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41 When he asked me to have a cup of coffee with him I gave him some kind of excuse and fled from the drugstore back to my tiny apartment. I raced up the worn wooden stairway to my place, as if something really bad were after me. When I turned the key and stepped into my room, my mind was in a whirl. Acted like a fool, I thought as I wrenched my ugly sweater from my shoulders and flung it at the couch. Why..., why didn’t I have coffee with him? He must think I’m an idiot. Well, I consoled myself, I had aa Fi 1 1 at least given him my number. When he calls... if he calls, better not act like a child again. Damn. I sat on the couch, pulled my knees up and hugged them to my chest. He’s good-looking though, I told myself and I smiled and focused on the air in front of me. And he’s girlfriend to confide in. No one would ever believe that a teacher, an artist, a real artist, had asked me out. Two evenings later I opened my door to find Bob Bartholic on my landing. He had just lifted his hand to knock on my door. “How about a walk?” he’d asked. That was the same casual tone he’d used at the drug store and the spontaneity of his invitation captured me. I had always enjoyed unplanned events. I don’t know what happened. Suddenly I felt the insecure feelings rush through me just as they had two evenings before. “T... I can’t... L.. I didn’t know you were coming.” I looked down at myself. I was wearing the same old ugly sweater I’d had on at the drugstore. “I’m not dressed to go out.” I tried desperately to think of some excuse, any excuse, to drive this man from my door. “I can’t go out tonight.” “Well,” Completely undaunted, Bob smiled and tried again. “Well, what’re you doing? Were you going somewhere?” again. Barbara: The Story of a UFO Investigator an artist. It was at times like this that I wished I had a