Boy and girl go to the opera on a first date. 

“Don’t you worry about bringing someone here on a first date?” She asked. 

He was struck by the question. “Why should I worry?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the date turns out to be not so good and then, well, then you’re struck at an opera!”

She said the word opera in a way that disclosed her feelings about it. 

“Ah, I see. Well for me, it’s the exact opposite. If the date turns out to be bad, then at least I can enjoy the opera.” 

He smiled at her when he said this, hinting gently at the possibility that the date could go bad, but he rather liked Rachel already, even though they had only met for the first time in-person just fifteen minutes ago. 

They were walking down the sidewalk wearing winter coats. Winters in Chicago were very cold. He wore a grey pea coat with the collar pulled up around his neck. He had his hands tucked into the pockets in both sides of the coat’s abdomen. She wore a fur coat and a scarf.  She had on black leather gloves. Her left hand held her purse and the other held his arm. 

“Have you ever had a bad date at the opera?”

She was still on the subject, it seemed. But this was a trick question, he knew. Not so much about the opera as it was about his recent dating history. 

“I did once, yes. She actually forced us to leave right in the middle. She wanted to go for a drink. So we went across the street for a drink. And then I said I had to be off because I had an early morning the next day. She wanted to keep drinking but I insisted. I don’t like drinking much anyway.”

They kept walking in silence for a moment. He studied her pause. That bit was important. He had avoided anything distasteful about the dating and revealed a few key pieces of information about himself. 

He carried on the conversation to avoid dwelling. “How long have you lived in Chicago?”

Like this, they walked and talked along Main Street. By the time they arrived at the opera house his shoulders were tucked up tight around his neck and her nose was bright red. They were glad to get indoors. 

The opera house was brightly lit. 

…

He marveled at the capabilities of a human voice. 

Like any great feat, it made him wonder about the capabilities of man more generally. His mind started to drift, but he pulled his attention back to the music.