My first car was a baby blue Chevy convertible.<注1> It was only three years old when I bought it, and I thought I was hot stuff, driving around with the top down, looking to see who was looking at me.<注2>

　　For a long time I've had my eye on Karen.<注3> My shyness, though, had kept me from saying much more than hi to her.<注4> But owning that convertible seemed to give me courage, so I asked her to go to the drive-in<注5> with me. She said yes!

　　It was my first date.

　　When the big<注6> night arrived, I was nervous. Very! I ironed<注7> my shirt. Twice. I dressed carefully, checking and rechecking<注8> my wallet to make sure I had my money. Finally, I picked up<注9> Karen and we headed for the drive-in.

　　The night was shaping up to be the perfect date.<注10> Karen wore a pale blue dress that almost matched my car. Her blond hair blew in the wind as we wound through the streets of Jackson, Michigan. I felt powerful. Confident. This dating stuff is a piece of cake,<注11> I thought, as we pulledsintosour place at the drive-in. Slowly the sky darkened and soon the movie began. Karen stretched out her long legs and leaned back in the seat to watch. I began to think that maybe just maybe I would reach over and take her hand.<注12>

　　By the middle of the movie I was still trying to figure just how to do that. I'm thirsty, Karen said suddenly.

　　I'll get us something! I said, almost leaping out of the car.<注13> I wound through the dark rows to the concession stand thinking, I'll show her that I'm no cheapskate. So I bought Cokes and popcorn and M&Ms. My arms loaded with the goodies, I turned to head back to my car.<注14>

　　And that's when I realized...I had no ideaswheresmy car was! A sea of automobiles surrounded me.<注15> In the dark, they all looked alike. I couldn't even remember which direction I've come from!<注16> So I began walking around looking for a baby blue Chevy convertible. Aisle after aisle. Dead end after dead end.<注17>Then...could it be? Yes! I headed for the blue convertible, hoping the Cokes weren't too warm or the popcorn too cold for Karen's liking.<注18> I flung open the door of the car only to discover a couple engaged in some serious necking in the back seat.<注19> The good news is it wasn't Karen. The bad news is it wasn't my car. sorry, I muttered, spilling popcorn as I banged the door shut.<注20>

　　Finally, after bumping about in the dark so long that I ate the popcorn myself and downed both Cokes, I found the car.<注21> Karen glanced over at me, her eyes icy<注22>. there's my drink? she asked.

　　I tossed<注23> her the M&Ms. this is all they had.

　　I slidsintosmy seat,<注24> and we watched the rest of the movie in silence. (Actually, the credits were rolling by that time.<注25>)

　　I never went out with Karen again, although one time she did ask to borrow my car. (I said no.) And the next time I took a date to the drive-in, I took an extra pack of M&Ms with me...and dropped them all the way to the concession stand, just so I could find my way back.