The Last Incubus

The Last Incubus: Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Ross and Bailie's first date.

"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you." ~ Luke 10 v. 8.

*****

Saturday, December 9

"Ross? Are you alright?" Tina asked. She was watching me standing in the foyer lost in thought after Lezzie had left.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot going on, that's all."

"Maybe when you go to bed at night, you should get some actual sleep," she said, giving me one of her "knowing" smiles as I started up the stairs.

I turned and looked back at her.

"This incubus stuff isn't all fun and games, you know. I'm still trying to catch up on half a semester's work, keep up with my exercises, plus work at the library, and still eke out a bit of a social life--much of which has nothing to do with sex. Right now, I need to shave and shower and put on some clean clothes."

I climbed a couple more steps and stopped and turned back.

"Oh, that reminds me. It's my turn to do laundry."

"If you have stuff to do, I'll do it after I come back from grocery shopping. Is there anything special you want me to bring back from the store?" she asked.

"Just the groceries!" I called down as I started to undress in front of the bathroom door.

I heard Tina laughing. "And me naked, right?"

"I meant for something to eat," I called down.

"Same answer!"

Ignoring Tina's snarky reply, I decided I would at least start the laundry. After my shower, I sorted everything my whites, and colored, and delicates, leaving most of Tina's bras and underwear for her to do. She preferred to do those herself, saying that it would feel creepy if she knew I was going through them. I didn't argue about that; I felt the same way.

When Tina returned, I told her about being in Bailie's dream asking her to meet me in the library.

"You asked Bailie to meet you in the library today at 11:30 through dream-walking?" she asked with a surprised look on her face.

"Yeah. I know it was a dumb idea, but I was desperate. I miss her and I just want to explain what happened."

"Ross, I think it's brilliant."

"You do? Are you sure this isn't another one of your teases?"

"No, really. Dreams are powerful and people pay attention to them. They often serve as omens or warnings but can just as easily give insight into actions and behaviors. Although are you sure you want to meet in the library? Miss Goodman patrols there on Saturdays and she discourages talking, especially between guys and girls," Tina reminded me.

"Well, where else can we meet?" I asked.

"Why don't you take her to lunch? It's the perfect way to make up with her and food is conducive to conversation."

"I'm not sure I want to tell her about Tripp and Gabriela in the cafeteria. It tends to get noisy, and too many people can listen in to our conversation," I replied.

"Don't take her to the cafeteria, you dope. Take her to a café, or better yet, a restaurant--and I know just the place. Let me make a phone call while you put away the groceries."

We both finished at the same time.

"It's all set. I made reservations for two at Richard's. You can take my car," she announced.

"Richard's?! Tina, we can't eat there. We're just a couple of poor college students; I can barely afford the parking!"

Tina laughed.

"Don't worry, it's all taken care of. I've already spoken with Richard. It'll be his treat. If you want, you can tip the valet and the maître d'. Ten dollars is customary," she replied.

"But it's too fancy. I feel so out of place there, not to mention not having anything nice enough to wear in a swanky restaurant," I protested.

"Relax, Cuz. Richard knows all about that. He reassured me that the dress code is casual for lunches, especially in the winter offseason. Just don't show up in jeans and a tee shirt."

"Well, of course I won't do that. But I'm worried about Bailie, too. I doubt she has any outfits dressy enough for that place either," I pointed out.

"I wouldn't worry too much about her. Most outfits women wear usually pass muster, even casual wear.

You'd be amazed at what girls can get away with. Just don't tell her where you're going until you get there."

"Tina, you've gone through a lot of trouble for such an iffy proposition. I'm not even sure that Bailie will show up. The last time we spoke, she wanted nothing to do with me; and don't forget, that invitation to meet me was in a dream."

"I'm sure she'll show. Like I said, dreams are powerful, people put a lot of stock into them. Besides, if she doesn't show, you could take me to lunch instead," she replied assuredly.

She was more confident than I was, and not just about Bailie showing up at the library. I got dressed in my best clothes, which wasn't anything fancy, but Tina assured me I looked fine.

I drove her car to campus and parked it in the student lot, getting to the library early. I sat in the two-person study carrel near the stacks and waited, hoping Bailie would show. I had just finished reading a chapter in the Business Marketing textbook when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Ross?"

