Dates and Divas

"She looks like Scarlett O'Hara."

Scarlett O'Hara, the heroine from the classic movie, Gone with the Wind, portrayed by Vivien Leigh, and one of my favorites. She is strong and independent and also selfish and incapapable of seeing the good that she has been given. Her ungrateful heart causes her to lose the love of which she is so undeserving. She is mesmerizing and frustrating, desirable and incorrigible. She is beautiful.

Luckily, as my sister spoke these words she was referring to my daughter's beauty and not all of Scarlett's other characteristics, although there are a few that could be fitting. These words were spoken during the moments that we watched my five year old daughter's first date unfold.

When we pulled up to the hotel that my dad had gotten us for the night to break up our trip on the way to Florida, mom, Michele and I were riding in the convertible with Dad while the husbands chauffeured my children in the truck. As soon as we saw our home for the night, the inner diva in all of us came to life.

"The doors are on the outside of the building!"
"What is this place?"
"Don't you think we should drive around and check it out before we actually check in?".

Dad ignored our pleas and jumped out of the car and away from our whines to get our keys. The rooms were not quite as bad as we anticipated and after dinner we discovered that the pool was everything that had been promised, the pool being the reason this place had been selected.

Shortly after we all took the plunge into the refreshing waters, Keira became fearless and began jumping off the high wall at the deep end and unknowingly caught the attention of another young boy vacationing with his family. She was wearing her purple floaties and her red and white bathing suit had ruffles on her booty that shook just slightly as she walked with her head held high and the appropriate amount of swing in her hips.

"What's your name?"
"Matt," my husband replied.
"No, her name!"
Keira looked at her Daddy with uncertainty before quietly replying, "Keira."

The conversation continued as they exchanged ages and other pertinent information. Gunner was four and he eventually asked her if she would like to go play on the playground just outside the walls of the pool. She came and asked me if this would be allowed. After shooting a look at my husband, I said that it was fine, while muttering something to my dad about her going to play with a stranger. When she overheard me saying this, she declared, "Mommy, he's not a stranger. He's a new friend!"

Keira has deep brown eyes that just won't stop and usually when they stare you down, it is fierce, already declaring independence and attitude. On this evening, as she gazed over my shoulder at this friend who was no longer a stranger, there was a spark and a dream and they were somewhat cloudy with wonder.

She jumped out of the pool and began ripping off her floaties, her eyes plastered on Gunner. For a moment it looked as though Gunner had decided not to go to the playground but was ready for another dive in the pool. When Keira saw this, she nonchalantly proclaimed, "I changed my mind, I'm staying here.". Only moments later her mind was changed again when Gunner and his dad began heading toward the pool gate and Keira followed in stride.

"GO WITH HER!" I commanded my husband through clenched teeth.

My dad, sister, brother-in-law and I watched from a distance as my sweet daughter played on the swings, teeter totter and slide with her new friend. We mostly laughed at Matt, who seemed to be enjoying his man date with Gunner's father immensely and did surprisingly well as a co-chaperone.

"You really need to be worried if she starts calling Gunner her buddy," Dad told me after saying, "She will keep getting attention like this if she keeps this up!"

Keira had 3 friends at preschool this past year who she talked about constantly and called her buddies. These "buddies" all happened to be boys and it was rare that she ever talked about playing with girls. In fact, she told me one day with certainty that boys are more fun than girls. When asked the difference between a buddy and friend, she told us knowingly that you love buddies more than you love friends.

Yes, let's make sure that Gunner remains purely a friend and doesn't reach buddy status.

Before we knew it, Keira cut the date short, running back over to the pool and putting her floaties back on, leaving Gunner watching at the top of the slide and Matt stranded on his man date sitting opposite Gunner's dad on the see saw. Before we left the pool, she had a couple more brief conversations with her new friend and she told him goodbye numerous times.

"You are in trouble," Dad told me on the way back up to our room.
"I know... And it's so innocent," I defended. "she doesn't even know what she's doing."
"Yes, but she will figure it out."

Yes, she will figure it out. Even throughout all the happenings of the evening, she carefully took her cues from Gunner, while never allowing herself to appear too anxious. She continually made herself look appealing until she was granted the sufficient amount of attention again. She would then proceed to give him only enough attention to keep him wondering and coming back for more in order to keep the chase alive.

I guess I don't have to teach her the game. It is already in her blood. Yes, I am very afraid.

Watch out, Scarlett. There is a new heroine on the horizon.