Brunch part 1
I love antiquing. I don't even need to buy anything. Really, I have so much crap at home, I need to have a sale, not buy more. But I still love going into the shops. Looking at the old furniture and the stuff. Items range from clothes to no longer made fine China to tools that can't be found anymore. I love the look and feel of things as they age. The better they are, the higher the quality of the materials and craftsmanship, the better they age. You can always tell what was respected, cared for, cherished. We've been to 3 of my favorite shops today and it's not even 11 am yet.
I love this weekend every year. His company Christmas party is always so much fun. And I think they must be the only company left that does things like provide drinks in the hotel bar ahead of time. There are also appetizers, dinner, dancing and unbelievably an open bar all evening. They are a good company to work for, responsible and they care about their employees. So this weekend every year after the party they also provide everyone with a room in the hotel. I've had a few good jobs over the years but nothing that comes with a perk like this.
We always go to this party and stay the night. On rare occasions we have to leave early the next morning because he has to get back to work. This year is one of the good years. He has the next two days off. So we're making a long weekend of it. He arranged to keep us in the same room for 2 more nights. Just us, no kids, no work, no responsibilities. The party was a riot last night. I tired out and went back to our room before midnight. He didn't come back until well after 3 am. I don't know how he does that. But at 6:45 we were both wide awake. It is our normal wake up time after all.
This morning was special though. He told me right away that he had the whole day planned. Shower, breakfast, antiquing and then brunch back at the hotel. He knows I love antiquing, I realized suddenly that he planned this day around me. His only time off in months and he planned it around me. We showered together and then I had him for breakfast (see story Breakfast). His last words before we got dressed and left the room were....
"I hope you enjoyed your breakfast because for brunch it's my turn..."
We headed out and he asked me to go down to the breakfast nook in the lobby and make us each a coffee. I don't know what he forgot but he headed back to the room. We met in the lounge area between the breakfast nook and the front doors just a few minutes later.
All day his words have been in the back of my head. One moment I'm engrossed in an antique colonial mahogany dinner table with six leaves and an amazing 16 chairs plus 2 captains chairs. The next moment I'm remembering him looking at me and saying that and chuckling quietly. I've practically been dripping all day. Oh how deeply I want to return to the hotel room.
As we leave the third shop he says it's time for brunch. I smile but we've had some snacks out in the shops and I'm not really hungry. I decided not to say anything. Besides I'm fairly certain that brunch will be a private affair and that I will be the only item on the menu. The drive back is pleasant. It's unusually nice out for mid December in the Northeast. Bright blue sky, dry, sunny. There is a chill in the air but 37 degrees this time of year is practically a gift. We park and wander our way back into the hotel. He heads toward the nicer of the two hotel restaurants. I love that he is being a bit lavish with me but I feel a twinge of disappointment. Further I feel wrong going in there now. I'm really not hungry. I slow down a bit and he turns to me.
"You don't like the restaurant? Don't you want to have brunch with me?" I'm stunned by his questions. How could he think I don't like this restaurant? We've eaten here before: enough times that I have a favorite appetizer! And worse, what would make him think after all these years that I would ever give up any opportunity to dine with him! Now I stop in my tracks for real.
"Are you kidding? I like it here, you know that! And we are both so busy we don't even get to eat dinner together half the time. I always want to dine with you."
"So what is the problem?" He is being so snippy with me, I don't understand why. Everything was fine just seconds ago. I take a deep breath and explain that I'm just not hungry after the snacking at the shops. He just stands there staring directly into my eyes. Then everything changes. His whole face smiles and he shakes his head a little and then he starts laughing at me.
"Gotcha!" He manages to say as he puts his arm around me and steers us in the opposite direction. "I told you earlier, it's my turn for brunch, back to the room we go".