Bailie whispered in an astonished voice.

I was surprised as well. Even though I had been expecting her, I was amazed that she actually came.

"Oh, Bailie! Hi. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

I asked, getting up.

"Uh, sure,"

she replied, still in a state of shock.

"Are you okay? You look--I don't know--confused?"

"I guess I am, a little. I had a dre--um, premonition that you would be here, and I thought I would come and check it out. I can't believe you're really here!"

she whispered, taking a seat.

"Well, I'm glad, because it will give me a chance to apologize to you and explain what happened yesterday,"

I said as I sat back down in my chair.

"Oh, my God. That's exactly what--"

Bailie began.

"Shh! This is a library, not a social center! I don't know what degenerate ideas you had about this young woman, Mr. McPherson, but I certainly expected you to know better!"

Miss Goodman scowled from behind us.

"Don't worry, Miss Goodman. We're both in the same Advanced Forensics course and we're working together on a research project,"

I explained.

"That had better be

all

you're doing. I'll be keeping an eye on the two of you to make sure of it,"

she replied.

We waited in silence until we were sure she was gone. Then we both started talking at the same time.

"I was just going to say--" / "Why don't we--"

Pause.

"You go first." / "You go first."

Another pause, then we both started giggling.

"Go ahead, Bailie. What were you going to say?"

"It wasn't that important. What did you want to say?"

she replied.

"I went first last time. You should at least finish your thought."

"Do you know what we sound like? I'm glad Professor Talisman isn't here to hear this,"

Bailie laughed.

I smiled and nodded.

"Fine, you win. I was only going to suggest that we take this conversation elsewhere. In fact, I wanted to treat you to lunch."

Before she could say anything, her stomach growled, answering for her. She blushed.

"I'll take that as a 'yes',"

I said, smiling.

We gathered our books and left the library. Outside, Bailie began to tell me about the dream she had about me and how she had promised to meet me in the library. But when she saw we were walking in the wrong direction, she suddenly stopped.

"Where are you going? The cafeteria is the other way."

"We're not going to the cafeteria. It's too noisy and there's no place to have a private conversation. I thought we'd go to a restaurant downtown," I replied.

"Downtown? Ross, where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise. This was Tina's idea, actually. When I told her about what had happened and how you thought I had stood you up and wanted to apologize, she thought I should take you out to lunch and go someplace private where we could talk. She even let me borrow her car," I replied as we reached the student parking lot.

"But how did you know we would meet in the library this morning?" she asked.

"Um... you told me you usually studied in the library before classes, remember?" I extemporized.

"But this is Saturday, there are no classes. I'd be working at the diner if it wasn't closed. How did you know I would be at the library today?" she asked warily, as we got to the car.

I had no answer. I couldn't very well tell her the truth that I had arranged it through her dream; and I didn't want to lie to her.

"Oh... well... that's a good point. I guess it was wishful thinking on my part. Or maybe I had the same premonition you had. Luckily, it turned out to be right," I replied as we got into the car.

"Yeah... Lucky..." she replied, skeptically.

It was a quiet ride on the way to the restaurant. I could sense that Bailie was still upset with me, but the fact that she was willing to go with me and listen to my explanation was a good sign. Maybe she was curious to see if my explanation was anything like what she remembered from her dream. I wanted to tell her in the car, but I was too busy driving and remembering Tina's directions to start the conversation. It wasn't until I stopped in front of the restaurant that Bailie broke the silence.

"Why are you stopping--Oh, my God, you're not taking me here, are you? It's too expensive--and I'm not dressed for it. Ross, no, don't do this," she panicked.

"I said the same thing to Tina. She knows the owner and arranged the whole thing. She also reassured me that nobody dresses up for lunches," I replied as the valet opened Bailie's door.

"Hello, Mike," I said to the valet after he walked around the car and opened my door. I slipped him a ten.

"Oh, no sir, I can't take this. Richard told me--"

"It's okay, Mike. Tina suggested it when she loaned me the car. She'd kill me if anything happened to it." I winked at him to let him know that I knew he would take good care of Tina's car whether he was tipped or not.

"Very good, sir... and thank you," he said, smiling.

