6 (Six)
I am standing on the balcony that overlooks the first level of my restaurant; as the brilliant Los Angeles night shines down on the patrons as they dine. The moon is full and bright as the windows above show all of us just how tiny we are in the vast universe.
And the beams from the moon give the room more life than I have ever thought possible. It shines down on the businessmen who speak about mergers and deals gone badly. It illuminates the couple in the corner who are celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary tonight. And it even gives a glow to that man sitting by himself over at table fifteen. But perhaps it casts the brightest light on me.
Last night, I couldn't stop thinking about her. On the way home, when I walked through my front door, when I brushed my teeth, flipping through the channels on the television; she was on my mind. When I took my shirt off, the last hints of her perfume were still clinging to it. I am still debating on whether or not to wash it. Last night, I tried to sleep. It didn't work. Today hasn't been much different. She is on my mind. And I know I am swimming in dangerous waters. I have known this woman less than a week; and she has me completely rattled. And after last night, I don't expect it to get much better.
She said, she did all of the right things. And it wasn't that she was even trying. She just made perfect sense. She makes perfect sense. Something tells me, that she will always make perfect sense to me. I ask her to come by tonight. It was an informal invite; not something that I really had planned. She might not even show; this is her day off. Just in case though; I have a second level table saved just for her. The second level holds a special place in the customer's hearts. It has four tables scattered in each of the corners. It is very private, and very exclusive. Those tables can garner a lot of attention from the rich and the famous. One of them will remain empty all night; just for her.
Doing what I do, you get a chance to acquire favors. There are some important people in this town that owe me, big. Like Paul, who just happens to work in public relations for the Kings. I just cashed in on that favor this morning; something for Sydney. Something I promised; her surprise. Well, one of them.
It's then that I see her come through the front doors. And she is just as beautiful as she was last night at the hockey game; but there is something to be said for a nice black dress. That gorgeous chestnut hair billows down around her shoulders and I can see her smile from here. She has a wrap around her shoulders and she is carrying a clutch and some sort of box. I am certainly intrigued. I decided not to be in the kitchen tonight. Tonight, it's all about Sydney and about an hour trying to decide what suit to wear. I went with the black suit. White shirt unbuttoned at the top, no tie; and a little more confidence than last night.
I stand amazed at the easy way she crosses over to the front desk; and I marvel at the way she speaks to Sarah. Of course, I can't hear their conversation; but she is smiling.. She hands the box to Sarah as I wait for my cue. Sarah turns so that she can see me; and points my position out to Sydney. Sydney's eyes shift until they meet mine. And then it happens. Her smile is just for me; and the way her eyes sparkle; the moon's brightest beams pale in comparison. I manage to somehow lift my hand and give her a little wave. Sarah points us to the stairs; and I remind myself to thank God later. I make my way over to the head of those stairs, waiting for my angel to ascend. She is smiling the whole way; and for a minute I dare to hope that it is because she is just excited to see me as I am to see her.
When she reaches the last steps to where I am at; I reach out my hand. She takes it and I help her up the last two; until she stands in front of me.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Two grown adults; two goofy teenage smiles.
"Sydney, you look incredible."
She dips her head for a second, and all I can see are her dimples peeking out at me. She lifts her head back up just as quickly so that I get full on picture of those deep wells that contain only the best life has to offer.
"Thank you. Look at you." With one hand, holding her clutch, her right hand makes it way up my jacket; as her hand smoothes out the imaginary wrinkles. "Wow."
I think we are both a little embarrassed by her reaction. I know that at least one of us is incredibly flattered though. To save her; I quickly move on with the conversation.
"So, how was your day? Do you get your important napping done today?"
"Yes, I did. I forgot just how great a nap really is; so to help remind myself of their beauty, I took two of them."
"Oh, really. Must be nice."
"Money says you get a lot more sleep than I do." And what she doesn't realize is that with her in my life; I feel like I am going to have many more nights like last night.
"We will discuss that little bet later. What's in the box?"
"That's also for later. And don't even try to use the fact that you are the boss in order to find out."
"Who me?"
"Yes you."
"You can trust me."
"I know." And those two little words say and mean so much.
