Episode 10 -His Loving Memories

“Look, I want to hear why you feel that way. But not before you hear one of the greatest love stories ever told. I’m going to finish preparing our dinner. Okay, now stop worrying and crying.” 

Devon made dinner, pasta with grilled vegetables, salad, and bread.  Serving dinner gave him something else to focus on besides how having her home with him felt. How amazing she smelled. 

“Dinner is ready.” 

When she entered the kitchen, she wore a crop top and shorts that hugged her sexy plump backside, and her hair looked different too.

“What happened to your hair?” He asked as he dished up the pasta, vegetables, and garlic bread—then opened the chilled bottle of chardonnay he had gotten from the cellar.

“Oh, my hair met a flat iron.” 

“I see you like changing things up fairly quickly.”

“This is my style.” Her cute smile exposed the dimples he adored. “This pasta is amazing looking.” 

“Don’t be too impressed. It’s about the extent of my culinary expertise.”

“I’m very impressed, and it’s delicious.” 

“I’m glad you like it.” 

Over dinner, they were quiet as they ate. Then Zari says. “I’m looking forward to hearing this greatest ever love story.”

Devon cleared his throat. Then he refilled their wine glasses.

A young beautiful foreign girl worked at an upscale restaurant. I walked into the place, and there she was. She stood two tables from minds, with a lovely smile taking someone’s order. I took a seat at the last table, sitting alone, which that's how I preferred it. When I glanced up, I saw a soulful pair of brown eyes. I watched her intently. The way she smiled and the graceful movement of her full lips struck me hard in the recesses of my brain and body. 

The young lady was different. A refreshing difference from what I was accustomed to. She possessed something I could feel from the crown of my head to my toes. By all accounts, she was at the basest of all my male receptors at the moment, challenging my brain to give me a vocabulary so he could speak because I had never been lost for words in my entire life! She came up to me, and thank God, the words in my heart came out.

"Good evening Sir. Welcome to Basil Bistros. May I take your order?"

It was nothing special she said to me, but it was the sound of her voice. It was soft, subjective, with a hint of sultriness. It wasn't my first time at Basil’s. It is a nationally known restaurant and one of my favorites. But this was my first time seeing her here; all I could think was how much I would love to share a meal and a bottle of wine with this young lady. Similar to the way I am doing tonight.” 

Zari couldn’t help but smile as she listened to and watched the long build of his face accented the high cheekbones, giving them an exaggerated blush of coloring. The fine lines contouring the mouth held a hint of a smile as he spoke with a carefully reserved and controlled expression. I felt something mystical in that face that couldn’t easily be put into words. He continued speaking as I became more intrigued with his story.

"Why is she here?" I asked himself. My future flashed before my eyes, and I could see myself forgoing many pleasures in life to be with this beauty. But I wondered, 'Is this what it feels like to experience? Love at first sight?'  

I replied to her question with an unusual question. I was hoping to catch her attention. 

 "Young lady, do you like steak?" 

"Yes, we have a bone in Tomahawk perfect with red peppers and caramelized onions?" 

"I'll have that when you get off tonight." 

She blushed, "You'll be starving if you don't eat something now. I don't get off until midnight. Which is approximately four hours and a half from now."

"Perfect," I said. My penetrating gaze rested on her pretty face. My stomach was growling like a lion, wanting to be let out of its cage to hunt, but so was my heart, and it had found its prey. The excitement over finding this beauty had taken precedence over everything else. 

"I can wait on you and that steak for however long it takes," I replied.

The young lady stood there somewhat stunned because she could see I was serious, but she remained professional through all my flirtation.

"Uhmm...maybe you should have some appetizers. We have king crab and shrimp cocktail with a bowl of warm Sunchoke soup."

“Okay, and at twelve, I'll have the Tomahawk steak for two, medium well, with the red peppers and caramelized onions, the heirloom apple salad, the Tuscan black kale with polenta, and a side of you. Please bring a bottle of Domaine La Tour Vieille, Vin Dous Naturel, and Banyuls to accompany the meal." 

