Another Excerpt From My Upcoming Novel, Dreams Of Tamar

Chapter 6

The restaurant had a comfortable elegance. It offered a quiet atmosphere and it was the perfect place to relax and absorb a startling revelation such as they had received. As soon as the ladies were seated their waiter, a young college student, approached their table with water glasses, complementary brŏtchen, and menus.

As he filled their glasses he asked Brea how she was enjoying the weather and had she had an opportunity to dine at the Old Farmhouse before? Was she originally from Jacksonville or was she here to attend the university? Brea smiled politely and replied that she loved the weather, and the Old Farmhouse was her favorite restaurant. She’d lived in Jacksonville for many years now, and had even attended high school there, but she’d graduated from UCONN many years ago.

He looked at Brea appreciatively and said, “I’m sure it couldn’t have been too many years ago.”

Diedra and Cassandra smiled across the table at each other and Diedra took a sip from her glass mumbling “No he isn’t trying to flirt,” as the exchange took place.

The waiter, who looked to be no more than 19, was not put off one bit. He smiled at Brea with a full set of beautiful white teeth and said. “Well, I’ve always been a Husky fan. I’d love to get with you sometime and share insights on Husky-mania and its impact on the basketball fans of today.”

At that Diedra began to cough uncontrollably. Cassandra jumped up and hurriedly moved around the table to assist her as she tried to regain her composure. Cassandra patted Diedra’s back vigorously as she tried unsuccessfully to stifle her own laughter. Brea shot them a sharp glance before she responded to the young waiter.

“I’m extremely flattered, um Michael, is it?” she asked, reading his name-tag. “But frankly, I find the whole idea of Husky-mania having any visibly lasting effect on even a minute portion of society to be grossly overstated. Now if you’d really like to get together and discuss any relevant social issues, preferably those pertinent to us here in Alabama, I’d be more than happy to get together with you and any other students who’d like to hold an open forum. That’s something we did regularly back when I was in college… several years ago.” She looked pointedly at him. “We found it to be both an enlightening and entertaining experience that proved to be even more beneficial when we were able to include faculty members.” She turned to Diedra and asked “Don’t you agree Mrs. Davis?”

Diedra shook her head in agreement, coughed once more, and then she and Cassandra completely fell apart. They laughed so hard that they both nearly fell over onto the floor.  They were both brought to tears. Cassandra looked at the waiter and tried to pull herself together. She wiped her eyes and sat up straight in her chair saying, “Don’t mind us. It’s been a terribly long day. Very stressful, and I don’t even know why I’m laughing. She smiled at Diedra and tried to continue, but just shrugged her shoulders and took a long swig from her glass of water. She held her glass out to Michael and sheepishly said, “More water please.”

Brea rested an elbow on the table and put her fist to her mouth as she bit down on her lower lip in an attempt to cover her own smile.  Then she smiled at her friends and turned to Michael. “Please forgive my friends,” she said as lightly as she was able. “It really has been a stressful day. If you’ll give us a moment, we’ll be ready to order shortly.”

With that, the young man excused himself and the three ladies watched him walk across the room.

“I see you’ve still got it, Brea!”  Cassandra said as she leaned over and watched Michael disappear behind the swinging doors that led to the kitchen. Brea smiled coyly and asked. “What are you talking about Cassie?”

“She’s talking about the way you can’t go anywhere without someone hitting on you. I swear Brea! You probably couldn’t even walk through a monastery without someone slipping you their phone number.”

Diedra laughed and Cassandra joined in with, “At least in that instance, odds are, they’d probably be legal.  Junior over there can’t be a day over 18, if that. Brea, they seem to get younger and younger.”

“Oh Cassie, don’t hate!” replied Brea. “All he did was pour us water, but you have to admit the boy is fine.”

“Sure he is, in a juvenile sort of way,” said Cassandra.

Diedra had to disagree. “Please! Girl, he is a young man, but the operative word here is man!” She said to Cassandra. “Do you think he was wearing contacts? A dark skinned man with green eyes! Ooh!” and then to Brea she said. “And no point in denying it, I saw the way you looked at him. You’ll see him again.”

“Sure I will,” said Brea. “He’ll be back to get our orders shortly.”

“Whatever.  You don’t have to front for us. We know you like your men young.”  Diedra and Cassandra both knew that Brea didn’t really center her attention on one particular age bracket when it came to her social life, but she seemed to especially enjoy the company of younger men.  She didn’t deny that she liked younger men. She liked men in general. Beyond her friends Diedra, Cassandra, and Shar, she really didn’t seem to bond at all with women. She was single and she liked to socialize. And she had no shortage of ‘friends’.

Brea reached into the bread basket and selected one of the brŏtchen. She held the perfectly crusted roll in front of her and inhaled the enticing aroma that always flooded her senses with memories of Germany. She smiled across the room at Michael who was headed back toward their table, and spoke to her friends. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m hungry, so can you please let the man take our orders without anyone falling out of their chair into the middle of the floor?”

“Sure thing,” they both said in unison. The waiter came and took their orders and returned shortly with their food. They each had ordered the Wiener schnitzel and pom-fritz; breaded veal and French fries. Michael set the plates before them and asked if there was anything else he could get for them before he moved on. They all thanked him and turned their attention to their plates. The day’s events had stirred up healthy appetites among the three women. All three of them ate in silence and as they finished their meals they began to joke with each other.

Both Diedra and Cassandra swore that Michael had favored Brea’s plate with double portions of everything. They continued with more good-natured teasing about cradle-robbing and the like. Brea took it all in stride. By the time someone realized it was after 4:00, they decided it was time to go home. Diedra and Cassandra excused themselves to the lady’s room, and Brea stayed at the table to pick up the check.

Michael handed the bill to Brea and smiled flirtatiously at her. She returned his smile and asked him how old he was anyway. He stood over her and looked into her eyes in a way that communicated to her that he was definitely not some schoolboy with a crush. And just in case she didn’t get the message visually, he said “Oh I assure you that I am definitely legal. Even if the thoughts I’ve had since you walked in here may not have been. But if it will ease your mind at all, I am 25 years old and in my last year of grad school.”

Brea laughed, releasing a sigh of relief. She was glad to know that the thoughts she’d had ever since he approached their table earlier had not been focused on a minor. “Do you have any idea how old I am?” she asked even though she knew it wouldn’t matter. She handed him her credit card along with the bill.

“I’m quite sure you’re old enough,” he said before he headed toward the cash register with her payment.

She watched him walk halfway across the room and then dug into her purse for one of her calling cards with her phone number and email address already printed on it. When Michael returned to the table he returned her credit card and receipt and she handed him her business card folded inside a ten dollar bill. “It was a pleasure meeting you. My friends call me Brea,” she said observing his surprised expression as she got up to leave.

“Yes, and it was nice meeting you as well. Don’t you lose that receipt now.” He smiled and winked at her as he moved on to his next table. She put the receipt in her purse and smiled when she realized that Michael’s name and telephone number were boldly scrawled across the back.

“What’s that goofy grin about?” asked Cassandra as she and Diedra met her at the door.

“I guess I just look that way,” her smile broadened as she headed out into the afternoon air replacing her sunglasses.  The three women said goodbye as they got into the two cars. Cassandra promised to call Diedra that evening and drove off. Brea drove Diedra back to her home in Mecca Woods and went home to her townhouse on Francis Street. Diedra reflected on how blessed she was to have such caring friends.