When Lester invited Maureen over to his apartment above the bakery for dinner, he had it all planned. The Veal Scaloppini was from the Purple Rose, a fine French Restaurant down in the Village, to be delivered at quarter to eight precisely, in fine china, that matched the table service and candle sticks that
'Robare,'
aka, ex-Sergeant First Class Robert Swartz, the owner and chief of the Purple Rose, had loaned him, since they had both served in the same Fourth Infantry brigade, in different years, together. The brotherhood was funny that way.
The wine was Staggs Leap chardonnay from California, highly recommended by the manager of the Knight's Market, a very friendly 40ish, brunette who had told him, "If a man serves me Staggs Leap," she nodded and winked at him, "I know I'm in for a good evening," then she chuckled and rang up four bottles.
He had bought new sheets and pillow cases, so smooth and luxurious that he got excited just thinking about Maureen's skin sliding over them, as he put them on his new queen sized bed. It was fortunate that the apartment was fairly large, but there was no way that a king sized bed would work.
So eight o'clock came and Maureen rang the lower door bell, right on time. Lester ran down the back stairs and opened the Horner's Alley door, painted in a peeling sea green with a small sign the read, "Nuehousen Apartments," crookedly screwed to it.
Maureen smiled at him and stepped in out of the Alley, which was now a foot/bike zone, filled with restaurants, tea shops and the like, in summer and a path way through town off the slush filled streets up to the University, in winter. The Mayor had pushed it for years to open up the town center, three blocks of the Alley were now developed and Maureen had worked on it as a civic duty, and made a few dollars off it, doing financing to help the shop keepers attract more business in the down town area of Horner Springs.
"Welcome to my world," Lester said as he let her in. The smell of cinnamon rolls and fresh bread permeated the hall. Maureen took a deep breath, mostly to show off the bodice of her dress, as she took off her light wrap, but also to smell the aroma of Heidi's bakery. Murphy was smiling as he took her wrap and escorted her up the narrow stair case to his second floor apartment.
Maureen preceded Lester to allow him to appreciate her tight skirt and perhaps a glimpse of her stocking tops as she bounced, elegantly, she hoped, up the stairs glancing back to see what Lester was up too. She swore she felt his hand on her fanny more that once, but she liked it, so she just giggled and hurried up the stairs.
Maureen loved the veal from the Purple Rose and Lester had hinted at a surprise on the phone. She had purchased this blue dress for another occasion, but felt secure that it would suffer no damage from Lester. She had bought this dress as a "Closer" for a major deal. It had been an investment on her accounts, and she felt that Lester could verify it's potential.
She smiled at him as she surveyed the wasteland that he inhabited.
"This man needs a woman,"
she thought as she turned and kissed him. The room was very dark, in one corner was a table draped with two starched table cloths over lapping, topped with tall white candles and a silver wine cooler, other than that it was a mix of vaguely popular furniture and a set of plank and block shelves.
The smell of the hot veal on the table in candle light and the elegant table, with three kinds of glasses and silverware that sent sparkles of candle light, attracted her. She pulled Lester to the table and held his hand as she looked at it. So white and pure, she turned and kissed Lester, a tear in her eye. "Les, this is beautiful."
From the stereo the sound of a classical guitar began to play softly.
Lester smiled broadly and ushered her to her seat, saying, "My Lady, it is less that you deserve, but as much as I can afford." He kissed her cheek and adjusted her chair. "Wine, cold and smooth?" he said, removing the covers from the dishes on the table and sat opposite her, pouring the wine, the bottle elegantly wrapped in a napkin and held by the bottom as he poured the wine without a error, to just two thirds full on the tulip shaped crystal.
Maureen smiled and took the proffered glass. "Beautiful," she said looking at Lester pour his own glass precisely two thirds full and held his glass up to her.
Maureen suppressed her giggle and touched her glass precisely to Lester's, the crystal rang. She was shocked by the purity of the tone, the glitter of the light on the glass, Lester's clean good looks in his fitted shirt and black silk vest. His cuffs were French, with gold links and his cravat of shimming Black silk, with a ruby the size of her thumbnail, pinned in it. She hadn't noticed the details, at the door, only that he was different. She had been so excited at her own image in the sapphire silk dress that she hadn't really noticed his apparel. She sipped her wine thoughtfully.
"I must say that you look lovely tonight, Maureen. Please eat its getting cool." Murphy smiled and picked up his utensils, looking at her, "How was your week?"
Maureen grinned and said, "Very productive, if not immediately lucrative, How was yours?"
Les cut his veal and said, "Wonderful, nothing more exciting than Heddy Murchison, finding out that she's to be a grandmother. That caused some excitement down at the office." He began to eat as Maureen took her first bite of the veal. She liked to eat, Lester saw, and remembered her saying that she had to work out three times a week to keep her figure. Lester smiled as he watched her; she was doing a good job.
Maureen paused and picked up her glass to look once again at Lester as he ate. He had surprised her, he had told her the menu, and had hinted at a surprise, but she was frankly appalled at this apartment. Lester deserved better. She did like the effort that he had evidently put in to make dinner nice. It made her feel valued, she liked that.
Lester was happy, so happy that he could barely contain himself. The meal and timing had come off beautifully, and she was eating his food and sipping his wine! This vision of loveliness, in this beautiful dress, her make up perfection, and her smile at seeing the table, made the effort worth it.
"Everything from here on in is gravy,"
he thought and savored the food,
"Sgt. Swartz is one fine cook."
"I'm wondering what the surprise is?" she said innocently
Les grinned and offered the wine. She tipped her glass for him. "It won't surprise you if I tell you."
She grinned and said, "Well I was surprised at the table. So elegant and pure." She reached across the small table and took put her hand on his. "Was that the surprise?"
"No, Maureen the surprise is yet to come." He smiled and asked, "How's the veal, didn't Robare do an excellent job?"
"He's teasing,"
she thought
"He's so intriguing,"
she decided. She patted Lester's hand and said, "As good as I ever had. The man is a genius with veal, and so discrete on the capers. I like that. The potatoes were very good too." and finished her meal, slowly savoring the passage of each moment.
Lester picked up his wine glass by the stem, "I like the wine, you?"
"Yes what is it?" she said.
