"It's sad how desperate she is. Just look at her." Naveen watched as Charlotte walked into Tiana's Palace in the biggest, puffiest, brightest pink dress the world has ever seen. She pinched her lips tightly together, batted her long eyes, and wagged her fan in front of her makeup-covered face trying as hard as she could to draw attention. "She's not desperate she's just...a dreamer," Tiana indicated. "What's her dream? To use up all the pink fabric in New Orleans?" Naveen chuckled. "You watch yourself. My Mama made that dress." Tiana narrowed her eyes at Naveen. "I'm just having a little fun." Naveen grinned at his wife. "Why does she want to marry a prince so badly anyway?" Naveen watched Charlotte as she tried to stuff her wide dress into a chair. "When we were younga, mama use to read us fairy tales about princes and princesses. She loved those stories and claimed she would do anything to marry a prince. Even kiss a disgusting, slimy frog." Tiana linked her arm in Naveen's. "That's is just crazy. Who would do a thing like that?" Naveen and Tiana chuckled. "I don't think it was really the prince she wanted. I think it was the love." Tiana rested her head on Naveen's shoulder. "She certainly has already got the money. So if she really just wants the love and not necessarily the prince..." Naveen raised one brow. "Then maybe...maybe we could set her up." Tiana lifted her head off of Naveen's shoulder and looked him dead in the eyes. "You're serious?" "Yeah, why not?" "I suppose it couldn't hurt." The couple looked over at Charlotte, her dress taking up three chairs. She caught Tiana's eye and flagged her over. "Hi Charlotte. Mr. La Bouff. What'll it be today?" "Hi Tia! We'll have a whole pot full of your jumbo gumbo stuff with three sides of baked potatoes, three plates of your best pastries; you know, the kind with raspberry filling..." Mr. La Bouff's eyes widened in excitement. "And uh, and house salad for Big Daddy." Charlotte patted her father's round stomach. "Should I wait for your guest to arrive before I bring out the food?" Tiana asked while jotting down her friend's large order. "What guest?" Charlotte looked around. "It's just us," she grinned. "I'll bring it right out." Tiana's eyes widened as she walked back to the kitchen. Charlotte unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap. "We don't have enough napkins in this restaurant to cover THAT dress," the kitchen staff joked. "Alright you guys, get back to work." "I don't know who you're going to find to date THAT," one chef continued. Naveen glared at him. "You told them?" Tiana boomeranged the look back at Naveen. "I wanted to see if anyone here was interested." "Well?" Tiana looked around at the staff. No one said anything. Tiana walked back out with the food. "We'll find someone Hun!" Naveen called to his wife.
Tiana set the trays down on Charlotte's table. "Here you are." "Thanks Tia. I'm starved." Charlotte took the biggest spoon next to her bowl and dove it into the gumbo. "Can I get you anything else?" Tiana asked referring to Mr. La Bouff as he looked down at his little house salad. "We're good," Charlotte said, her faced stuffed with food. "Alexander, please see if anyone needs anything at table six, I am going to greet our incoming guests." Tiana handed him her notepad and apron. "Welcome to Tiana's Palace." Tiana shook every hand that walked through her restaurant door. "Travis! Welcome. How have you been?" "Fine Tiana. Thank you. I'm not staying. I have to drop something off to Mr. La Bouff." "That is just fine Travis. He is sitting right over there with Charlotte." Tiana gestured in their direction. "Oh, I see." Tiana ran to the kitchen. "Naveen! I found him!" "Found who?" "Travis!" "Who?" Naveen inquired again. "Travis. He is an old friend of the La Bouff's. I just remembered that he had a major thing for Charlotte. That night that Charlotte planned a ball for you when you came to town, Travis kept asking Charlotte to dance but she was waiting on you so she never did! He's here right now but he's not stayin'. Go make this work!" Tiana shoved Naveen out of the kitchen. "Travis?" Travis turned to see Naveen. "Yes?" "I heard you couldn't stay. Why don't you come back for dinner. It'll be on us. I promise you'll have a great time. There will be live music and great food. You won't be disappointed with the outcome." Naveen turned to see Tiana watching from the kitchen. He gave her a thumbs up. "Well thank you kindly Naveen. I must just take you up on that offer." Travis headed out the door. Naveen sprinted back to the kitchen. "He's coming back for dinner. Now all we have to do is get him and Charlotte to sit together." "How do we do that?" "Why don't we find a way to fill all the tables so when Charlotte comes for dinner, she doesn't have a choice but to sit with Travis?" "Perfect!" Tiana looked proudly at her husband. "Let's get started."
Later that night, after Naveen had put up fliers all over town saying entrees are fifty percent off tonight, Tiana's Palace was full of hungry people. Every table and chair were filled except for where Travis sat alone. Tiana welcomed every new and revisiting face that arrived that night. Charlotte approached the door. She barely made it through the frame in her puffy pink dress."Welcome back Charlotte. Your father isn't joining you tonight?" "Hi Tia. No, Big Daddy has a date so get your notepad ready honey 'cause I'm ordering A LOT." She looked around at all the tables. "Looks like you're pretty full." "Sure are. Let's find you a table." Tiana led Charlotte to the middle of the restaurant. "Hmmm. Looks like we are full. I guess I can't seat you...unless you don't mind sitting with Travis." Tiana pointed to a lonely chair across from a lonely man. "Alright. As long as I can order right away." "I'm going to need a few minutes please," Travis told Tiana. "I'll be back in a few," Tiana replied. Charlotte struggled to fit her dress in the chair. "That's quite the dress," Travis observed. "What's it for?" "What do you mean what's it for?" Charlotte inquired. "Can't a woman where a dress just to wear a dress?" "Well sure. But that's not just any dress." Travis stood from his chair. "I suppose I wanted to be noticed. After Lawrence was pretending to be Naveen and Tiana ended up with the real prince, the only time I'm noticed is when I wear something ridiculous." "Well," Travis helped Charlotte into her chaired and pushed it in. "I noticed you before any prince did." He sat back down. "Before any big dress." "Travis..." "Decide on a meal?" Tiana stood near the table. "Uhhh, yeah. I'll have the raspberry crepe with powered sugar and drizzled with syrup please." Travis folded his menu and handed it to Tiana. "I'm not hungry Tia," she handed her unopened menu to the waitress. "I'll be back with your soup." Tiana scurried back to the kitchen. "Travis I..." "Before you say anything Charlotte, I know I'm not prince but that wouldn't stop me from treating you like a princess. Enjoy your raspberry crepe, I know it's your favorite." Travis laid money on the table and began walking away. Louis and his band began to play. The smooth jazz drifted in the air. "Wait Travis!" "What Charlotte?" "I suppose I owe you a dance." Charlotte reached out her hand. Tiana and Naveen gleefully from the kitchen. "Dreams do come true in New Orleans."