"Don't do this to me,"

Bailie whispered as we got to the door of the restaurant.

It was Richard himself who opened it.

"Welcome, Ross!" he smiled as he shook my hand and turned towards Bailie. "And who do I have the honor of meeting?"

"Richard, this is Bailie Mousseux. Bailie, this is Richard, uh--"

"Flaubert, the owner," he interrupted, saving me the embarrassment of not knowing his last name. "It is a pleasure to meet such a charming and lovely young lady. Ross is a very lucky man to be seen with such a beautiful woman."

Bailie blushed. "Thank you," she replied quietly.

"My usual maître d', Guillaume, doesn't start until four, and when Tina called me about your date, I thought I would welcome you both in person," Richard smiled, taking our coats.

"This isn't a--" Bailie began.

"Call me a romantic, but I want to make this a memorable date for both of you," he smiled.

"I'm not sure I would call this a date, but it is the first time I've ever taken a girl to a restaurant," I replied.

"Ah, Monsieur Ross! That is the very definition of a date, and with such a lovely woman. This is indeed a special occasion, please follow me."

There were only a handful of diners in the main restaurant area as he led us directly to the private room with the fireplace in the back.

"May I get either of you a cocktail or a glass of wine?" he asked after seating us.

Bailie and I looked at each other. Richard saw our hesitation.

"Cocktails and lunch are on me. First dates should always be memorable. Perhaps I should bring out a bottle of champagne, no?"

"You don't have to do that. I can pay for lunch. Besides, I'm not much of a drinker, especially since I'm driving. Just a glass of unsweetened iced tea for me," I replied.

"Same for me," Bailie quickly added.

Richard looked disappointed. "Very well. Perhaps you will allow me to treat you to a bottle of champagne in the future. But I still insist on treating you both to lunch," he said before he left.

"You know Richard Flaubert?" Bailie asked, clearly impressed.

"I met him a couple of times, through Tina. She brought me here for dinner a little over a week ago. He treated us then, too," I explained.

Thinking about that dinner with Tina brought on a flood of memories and the start of my transformation into an incubus. We were even in the same room where Tina's hands were all over my--this was definitely not the time to start thinking about

that

.

"That's odd. He didn't give us a menu," Bailie noted, nervously.

"You're right. Come to think of it, we didn't have a menu when I was here with Tina, either," I replied.

At that moment, the same bald-headed waiter who had served Tina and me the last time I was here came through the door.

"Good afternoon!" he said automatically before stopping and staring.

"Robert!" I smiled, happily remembering both his face and his name.

"Bob?" Bailie asked.

"Bailie?" Robert replied in a surprised voice.

I looked between the two. "You two know each other?"

Robert and Bailie started laughing.

"Bob and I have known each other for a couple of years now. He was one of my breakfast regulars on weekends at the diner and always left me a generous tip. Now I know why," Bailie explained.

"You earned those tips. You practically ran that place," Robert noted.

"Thank you, but why did you eat at the diner when you work here? Don't they feed you here?" Bailie asked.

"Richard treats me well--he treats all the staff well, but we don't do breakfasts. I live around the corner from the Blue Ox, and it's the quickest way to get breakfast, plus it gives me a chance to see my favorite waitress. Do you know when it's going to reopen?" he asked.

"I don't think it will. Roger's fed up with the complaints about the food. I tried to tell him that he needs to clean the grill and change the oil in the fryer, but that only sets off arguments. He'd rather quit, instead," Bailie explained.

"That's too bad. That place could be a gold mine with a half-way decent line cook. How are you managing now that the diner's closed?" he asked.

"Not very well. Without the salary and the tips, I may have to drop out of school, not to mention..." her voice faded.

"I beg your pardon, I'm forgetting myself. You're here to enjoy a good meal and each other's company, not chat with me about personal business. What can I get you for lunch?" he asked.

"Richard didn't leave us any menus," I explained.

Robert smiled. "That's because you can have anything you want. It's Richard's treat. If you'd like, I can have the chef prepare you a couple of top-notch steaks. We have some wonderful filets."

"That's a little too heavy for me. Maybe just a bowl of soup and perhaps a salad," Bailie said.

"That sounds good to me, too," I added.

