In No Rush To Kiss.
On December 31st 1978, I attended the New Year’s Eve Rush concert at Maple Leaf Gardens. It would be the third consecutive and final year that Rush would headline the end of year concert at the Gardens. On this night the upstart Toronto band Max Webster would be the opening act.
Rush are three hometown boys, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart all from the Willowdale area of Toronto. The band had already recorded six albums by the time they rolled into the Gardens for the Hemispheres tour concert to usher in 1979. During the late seventies Rush was at the height of their hard rock and heavy metal popularity. Rush was performing for sold out concerts worldwide. I could hardly be considered a huge Rush fan, but I did have a couple of their albums in my collection. I had already attended one other Rush concert also at the Gardens, but for me I liked Max Webster more than Rush.
This night would also be memorable for me because I would also be going on my first date. Her name was Arlene; she was seventeen and she also worked at the Jupiter store where I worked as a manager trainee. The Jupiter store was a larger discount department store owned by the S.S. Kresge Company. I had been promoted to the store in Scarborough just a couple months earlier.
There was not much to like about my new promotion.
I didn't have much more money in my pocket although I now had a much longer commute. A commute that would see me now taking a long bus ride added to the two subways each way. I could easily spend close to four hours commuting to and from the store each day at Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue.
Rob was the manager, I liked him but my boss was Hank and I didn't like him. Hank was the assistant manager who suffered from a severe case of small man syndrome. Hank always found it necessary to overly assert his poor management skills on store staff to compensate for his short, chubby, greasy and pathetic lack of masculinity.
Arlene worked part-time at the store, she was a grade twelve high school student. She was tall, pretty and she always had time for a chat with yours truly. I had the feeling that Arlene kind of liked me, but I was very nervous about asking her out for fear she would say no.
Rush are three hometown boys, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart all from the Willowdale area of Toronto. The band had already recorded six albums by the time they rolled into the Gardens for the Hemispheres tour concert to usher in 1979. During the late seventies Rush was at the height of their hard rock and heavy metal popularity. Rush was performing for sold out concerts worldwide. I could hardly be considered a huge Rush fan, but I did have a couple of their albums in my collection. I had already attended one other Rush concert also at the Gardens, but for me I liked Max Webster more than Rush.
This night would also be memorable for me because I would also be going on my first date. Her name was Arlene; she was seventeen and she also worked at the Jupiter store where I worked as a manager trainee. The Jupiter store was a larger discount department store owned by the S.S. Kresge Company. I had been promoted to the store in Scarborough just a couple months earlier.
There was not much to like about my new promotion.
I didn't have much more money in my pocket although I now had a much longer commute. A commute that would see me now taking a long bus ride added to the two subways each way. I could easily spend close to four hours commuting to and from the store each day at Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue.
Rob was the manager, I liked him but my boss was Hank and I didn't like him. Hank was the assistant manager who suffered from a severe case of small man syndrome. Hank always found it necessary to overly assert his poor management skills on store staff to compensate for his short, chubby, greasy and pathetic lack of masculinity.
Arlene worked part-time at the store, she was a grade twelve high school student. She was tall, pretty and she always had time for a chat with yours truly. I had the feeling that Arlene kind of liked me, but I was very nervous about asking her out for fear she would say no.
Back then I lived in constant fear of rejection.
The Cedarbrae Theaters were right across the street from the store. There were many times I thought about asking her out to a movie after work, but she always worked the evening shift after school up until the store closed at nine. And because I never worked on weekends, I put my movie idea on the back burner.
During one of our chats, Arlene confessed to being a huge Rush fan. I figured this would be my first real opportunity to ask her out since I knew Rush was performing at the Gardens on New Year’s Eve. I mustered up the courage and asked her out to the show with me. Although, I made it look like I was already going to the show and my buddy had to cancel so I now had an extra ticket.
The truth was that I was not going to the show and I had no tickets.
Arlene told me she would love to go with me and use my extra ticket. I was eighteen years old and finally I was about to go on my first date. I remember I was very happy and even more so I was very nervous. I now had to act quickly since the show was less than a couple weeks away. Tickets would be expensive because the New Year’s Eve show was already sold out. Rush always sold out Maple Leaf Gardens when they played their hometown.
