“Mom, do you know any weird people?"

“What on earth do you mean, Will?”

“There is this girl where I work who seems nice enough, but she talks funny. Her parents are from Hungary but she was born here. They used to be Gypsies.”

“Will, your father and I have told you before about making fun of people who are different than yourself.”

“I’m not making fun of her, Mom. I’m just saying she acts a little weird sometimes and I’m wondering if you and dad know anyone weird.”

“Let me put it this way, weird can be in the eye of the beholder. I’ll bet no one in her family thinks she is weird. If she is 'nice enough', as you say she is, why not ask her out and find out for yourself?”

“She’s been hinting that she would like to go out with me. Maybe I’ll ask her about Saturday night. Thanks, Mom.”

Will decides to run all this by Jeremy so he goes to the hallway phone and calls him.

“Hey, Jer. What’s up?"

“Hi, Will. Hey, I’m sorry about you and Dana. Any chance of you two gettin’ back together?”

“I don’t know, man. I haven’t talked to her since it all happened. But that’s not why I called.”

“Lay it on me.”

“I don’t know if you have met Tracie Koch at my store, but she’s been after me for a date since before Dana and I split.”

“No, I don’t know Tracie. What’s she like?”

“She’s not like anyone I’ve known before. In fact, she’s a little weird sometimes.”

“Well, maybe you need a little spice in your life, man. Weird might do you good for a change.”

“So you’re saying that you would go out with her if you were me?”

“Nope. You’re gonna have to decide that for yourself, buddy. I ain’t makin’ that call. I’ll just wish you good luck.”

Another day goes by and Will decides to take a chance on Tracie. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“Hey, Tracie, are you doing anything this evening?”

“Why yes, I am. I’m going wherever you want to take me, Sir William. We can do whatever you want.”

The sparkle in her eyes is unnerving to him but he takes it in stride and asks, “What kind of movies do you like?”

“Tell you what, you’re the Knight on the white horse, you decide.”

Why is she calling me the Knight on the white horse? Is it part of the Sir William thing?

Will finishes spraying water on all the vegetable racks in preparation for the evening. One last look to make sure everything in his department is where it should be and the floor is spic-and-span and he’s off to get Tracie.

Strange, he thinks. She’s not at the deli. Has she chickened out and is not going out with me?

Before he can look for her, she appears as if from thin air and he gasps at what he sees. She is standing there dressed in full Gypsy regalia, as if she were ready for a wilderness adventure.

“I’m ready, Sir William.”

Oh my gosh! What have I gotten myself into? “Are you going like that?”

“I sure am. I was going to bring some clothes from home for you but you’re bigger than my dad and his wouldn’t fit you. Here’s a hat for you. I’m sure it will be okay.”

Will swallows hard, gathers himself and says, “Well Princess Tracie, let’s go!”

As they walk through the store Will is grateful there are no customers around. The stares from the remaining employees are difficult enough to bear and he knows he will be dealing with a lot of razzing tomorrow.

When they reach his car she begins to refer to it as her chariot—her white chariot.

“Uh, Tracie, it’s a black car. A black Ford coupe! It ain’t white and it ain’t a chariot.”

She looks at him, as if for the first time. “Who are you? Why are you mad at me? Where is my Sir William?”

Will is now getting scared. He has never, not ever, been with someone this dingy and decides to take her home—now! “Tracie, I know someone brought you to work and I assume you told them you had a ride home. I’m going to take you straight home.”

He opens the passenger door for her and she climbs in. When he sits down behind the steering wheel he is startled to see that he not only has the hat she gave him but he, himself, is dressed as a Gypsy! He looks at her and she smiles. “What did you do? How did you do that? Am I under some kind of spell?”

Tracie sits there, on her side of the car, and says nothing. Will is so scared that he burns rubber out of the store parking lot. He must get her home, NOW!

When they get close to her neighborhood he has one more stoplight to deal with before he reaches her turnoff. The light turns red and he stops, afraid to look at her. Before he can take off again, she reaches over, takes the key out of the ignition and drops it down her blouse.

“Tracie, please don’t do that. Give the key back to me! I have to get you home.”

“Come on, Sir William, I told you I would take you on a trip. Now’s the time to start.”

“Tracie, please! Not here. Not in the middle of the street!”

“Come to me, my love. It’s time for my Knight to save me.”

“Oh god, what have I gotten myself into,” he cries.

Things are now totally out of Will’s control. He can’t think of anything to do but jump out of the car. When he finds himself in the intersection he also discovers that …