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“Thank you,” I said. I studied Ray as we waited in line for the maître d’. He was in khaki dress slacks and a white dress shirt. He was clean shaven except his thick gray mustache. I wanted to kiss him. “You look handsome,” I complimented.
“Thank you.” He grinned.
A few seconds later it was our turn to speak to the maître d’. “Good evening, Mr. Jackson. How are you tonight?”
“Great, thank you. I made a reservation for two.”
The maître d’ glanced at an iPad, then said, “Ah, yes, follow me.” He grabbed two menus and led us through a curtain that surprisingly opened up to a large concert hall with dining tables and a massive dance floor in front of a stage. There were a few musicians on stage warming up.
We were seated slightly above the stage and close to the middle. “Great table, thank you,” Ray said.
“Would you like a bottle of the house wine tonight?”
Ray glanced at me questioningly.
“Um, sure,” I said, even though I really wasn’t much of a wine drinker. Who was I kidding? I wasn’t much of a drinker period.
“You have a choice between a Chardonnay, Merlot, or Pinot Noir.”
Ray glanced at me again.
“I… um, you decide,” I urged Ray.
“We’ll try the Pinot Noir,” Ray answered.
The maître d’ nodded, then disappeared.
“This is a beautiful restaurant, Ray,” I said, the surprise evident in my voice.
“I figured for our first date I’d take you somewhere fancy-schmancy. Maybe next time we’ll go for burgers and beer.” There was a twinkle in his eye.
“Thinking mighty highly of yourself, aren’t you?” I teased.
“Oh, there will be lots and lots of dates for us, Cass. I guarantee.”
I felt that familiar flutter in my stomach whenever I was with Ray. It felt a little stronger than usual this time.
“So, you come here often?” I asked.
Ray tilted his head and chuckled. “Are you throwing me a pick-up line on our first date?”
I rolled my eyes and smiled. “The maître d’ knew your name.”
“Oh, right.” He cleared his throat. “A buddy of mine owns the place. So, yes, I come here often. Plus, the food and music are a good combination.”
I nodded.
“What do you recommend?” I asked, opening the menu, which listed mostly meat and seafood.
“I highly recommend the filet mignon with the loaded baked potato and greens,” Ray offered.
The waiter returned with the wine and poured them each a glass, leaving the bottle on the table. When he asked if they were ready to order, Ray looked at me. “Are you ready?”
I nodded and passed the waiter the menu. “I’ll try the filet mignon, well done, with the loaded baked potato and greens.”
Ray smirked and said to the waiter, “I’ll have the same.”
As the waiter walked away, an announcer appeared on stage. He teased the crowd, stating that a special guest would be performing in about an hour. He encouraged the crowd to stick around for a while and get ready to dance. A conductor approached the stage, and soon we heard the sound of live smooth jazz. I swayed to the music and tapped my foot to the beat. We enjoyed listening to the music until our food arrived.
