Chapter 2: Quiet Corner
The Peppercorn is a popular restaurant with a big bar and an extensive happy hour that draws a big crowd. I arrived early so I was lucky to find a parking spot just opposite the front door where I could wait for Tonya to arrive. After almost ten minutes, I was thinking that perhaps I should go inside, but then I saw Tonya drive past me looking for a parking spot. She pulled in a few places down the row, and I watched as she walked toward the door. There happened to be a landscaping crew working on the bushes and flowers. Watching them watch Tonya made me smile. She didn't have to make an effort to look sexy, she just did. Her height and her long legs sporting the high heels had every guy in the landscaping crew stopping to watch. I was reminded of that song "The Girl from Ipanema" where everybody watched her pass by and said "Ahhhhh". I'm sure every man in the work crew was undressing her in their mind and wondered all the things guys wonder about the sort of women that stand out in a crowd. I speculated as to whether any of them had noticed her ankle bracelet, and if so, did any of them understand the significance.
I got out of my car and timed my walking to meet Tonya just in front of the door. I greeted her with a casual hug, and held the door open. I naturally assumed that we would proceed to the bar area, but I would soon learn otherwise.
As I entered the door behind her, she gave me simple instructions. "Just follow me. I know exactly where we're going."
Tonya whispered something into the ear of the very attractive middle aged lady at the hostess desk. The lady nodded back. Tonya led me through the main dining room that was adjacent to the bar area. We continued through a rear dining room, and then through some closed doors into yet another empty dining room. I never realized this other dining room even existed. Perhaps it was only used for private parties. We proceeded to the rear where there was a roomy booth behind a part of the side wall that jutted out about four or five feet. This last booth looked like it originally had been a small storage room or closet that had been opened up for seating. It wasn't even visible when you entered the dining room. It was a very private alcove; a place for privacy even if there were other people in the room. I imagined the likes of Al Capone or John Gotti using such a booth to discuss very secretive business.
As we were walking through that empty dining room, I sensed someone behind us. I turned around to see the hostess who had been at the front desk following us. I almost expected her to tell us that we didn't belong in this room and that it was closed to the public. However, she didn't seem upset that we were there.
As Tonya and I took seats across from each other in the booth, the hostess approached.
"Hi Ginny," Tonya said to her. "Thank you for helping today. I'll have a glass of un-oaked Chardonnay. Oh, and this is Matthew. Matthew, this is Ginny, a very special friend of mine and Phil's.
Ginny smiled at me and said, "Nice to meet you Matthew, and what can I get for you?
"Maker's Mark on the rocks, please," I responded.
"Done," Ginny acknowledged and turned to return to the bar.
I had been tempted to ask for a double, but the drinks at the Peppercorn were notoriously "honest". A basic drink here was like a double anywhere else. I wanted to talk, not fall asleep.
Tonya looked at me and explained, "Ginny's parents started this place about 50 years ago. Now she owns and runs it with her husband, but he doesn't put as much time here as she does. She's the reason I held you off a bit before confirming our little meeting here today. I wanted to call and verify that she would be working this afternoon so she could give me this very special booth. I also wanted to check with Phil and tell him I'd be little late for dinner so I could talk with you."
"You told Phil you were meeting me for a drink?" I said a bit incredulously. "Why the hell did you do that? He's going to jump all over me."
"Good Lord Matthew," Tonya said a tad exasperated. "Take it easy. First off, Phil and I tell each other everything. I told you at lunch that there are no secrets between us anymore. Besides, Phil was happy as a pig in shit to hear that you and I might get together. He was practically jumping up and down when he heard about it. Having a friend like you that we both know and trust included in our little lifestyle arrangement is exactly the sort of thing we hope for. Having you in our lives would make us both very happy. That's assuming it's something you want and that you understand the way it works. I had to make sure Phil didn't call you before we actually had the chance to talk. He's already assuming everything is a done deal, but there's a lot of air for us to clear first."
Tonya reached across the table to take my hand. She linked her pinky finger with mine and asked, "When you were a kid, did you ever make a pinky-square promise with someone?"