That year the New Year’s Eve was on a Sunday which was perfect because the store was closed. Arlene agreed she would meet me at the Westbury Hotel for dinner just behind the Gardens at 6 pm. After eating we would then only have just a five minute walk to the Gardens back door on Wood Street. I had very little cash back then and I figured the night was going to cost me at least a hundred bucks. I had no credit card so I needed to bring enough cash because I didn’t want Arlene to pay for anything.
I was so old school back in those days.
Since I had no tickets for the sold out show, I figured my best bet would be to buy tickets from a scalper about an hour before I met Arlene for dinner. I had already told her I had lower green seats for the show. I wish I hadn’t because now I had limited myself to what seats I could buy on the street for us.
I took the subway and arrived at the Gardens just after five. I had an hour to get the best deal on a pair of lower green tickets I could find and it didn’t take me long. Scalpers were very abundant outside the Gardens for all events. The Gardens was the only indoor venue that could accommodate such a large crowd in Toronto and there were scalpers outside the Gardens every day.
One of the scalpers sold me a pair of good lower greens for fifty bucks. He wanted sixty after I had offered him fifty, but I said no. When I started to walk away he quickly changed his mind and took my offer. I paid more than double the face value for our tickets and I still had fifty bucks left in my pocket.
I remember thinking to myself that I sure hope Arlene shows up as I walked along Wood Street towards the Westbury Hotel. I had last seen her three days earlier at the store and she told me she was really looking forward to our date. Within five minutes of me arriving Arlene showed up and we got a booth with a window overlooking Yonge Street. We had dinner and I remember we had no trouble finding things to talk about. It felt like I had known her all my life. We needed to kill some time chatting because the show started at 8:30 and the doors wouldn't be opening until an hour earlier.
Time flew by and before I knew it we were getting ready to leave the Westbury. After I paid the bill, I still had close to thirty bucks left for any incidental expenses. I felt so relieved because I knew I was now going to have enough money for the rest of the night.
Shit, how could I forget about that?
I hailed us a cab and we both got in the back seat.
Once we were in the taxi, my main focus was on nothing but the meter on the dashboard. I just prayed that I would have enough money as Arlene and I talked all the way home. Within an hour we arrived at her apartment building which I remember had a big circular driveway in the front. The fare on the meter was now a few bucks shy of the thirty bucks I had in my pocket. I got out with Arlene and walked her into the lobby; she lived in a luxury building. It was so much nicer than the building I would now be heading home to. Our apartment buildings had absolutely nothing in common other than the fact they were buildings.
After saying our goodnights I got back into the cab. The driver asked me where my next destination was. I looked at the meter and gave the driver all the cash in my pocket. It was just enough to pay the fare and included a tip.
“Drop me off at the end of the driveway,” I said.
All I had left was just a couple bus tickets in my wallet. I spent the rest of New Year's Eve getting myself back to my apartment in the projects. I ended up having to take the three bus rides home because the subway as I expected had already stopped running.
As I look back, I am glad I did the right thing by getting Arlene home safely and I know that she appreciated it also. My first date was now history, but my first kiss was still yet to come. Even while writing this story decades later, I still can’t believe I never kissed Arlene goodnight. I still can’t believe I never kissed her at midnight when everyone in the world kisses someone to ring in the New Year.
She probably thinks that I didn’t like her or I didn’t have such a good time on our date. Not true at all. The truth was I was too nervous to make the first move and give her a kiss at midnight or to kiss her goodnight when I dropped her off at home.
I know, I know, I totally blew it.
Once my boss Hank got wind that Arlene and I had been on a date, he accused me of trying to sleep my way to the top of the company and trying to steal his job.
Seriously? What a fuck’n idiot he was.
"I went to a concert with a part-time student who attends high school. How the hell was I sleeping my way to the top of the company?" I asked Hank.
Little did I know that Arlene’s father was a big executive within the company and worked at the head office downtown. He was Hank's boss. Hank the loser had nothing to worry about, I didn’t want his job. Arlene and I never got the chance to go out on another date. Because of Hank, I quit my job at the store a few weeks later. Hank was such an asshole and I just couldn’t take it any longer working under him.
When I think back today I wonder if Arlene even remembers that New Year’s Eve Rush concert at Maple Leaf Gardens. If she does then I just hope she remembers me as a gentleman and not the guy who never kissed her on New Year’s Eve. I know she knew I was not trying to sleep my way to the top of the company like Hank accused me of doing. If I had been that type of guy, you would have thought I’d have been in a rush to kiss her.