"Ready for dinner?"
"Yes." I stand aside; and offer up my arm for her to take; and while we walk to our table; I can't help but think that it shouldn't be this easy. It shouldn't just be this good. But one look at Sydney, and she makes me believe it.
I pull out her chair for her; and I motion for Ricardo. His only job tonight is our table. Making sure she is secure; I sit down.
"Good evening, my name is Ricardo." Sydney lights up at his name; and his presence.
"Hey, how are you?" And Ricardo looks to me for just a moment. He is unsure of how to react. I nod my affirmation.
"Hey, Sydney. I am great, how about you?" And I grin. Just what I thought. She has this way about her. And everyone sees it.
"I couldn't be better. Thanks for asking." He then looks back to me.
"Sir, which wine would you prefer?" And I hope that he knows I was serious about being himself tonight. I need Sydney to be comfortable.
"Do you have a preference, Sydney?" And we both turn to her. She has this look on her face; like I have asked her to diffuse a nuclear bomb. "We really don't stand on etiquette here? So, whatever you want?"
She just smiles at me.
"You know what I would love is a good Merlot." And she is definitely a lady after my own heart.
"Perfect. You heard her." As Ricardo turns to leave, I give him one more request. "Oh, and Ricardo, don't skimp on the breadsticks."
"Of course not, Sir. I will be right back with the wine; and the bread."
He gives Sydney a wink; and when she turns to me; she looks positively giddy. And ever more breathtaking than before.
"I can see eating with the boss is going to have its advantages."
"Oh really. How is that? You already get as many breadsticks as you want."
"Well, there is this incredible view; sitting at one of your best tables; and I have the best company. What more could I want?"
"If you think of anything else, tell me; and I will see what I can do."
"No, this is perfect." And I have this feeling and I can't really explain it. But maybe there really isn't an explanation to give. Maybe its just there; and there aren't really any words to give it meaning. It just is.
She tells me about her day; including the two naps; and the grocery shopping. And I am interested in all of the intricate details of her life. I love the way her mouth moves and she isn't afraid to show her enthusiasm over the price of oranges.
Ricardo is back; with plenty of breadsticks and wine.
I sit in awe of her while she orders. I can't seem to take my eyes off of her. She gets the Fettuccine Alfredo; she mentioned that she liked it. I order the Chicken Scampi and once again we are left alone.
"So, you were telling me about your little run in with a squirrel."
"Oh yeah, so I am minding my own business, driving the speed limit. Paying attention to all traffic laws; both hands on the wheel perfectly at 10 and 2."
"Really?"
She throws me this surprised look.
"Whatever, so basically I was a traffic accident waiting to happen. When out of nowhere, this massive squirrel jumps from behind a bush and comes barreling into my lane."
"That must have frightened you, a massive squirrel you say? It must have been terrifying. I didn't know that squirrels could barrel."
She smirks at me.
"You gonna let me finish?"
"Yeah, sorry, finish. I was just a little flustered what with the image of a squirrel barreling."
She is giggling now; and I can't help but follow her.
"See, now, you have ruined the story. I can't even finish it now."
"No, finish it please."
"No."
"Syd, come on. Tell me."
"Okay, so I swerved to miss the massive squirrel." She pauses to gauge my reaction; but I don't even give a sigh at this point. "In doing so, I hit a garbage can; spilt my water in the front seat where my cell phone was sitting. So, the cell phone is ruined, and I haven't found the CD that I apparently flung during the escapade. I have a scratch on my front bumper; and I bruised my knee. All for the squirrel."
"One could argue that if you had been paying attention; none of this would have occurred."
"One could say that. But then one wouldn't get his surprise." My mother always said I could take a hint.
"However, I am not one who would argue that point at all."
"I didn't think you were."
And once again, we are grinning like idiots when Ricardo comes to the table with our meal.
For the first few minutes of the meal; Sydney doesn't fail to compliment me on every part of it. But this is all just a segue into the game most people call twenty questions; but I call the friend/potential mate application form.
Both men and women use it; however, I have never been more interested to fill one of those forms out than right now.
"So, you mentioned that you like classical music? Who is your favorite?"