Robert almost looked disappointed. "Richard was expecting you to run up a bill. He'll think I'm not doing my job. Are you sure I can't get you some foie gras, or perhaps some caviar?"

Bailie smiled. "Thank you, but just the soup and salad."

"Which soup would you prefer? The chef is famous for his French onion soup as well as his lobster bisque. But he also has an excellent bouillabaisse and New England clam chowder," Robert asked.

"They all sound good," Bailie remarked, and then turned to me. "What are you having?"

"I've never had any of them. What do you recommend, Robert?" I asked.

"They're all excellent, but the chef is especially proud of his lobster bisque. It also pairs well with his chef's salad."

"Great. I'll try that."

"I'll have that, too," Bailie echoed.

"Very good. Two lobster bisques and two chef's salads," Robert repeated. After checking for any food allergies, he left for the kitchen.

"That was a pleasant surprise!" Bailie exclaimed, smiling. She seemed to be more at ease after seeing Robert.

I didn't say anything.

"What?" she asked, looking at me.

"Nothing. I was just watching you smile. I love the way your nose wrinkles when you smile."

Bailie blushed. "You do?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry for being late yesterday. I know I hurt your feelings, but I didn't mean to stand you up. Honest. Can I tell you what happened?"

"Who was that girl I saw you go into the dorm with?" she asked.

"Her name is Gabriela. She's the--"

"Oh, my God. Did you say Gabriela?" Bailie's face turned white.

"Yes. Why? Don't tell me you know her from the diner, too," I suggested, taking a sip of water to hide my smile.

"No. I remembered it from my dream last night. Do you believe in premonitions and ESP?" she asked.

Just then, Robert returned with a small tray.

"These are champignons farcis, or stuffed mushrooms, another of the chef's specialties. Richard insisted that you try them. They're stuffed with crab meat and truffles. Please enjoy," he said, setting the tray down on the table in front of us before he left.

The tray contained a dozen mushroom caps filled with crab meat and a shaved black substance which I learned was black truffle. The chef had trimmed the mushroom caps to resemble bite-sized hearts. Bailie and I split the mushrooms. They were delicious.

"Anyway, Gabriela is Tripp's girlfriend," I continued, between bites of mushroom.

"Isn't he the guy you met on the bus on the day you arrived in Bangor?" Bailie interrupted.

"Yes, but how did you know that?"

"You told me--in the dream!" she exclaimed.

"That's incredible. What else did I say in the dream? Did I tell you that he's obsessed about wizards and thinks he has magical powers?" I asked, trying to hide my smile.

"Yes. You said she was mad at him, and you were trying to help get them back together. There was something about him trying to put a spell on Gil Dubois and she was afraid he would retaliate against her."

"That's exactly what happened. She invited me into her room to talk in private, but when we got there, she changed into a sexy witch's costume. I think she wanted to use me to make Tripp jealous. But I swear to you, Bailie, nothing happened," I replied.

She reached for my hand. "I believe you," she replied.

I looked her in the eye. Everything I told her was true, but I still felt like a fraud. I had invaded her dream to set myself up for success. Even though I did it to get back together with her, it felt like a hollow victory, a cheap win. Maybe that was part of the curse of being a demon. You can get what you want, but at what cost?

"Ross is something wrong?" she asked.

Just then, Robert came in.

"Here are your lobster bisques," he announced, placing a bowl in front of each of us. "How were the champignons--the mushrooms?"

"Delicious!" Bailie replied.

"Excellent! The man is an artist with flavor and presentation," I added.

"I'm glad you liked them. I'll let Jacques know. I'll give you some time to enjoy your bisques before bringing in the salads," he said before he left.

We ate our bisques mostly in silence. Bailie waited until she was almost finished before she spoke.

"I'm sorry for the way I be--"

I interrupted, still unable to look her in the eye. "Bailie, don't. You have nothing to apologize for. I never should have kept you waiting. I was trying to do a good deed, but in doing that, I hurt the person I care about the most. You had every right to be upset with me. I deserved your anger."

Bailie didn't say a word. She just looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Is that how I look?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You. It's that look you have, and that apology. You look and sound exactly like me apologizing to my stepfather or to Roger for some minor offense that wasn't really my fault in the first place," she explained.