If I could do it all over again, I would have kissed Arlene goodnight in a heartbeat. Although, I would've had my first kiss at midnight right inside Maple Leaf Gardens. My first kiss would have even been more memorable, even more special had it been right inside the Gardens.
The Cedarbrae Theaters were right across the street from the store. There were many times I thought about asking her out to a movie after work, but she always worked the evening shift after school up until the store closed at nine. And because I never worked on weekends, I put my movie idea on the back burner.
During one of our chats, Arlene confessed to being a huge Rush fan. I figured this would be my first real opportunity to ask her out since I knew Rush was performing at the Gardens on New Year’s Eve. I mustered up the courage and asked her out to the show with me. Although, I made it look like I was already going to the show and my buddy had to cancel so I now had an extra ticket.
The truth was that I was not going to the show and I had no tickets.
Arlene told me she would love to go with me and use my extra ticket. I was eighteen years old and finally I was about to go on my first date. I remember I was very happy and even more so I was very nervous. I now had to act quickly since the show was less than a couple weeks away. Tickets would be expensive because the New Year’s Eve show was already sold out. Rush always sold out Maple Leaf Gardens when they played their hometown.
That year the New Year’s Eve was on a Sunday which was perfect because the store was closed. Arlene agreed she would meet me at the Westbury Hotel for dinner just behind the Gardens at 6 pm. After eating we would then only have just a five minute walk to the Gardens back door on Wood Street. I had very little cash back then and I figured the night was going to cost me at least a hundred bucks. I had no credit card so I needed to bring enough cash because I didn’t want Arlene to pay for anything.
I was so old school back in those days.
Since I had no tickets for the sold out show, I figured my best bet would be to buy tickets from a scalper about an hour before I met Arlene for dinner. I had already told her I had lower green seats for the show. I wish I hadn’t because now I had limited myself to what seats I could buy on the street for us.
I took the subway and arrived at the Gardens just after five. I had an hour to get the best deal on a pair of lower green tickets I could find and it didn’t take me long. Scalpers were very abundant outside the Gardens for all events. The Gardens was the only indoor venue that could accommodate such a large crowd in Toronto and there were scalpers outside the Gardens every day.
One of the scalpers sold me a pair of good lower greens for fifty bucks. He wanted sixty after I had offered him fifty, but I said no. When I started to walk away he quickly changed his mind and took my offer. I paid more than double the face value for our tickets and I still had fifty bucks left in my pocket.
I remember thinking to myself that I sure hope Arlene shows up as I walked along Wood Street towards the Westbury Hotel. I had last seen her three days earlier at the store and she told me she was really looking forward to our date. Within five minutes of me arriving Arlene showed up and we got a booth with a window overlooking Yonge Street. We had dinner and I remember we had no trouble finding things to talk about. It felt like I had known her all my life. We needed to kill some time chatting because the show started at 8:30 and the doors wouldn't be opening until an hour earlier.
Time flew by and before I knew it we were getting ready to leave the Westbury. After I paid the bill, I still had close to thirty bucks left for any incidental expenses. I felt so relieved because I knew I was now going to have enough money for the rest of the night.
Then it hit me. There was one big incidental I had not even thought about. I needed to get Arlene home safely after the show.
Shit, how could I forget about that?
Afterall, this was my first date so obviously I had no dating experience up to that night. However, I knew that a real gentleman always makes sure his date gets home safely.
I figured I had two options, actually I had three.
One, I could be a buffoon and not be a gentleman at all. I could just see Arlene off at the subway since we would be going opposite directions home and I'd see her next week at the store. I knew in my heart that was not the right thing to do and option one was no longer an option.
Option two would be to take the public transit home. We would have to take two subways and a long bus ride before we got to her apartment in Scarborough. She would not be home until well after 2 am and I would not be getting home until at least two hours later. By the time I got Arlene home the subways would have already stopped running and my only way home would be three long bus rides. Because it was New Year’s Eve the transit system would be running later than usual to discourage people from drinking and driving. However, I still didn’t think I would have been able to catch the last train after dropping Arlene off at her home.
Option three would be to take a cab. I would drop Arlene off and then have the driver take me home. I had no idea what that would even cost, but I knew it would be pricey. I didn’t even know if I had enough cash left to get Arlene home let alone myself.
