dad got home around 4:30 most days so that gave him time to relax before Bob stopped over.

Walking up the stairs and onto the porch, Bob finalized what he would say to Mr. Higgins.  At least what he thought he would say.  He stepped up to the door and pressed the doorbell expecting Betty to answer it.

He was about to press the button again when Mr. Higgins answered the door.  ‘’Hi Bob.  If you came to see Betty, I’m sorry, she and Susie ran to the store for a couple of things.’’

Bob stood stunned.  This wasn’t what he had expected.  He thought he would be in the house before he saw Betty’s dad.

Sam Higgins was giving Bob a concerned look as the boy stood there without uttering a word.  ‘’Bob, are you okay?  Is something the matter?’’

The sound of Sam’s voice brought Bob back to his senses.  ‘’I’m sorry, Mr. Higgins.  I just thought Betty would be answering the door.’’

Mr. Higgins laughed.  ‘’I understand.  But as I said, she isn’t here at the moment.  Is there something you need or do you want to come in and wait for her?’’

‘’Actually, sir, I came to talk to you.’’  Bob stammered out.

‘’Me.  Oh, okay.  What can I do for you, Bob?’’  Sam said as he stepped outside and took a seat on the porch chair.  ‘’Come sit down and we can talk.’’  Sam was afraid Bob might topple over as white as he looked.

Bob took the chair to Mr. Higgins’s right.  ‘’Um, you see, sir, err.  I have, um, a question I would like to ask you.’’

A broad smile started growing across Sam’s face.  He knew what this was about now and the reason for Bob’s nervousness.  He and his wife, Helen, had discussed for a while how long it would take for Bob and Betty to start dating.  He was debating whether he should have a little fun with Bob or just give Bob his approval.

‘’Yes, Bob, what is your question?  I will try to answer it if I can.  If I can’t answer it right away, I will get back to you.  Would that be okay?’’

‘’Yes, sir, that would be okay.  I would just like to ask you, um.  You see, Betty and I, um. …’’

‘’Son, is there something wrong with Betty?  Is that what you are trying to tell me?’’  Sam covered his mouth so Bob couldn’t see he wanted to laugh.

‘’No, oh, no, sir.  There is nothing wrong with Betty.  She is the greatest.’’

‘’I agree, she is a great girl and daughter.  I am very proud of her.’’  Sam couldn’t help teasing Bob a little.  After all, he was going to be asking to date his little girl.

‘’Yes, I agree.  Mr. Higgins, Betty and I like each other a lot.  We have a lot in common, too.  I’d like your permission to be able to date Betty.’’  Bob blurted this out so quickly, that Mr. Higgins almost didn’t catch all Bob said.

Sam sat back in his chair, put his hand to his chin, and appeared to be thinking.  Bob sat quietly while fidgeting in his chair waiting for Sam’s answer.

‘’I don’t know, Bob.  She is my oldest daughter.  Maybe she is too young to date yet.  I might have to talk to Betty’s mother about this.’’  Each sentence was dragged out with a pause between them.  Bob felt the pauses were an eternity each.

Bob sat looking dejected after hearing Sam’s words.  ‘’Oh, okay.  I understand.’’

Sam felt bad that he had been torturing Bob like this.  ‘’So, you want to date Betty.  Did you have something in mind for your first date?’’

‘’Yes,’’ Bob said excitedly, ‘’there is a dance tomorrow night at school.  We talked about going to the dance together last night after youth group.  That is if it is okay with you and Mrs. Higgins.’’

‘’Will you be picking her up for this date?’’

‘’We hadn’t discussed that.  Maybe we will just get a ride with Cal, Cindy, and Peggy.’’

‘’Now that doesn’t sound like much of a date, does it, Bob?  That is just another group outing like the five of you always do.  Don’t you want to pick Betty up yourself, go to the dance, and then maybe out for a soda or something after the dance?’’

‘’That would be nicer.  Maybe I could borrow my dad’s car if he doesn’t need it.  Then I could take Betty myself.’’

‘’Tell you what, Bob.  If your dad needs his car for the night, how about you drive my car to take Betty to the dance?’’

Bob sat there thinking.  ‘’That would be very nice of you to do, Mr. Higgins.’’  It hadn’t sunk into Bob’s brain yet as to what Sam had told him.

Sam started laughing.  As he did, Bob’s eyes lit up.  ‘’Wait, do you mean?  Does that mean?  I can date Betty?’’

Sam put his hand on Bob’s shoulder.  ‘’Yes, Bob, you can date Betty.  Mrs. Higgins and I already discussed it.  We both feel you are a fine young man and knew it would only be a matter of time before you two started dating.’’

Bob jumped out of his chair and grabbed Sam’s hand and started shaking it.  ‘’Thank you, Mr. Higgins.  Thank you so much.’’  Bob let go of Sam’s hand, threw his arms up in the air, and let out a big whoop.

Sam sat there watching the young man’s excitement.  He had felt quite the same way when Helen’s dad gave him permission to date Helen.  At that moment it didn’t seem that had been 20 years earlier.

Bob started running down the stairs.  ‘’Bob, don’t you want to wait and tell Betty the good news?’’  Sam called after Bob.

‘’I’m going to run to the store to tell her now,’’ Bob called back.

‘’But I didn’t tell you what store she went to!’’ Sam called to Bob.

Bob stopped dead in his tracks.  ‘’Oh, yeh.  I didn’t think of that.’’  Bob was feeling foolish now in front of Betty’s dad.

‘’Bob, let me call her and see if she is on her way home.’’

As Mr. Higgins called his daughter, Bob walked slowly up the sidewalk to the porch steps.  He was ashamed of the way he had been acting in front of Mr. Higgins.

Sam ended the call and told Bob the girls would be home in a couple of minutes.  He had to go in the house to do a couple of things, but Bob could wait for the girls on the porch if he wanted.

Bob agreed and sat back in the chair he had just left.  He was glad to be able to sit alone and not have to make small talk after the display he just put on.

Betty and Susie pulled into the driveway just minutes later.  Bob wanted to run right over to the car but decided to just wave and not act foolish again.

Betty hurried to the porch, ‘’Well, did you talk to my dad?  What did he say?’’

Bob shouted out, ‘’Yes, he said YES!!  We can even use his car so I can take you to the dance if my dad needs his car tomorrow.’’

The two lovebirds grabbed each other in an embrace.  Mr. and Mrs. Higgins had been watching from the doorway.  At the embrace, Sam cleared his throat loudly giving Bob and Betty the suggestion not to hug so long.

Each of the teenagers turned bright red as they looked guiltily towards the doorway.  They watched as Mrs. Higgins pulled her husband away from the door.

The two sat on the porch swing talking and planning for the following night until Mrs. Higgins called them in for supper.  Bob hadn’t planned on staying for supper.  But it didn’t take too much convincing from Mrs. Higgins for Bob to stay.  She had already called Bob’s mother to let her know Bob would be staying for supper.

Bob didn’t remember much of the supper that night.  He had been too busy staring at Betty thinking of how beautiful she was.  Much to the amusement of Betty’s parents.

Mr. Higgins sent Bob home right after supper.  Citing that Betty and he likely had schoolwork that needed doing for the next day.

Bob felt he was walking on clouds as he made his way home that evening.  He was the happiest teenager in the world that evening.

The real question is, how is their first real date going to go?  We will have to wait for the next installment of the Bob and Betty Story to learn these answers.

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