"That's easy. Beethoven." Another characteristic of my mother that she passed on to me was love for Beethoven.
"Really, what...." I know her question before she asks it.
"Moonlight Sonata."
"Mine too." It surprises me. Out of the thousands of choices, I should have known. And the old adage, too good to be true, keeps popping up in my mind. I keep pushing it to the side.
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's gorgeous, and haunting."
"I agree." What haven't we agreed on?
She gets quiet, pushes her pasta around on her plate; and then she turns serious.
"My mother played it almost every night before she would tuck me in. It was our moment. We would lay there in my bed, her head right beside mine. She told me once that music is like life. It has a beginning and an end. But it is the middle that really tells the story of that piece. She always told me to live the middle with enough grace so that the end would be anticlimactic in its wake."
I can see her tense up; and I understand in that moment just how much she still misses her mother. Looking across the table at her, watching her brush her hair behind her ear, I know. I know by the way she trusts me with her memories of her mother. The way I can tell her about Alice; and not feel pity from her; but feel sympathy. I can tell by the way she put her hand in mine last night and the way she put her arms around me. I know that this is headed towards something that I can't quite define. And I don't want to. It is the getting there; the discovery that will make all of it so important.
She gives me a nervous little grin; hoping that she hasn't ruined the mood. Anything but, actually.
"Sydney, I haven't known you for that long. Five days might now count for much, and I am guessing I have only seen a portion of your life. But for what it's worth, graceful is exactly how I would describe you."
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Say not only the perfect thing; but with such sincerity that I can't help but believe it."
I am struck by her words. It's not the words that I say that make it perfect, it is the simple fact that they are the truth. Maybe no one has made her feel that what she has to offer is much more than any man deserves.
"It's not my words that make those things true."
"To me, it does."
And that is probably the greatest compliment anyone has every paid me.
"So, would you like any dessert?" What is with Janet and Ricardo and their inexplicably bad timing?
Sydney looks at me with a somewhat evil grin; and I concur wholeheartedly.
"Ricardo, bring us a chocolate cheesecake please. And some coffee."
"A whole cake, Sir."
"Yes, the whole thing; and go ahead and bring a take out dish for Ms. Bristow."
"Yes, sir."
And with that, Sydney's smile gets bigger. Her eyes are on me, as I watch Ricardo leave; and with that I turn to see her blatantly staring back at me.
"What?"
"Nothing. A whole cheesecake?"
"Yeah, well, you said you loved it."
"I do, but now I am going to have to run an extra mile." I had a hunch she was a runner.
"Well, if it will make you feel better, I will run an extra mile as well."
She shakes her head. A little look; maybe like she is impressed with the fact that I work out too.
"So, are you an avid runner?" She takes one last sip of her wine.
"Yeah, usually every morning, but I missed Thursday and today. Somebody is keeping me out late. Not that I am complaining."
"I see. Lateness is no excuse though. I ran."
She gives me this little shoulder shirk. And she is baiting me. Yep, I am taking the bait.
"Well, I am guessing I am a little bit older than you. Have you no sympathy for the elderly?"
"Not if they look like you." And I know she didn't mean to say that, but thank God she did. That made my night. And she struggles to amend the statement. "I mean, you look like you are in good shape."
"Gotcha."
"Yeah."
And I am not going to let her sit there and be embarrassed for long, so I change the subject.
"So are you ready for one of your surprises?"
"One, are you serious? I thought you were kidding."
"I do not kid about surprises; surprises are a serious matter. However, you only get one tonight; and the other you get if you show up Tuesday."
"When I show up Tuesday."
"Okay, when."
"So, what is it?" She reminds me of a child on Christmas morning. Eager, and funny, and completely insane with wonder.
"I called in a favor. With your schedule, I know that it is hectic trying to even get to the game; and then you have to park God knows where. And I know that you can take care of yourself; but I just worry about you. So, from now on, Ms. Bristow, you are going to park in the VIP parking lot." I hand her the parking pass; and I know that it isn't much; but her safety is something I feel responsible for.