I ordered it all without looking at the menu, hoping to impress her. Eyes fixed only on her. 

"Sir, the restaurant will close at twelve and not serve any meals at that hour."

"Yes, that is a problem." I lifted my eyes, giving her my full attention.  

"My dear lady, I am willing to care for anything you need tonight, next week, and possibly for the rest of our lives. So this is what I will do so we don't miss this opportunity. Let me speak to your manager, please." 

"Sir, thank you for the offer, but I must pass. So, I will not bring my manager to you so you can speak to him about me. Now would you like to order that steak or something else?" She said, smiling.

I sighed, closing my eyelids slowly, and my fingers rubbed over my lids. Then, I gradually opened my eyes, giving her a smoldering look.

“Did it work? This smoldering look you gave her.”

“Well, you tell me. Her hands eased into her apron's front pockets as she observed me. In less than a minute or two of sitting and not saying a word or responding to the first move in my chess game, I could tell she had bet she summed me up.

"I was hoping we could enjoy a meal together before you outright rejected me."

I picked up my glass, swirling the contents. I held the glass up, looking for sediment in the crystal, then sniffing and sipping. The wine coated my tongue with the most delightful hints of fruits and Moka. 

"Could you please pour me another glass and bring a blue cheese board with this second glass of wine? There's nothing more delectable to the palate than cheese and wine." 

She poured the second glass of wine as I let my deep voice penetrate her soul, making her hand tremble slightly. She could feel my eyes gliding up her bare arm, making the fine hairs stand at attention. That stimulated me even more, seeing her body tense. I wanted to know more about this girl and discover what other body parts I was making tremble. 

Zari listened as she began to clear her throat. A certain charm and authoritative repose about him could not be denied. Still, she didn’t know why, but he somehow frightened me a little. But that fear I feel is slowly vanishing.

"Sir, will that be all?" 

"Yes,"

"You enjoy your wine, and I'll be returning with your board of blue cheese." 

Minutes later, she served me the block of blue cheese, and all we exchanged at that moment were glances as she carried on with her job. 

“Did that end the exchange of words between you and the young lady? I wouldn’t classify that as a great love story.” 

“Well, let me finish. I didn’t see her for ten minutes, so I assumed she must have gone on break. So I patiently waited, and soon enough, she returned. I watched her discreetly as she cleared tables and served food and drinks to the other guest. But I noticed she was eyeing me for the rest of the night. I don’t think she took me seriously or thought I would stick around until closing.”

“So, did you?”

“I played it cool like she didn’t even exist. I know that kept her wondering. The young lady clears her last few tables and sees that I’m still sitting at the table. She looks at her watch, and it's almost twelve, the end of her shift. She is surprised that I’m still here. I look in her direction for the first time after she rejected me earlier tonight. Our eyes connected for a few seconds as I gestured, nodding my head excellently for her to come to me. She complies, giving me her customers' respect. 

"I hope you don't think I'm weird or a creep. But I want to get to know you since we can’t have a meal here this late. How about we go somewhere for drinks? I know a place called “The Cut,” not too far from here, that stays open until 2 am."

"Sir, I'm not dressed appropriately for a place like The Cut."

"You look fine to me. Here take my blazer. Wow! You look great! I never knew my jacket went so well with a pair of black pants. Look at you." I say, slowly circling her.

She laughs as we both laugh. "You are very persistent. One drink, that's it." 

One drink turned into two, and over drinks, she opened my heart in ways it never had before. Around two in the morning, our fantastic night came to an end. We exchanged phone numbers and talked over the phone for hours. Eventually, I convinced her to go on another date with me.

I treated her like a queen on all our dates. I rolled out the red carpet, so to speak because she deserved it. By candlelight, dinner, wine, and dancing started a whirlwind romance. A month later, I surprised a girl name Zari Jones in front of all her coworkers one evening with flowers, a 24-carat white diamond, and a passionate kiss right before he got down on one knee and asked her to be my wife.”

“What did she say?” Zari asked, intrigued and curious.

Of course, her answer was "?"