Double Chocolate Mousse beats a double date

Double dating. Most of us have been there, done that, but I bet none of your stories are as humorous as that of my husband Jerry.  

Let’s go back to the mid 1970s. Jerry and his friends, along with a distant cousin (who I will call Jay in this article), drove to Miami Beach for winter vacation. They checked into their motel and headed to the Caribbean hotel’s upper deck to reserve chaise lounges from “Stan the Man.” If you spent intersessions in Miami Beach you knew Stan the Man. He was the go-to man for the lounges and if you were in Miami Beach, you just had to have a lounge at the Caribbean. It was the place to be, and be seen.

Now, Jay wore suits and white shirts and this was a whole different world from the one he knew, but he liked it. There on the upper deck were dozens of college-aged kids socializing, and most girls were wearing bikinis. Jack grabbed a lounge, loosened his tie, and was ready for vacation — on a lounge in his black pants, white shirt and tie, black socks and “Shabbos shoes.” A few days into the vacation Jay could be seen wearing Jerry’s clothes. Before the trip was over Jay had a girl’s number (I’ll call her Alexandra).

The following Shabbat, Jack stayed at Jerry’s house (his parents lived out of state). Right before Shabbat he told Jerry that he had a date with Alexandra and was taking her to dinner and a show, but the catch was, she would only go if he could bring along a date for her friend and they would double. Jay purchased the tickets hoping his cousin Jerry would agree.

“Absolutely not, there is no way. We’re from two different worlds Jay. This wouldn’t work out,” said Jerry. During dinner that night, lunch the next day, and then shaloshudus, Jay worked on Jerry. And of course Jerry being the good soul that he is, finally relented.

Then the fun began.

Jay: “Great! Now all you have to do is wear a suit and a tie.”

Jerry: “I’m not wearing a suit and a tie.”

Jay: “You have to, otherwise this won’t work. Oh, and you also have to borrow a black hat.”

Jerry: “NO WAY!”

Jay: “Pleeeeeease, I love this girl.”

Jerry: “You’re killing me!”