After-School Activities

Submitted by Lori:

Steve and I met while doing volunteer work at an after-school program for homeless children.  I was connected to it through a local charity, and he found his way there through his college.

We basically spent the time keeping the kids occupied, watching them, playing with them, and making sure that their parents picked them up at the end of the day.  We'd then spend about 10-15 minutes cleaning the place up and making sure that it was ready for the teachers the following morning.

Steve and I became close, and our playful banter during clean-up time soon flowed into flirting.  One day after work, he asked me out.  I was pretty excited, as he was an exciting, handsome guy, and I enjoyed spending time with him at work.  Plus, he always let the kids climb all over him, and that always made me smile.

On the night of the date, he picked me up at my house and he drove me... to the school where we worked.

I asked him what we were doing there, and he pulled out a key on a key ring and twirled it around his finger.  That was surprising, as I was never given a key to the place, myself.  Why would I?  We were just after-school helpers.  Why would he have one?

He said, "I thought we could have some fun.  You know.  Inside."

I asked him, "How'd you get a key?"

All he answered was, "Come on."

He stepped out of the car.

I called after him, "I don't really want to.  Can we do dinner and we'll see what happens afterward?"

He closed his door and walked up to the building.  I opened my door and called out, "What if it's alarmed?"

He said, "It's a school."  He put the key in a side door and opened it.

All at once, he turned back to me and ran for the car.  He threw himself in and turned it on.

"Shit," he said, "There's an alarm!"

He backed out of the parking space and we zoomed down the street, through a red light.

"Slow down!" I shouted.  He pulled over to a side street and parked.  My heart was thumping.  His hands gripped the wheel.

Shaking, I said, "I'd like to go home."

He asked, "Is anyone else there?"

"My parents."

"So why would you want to go home?  Let's do dinner."

He took me to a Burger King, and once we were done there, he asked me if I knew anyplace where we could be alone.

I told him, "Maybe next time," and he drove me home.

There was no mention by anyone the next day about the alarm going off, and I wasn't going to say anything.  Steve and I still worked together for a couple of months, but every time he asked me out after that, for some reason or another, I ensured that I was too busy.