"What..?" She is speechless; and I am not sure if it is because the gesture is lame or if she really likes it. "I can't believe you did this. You are amazing. This is the nicest, the sweetest gift that I have ever received." I know she is serious. It's written in her eyes. And the tears are there as well.
And God, I hope that isn't true, that the parking pass was the nicest gift anyone has ever given her.
"It's not that big of a deal, but I just wanted to make the walk a little easier on you. Of course, I am going to miss the company. But I would say it is a fair trade to make sure you are taken care of."
"Michael, thank you. Thank you. And it is a very big deal to me." And she repeats last night's performance reaching across the table; and this time I meet her hand halfway. She squeezes mine in affirmation that she means exactly what she said. She follows that up with a show stopping grin.
"Would you excuse me for a minute?" As she rises from the table, I get up with her.
"Sure."
"I will be right back."
"Take your time."
Not really, hurry back, please. I watch her walk away; and I realize that I was once the guy that would wonder how a woman like that could be with a guy like me. I still don't know the answer to that. She isn't really with me yet. But I am already with her and that scares me.
Ricardo brings the cheesecake and the coffee just as she returns with what looks to be the box she gave Sarah earlier.
"I boxed up your meal, Sydney. I hope the boss doesn't mind, but I gave you some extra breadsticks." I give her a wink.
"I hear the boss is a big softie." And Ricardo just laughs and wishes her a good evening.
"Never fire him, okay."
"Okay." And I am very curious to find out what is in that box.
"So, this is obviously for you. I thought of you when I found it today."
She hands me the gift; and I am extremely proud of the fact that she thought of me today.
Taking the lid off of the box, I am blown away by what I find.
"The way you spoke about hockey the other night, I knew that you should have this and not me."
"Syd...." I am speechless; as I pull out an old Detroit Red Wings jersey; with the name HOWE emblazoned on the back of it. And right below the name, is his signature. Gordie Howe, as in Mr. Hockey.
"There was this little boy that was a patient of mine when I was on my ER rotation. He had been hurt pretty badly; and I was assigned to him. I felt so bad for him. He was so scared. And I walked with him up to intensive care. I stayed with him when his family couldn't be in there. To show how much he appreciated the gesture, the boy's father sent me this via special delivery. I didn't know who Gordie Howe was until I mentioned it to Will. Anyway, I wanted you to have it."
"Sydney, I can't take this. Do you even know how much this is worth?" I know how much this is worth. And the simple fact that she offered it to me; means more to me than anything. If I wasn't a grown man and in public, I might cry out of sheer amazement. This woman is like no one I have ever met.
She is suddenly serious. And so am I.
"I know exactly how much it is worth. Michael, I want you to have it. Please."
I may still cry. But I am trying my best not to.
"Sydney, no one has ever done anything like this for me. Ever. I don't know what to say. Thank you doesn't seem like it is enough."
"It's more than enough coming from you."
And I am no longer hungry for cheesecake or coffee.
"Syd, would you mind if we held off on dessert and coffee for a little bit. There is something I want you to see."
"Okay." I grab her hand as she grabs her wrap. I grab Ricardo by the arm on our way by him.
"Put the cheesecake on ice for a bit. We will be back. Leave the table as is. Got it."
"Yes, sir."
Sydney gives me this look of wonder; as I grasp her hand tighter and lead her up some stairs and though a dark hallway; and then out a door until the cool air hits us.
The roof is a place I go frequently, to get away from the stress of the night or from my demons. Tonight, I just want to get away with Sydney. Above the streets of Los Angeles, the view is still beautiful even if we are downtown. Plants cover the rooftop; there are small trees and a medium size running landscape pond and stream that cross a rock walkway. Lights run along the stream; and a small gazebo sits in the middle surrounded by the live trees.
"This is amazing. Michael, this is gorgeous."
"You like it?"
"Yes. Are you kidding me? I have never seen anything like this." And her hand is still in mine and it feels good there. The lights bounce off of the beautiful strands of her hair; and her eyes twinkle and she is the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen.
"I thought you might like it. I really wanted you to see this."
And she moves her hand slightly; and her fingers intertwine with mine. And she leans into me. We just stand there shoulder to shoulder; hand in hand.