The concert was great; Arlene and I both loved it. Although me worrying about getting Arlene home was in the back of my mind during the whole show. I was worried I would not have enough money for the taxi. Once the concert ended shortly past midnight, my priority now was to get Arlene home safely first and foremost. Arlene was adamant that she could get herself home on the bus, she had a student bus pass and did not expect me to take her home. She assured me that she would be fine.
One, I could be a buffoon and not be a gentleman at all. I could just see Arlene off at the subway since we would be going opposite directions home and I'd see her next week at the store. I knew in my heart that was not the right thing to do and option one was no longer an option.
Option two would be to take the public transit home. We would have to take two subways and a long bus ride before we got to her apartment in Scarborough. She would not be home until well after 2 am and I would not be getting home until at least two hours later. By the time I got Arlene home the subways would have already stopped running and my only way home would be three long bus rides. Because it was New Year’s Eve the transit system would be running later than usual to discourage people from drinking and driving. However, I still didn’t think I would have been able to catch the last train after dropping Arlene off at her home.
Option three would be to take a cab. I would drop Arlene off and then have the driver take me home. I had no idea what that would even cost, but I knew it would be pricey. I didn’t even know if I had enough cash left to get Arlene home let alone myself.
The concert was great; Arlene and I both loved it. Although me worrying about getting Arlene home was in the back of my mind during the whole show. I was worried I would not have enough money for the taxi. Once the concert ended shortly past midnight, my priority now was to get Arlene home safely first and foremost. Arlene was adamant that she could get herself home on the bus, she had a student bus pass and did not expect me to take her home. She assured me that she would be fine.
I hailed us a cab and we both got in the back seat.
Once we were in the taxi, my main focus was on nothing but the meter on the dashboard. I just prayed that I would have enough money as Arlene and I talked all the way home. Within an hour we arrived at her apartment building which I remember had a big circular driveway in the front. The fare on the meter was now a few bucks shy of the thirty bucks I had in my pocket. I got out with Arlene and walked her into the lobby; she lived in a luxury building. It was so much nicer than the building I would now be heading home to. Our apartment buildings had absolutely nothing in common other than the fact they were buildings.
After saying our goodnights I got back into the cab. The driver asked me where my next destination was. I looked at the meter and gave the driver all the cash in my pocket. It was just enough to pay the fare and included a tip.
“Drop me off at the end of the driveway,” I said.
All I had left was just a couple bus tickets in my wallet. I spent the rest of New Year's Eve getting myself back to my apartment in the projects. I ended up having to take the three bus rides home because the subway as I expected had already stopped running.
As I look back, I am glad I did the right thing by getting Arlene home safely and I know that she appreciated it also. My first date was now history, but my first kiss was still yet to come. Even while writing this story decades later, I still can’t believe I never kissed Arlene goodnight. I still can’t believe I never kissed her at midnight when everyone in the world kisses someone to ring in the New Year.
She probably thinks that I didn’t like her or I didn’t have such a good time on our date. Not true at all. The truth was I was too nervous to make the first move and give her a kiss at midnight or to kiss her goodnight when I dropped her off at home.
I know, I know, I totally blew it.
Once my boss Hank got wind that Arlene and I had been on a date, he accused me of trying to sleep my way to the top of the company and trying to steal his job.
Seriously? What a fuck’n idiot he was.
"I went to a concert with a part-time student who attends high school. How the hell was I sleeping my way to the top of the company?" I asked Hank.
Little did I know that Arlene’s father was a big executive within the company and worked at the head office downtown. He was Hank's boss. Hank the loser had nothing to worry about, I didn’t want his job. Arlene and I never got the chance to go out on another date. Because of Hank, I quit my job at the store a few weeks later. Hank was such an asshole and I just couldn’t take it any longer working under him.
When I think back today I wonder if Arlene even remembers that New Year’s Eve Rush concert at Maple Leaf Gardens. If she does then I just hope she remembers me as a gentleman and not the guy who never kissed her on New Year’s Eve. I know she knew I was not trying to sleep my way to the top of the company like Hank accused me of doing. If I had been that type of guy, you would have thought I’d have been in a rush to kiss her.
If I could do it all over again, I would have kissed Arlene goodnight in a heartbeat. Although, I would've had my first kiss at midnight right inside Maple Leaf Gardens. My first kiss would have even been more memorable, even more special had it been right inside the Gardens.
How I wish now that I could have a do-over.
