Chapter 7: The Big Date
Marie gets to go to the restaurant in style, but not the way she expected. Her evening turns of to be more than she could have ever dreamt of thanks to Jake.
"Do I look okay?" Marie asked her roommate Karen for the tenth time that night.
The skunk looked over at the panicked raccoon in the black silk dress with the ruby necklace. "You look divine," the skunk chuckled. "Now sit down and calm down!"
"Okay…okay!" the excited raccoon sat down at the kitchen counter and logged into her laptop. "Which fork is the fish fork?" she muttered to herself.
"Would you stop that!" the skunk groaned. "You're going to be too nervous to eat."
"I'm already too nervous!" Marie exclaimed. "I don't want him to think I'm some redneck hick from down south."
"You're worried that a raccoon who is from Happy Town and served time in jail, is going to look down on you?" Karen laughed. "Just follow his lead."
"You're right," the raccoon sighed. "I am being silly!"
She sat there for a few minutes before she jumped up and began pacing again.
"You keep doing that, you're going to get sweaty!" her roommate warned her. "Sit down and wait, he'll be here in a few moments."
With a huff Marie sat down for a few moments then she looked at the kitchen clock. "He's late!" she muttered. "I'll reckon he's not coming."
"That clock is ten minutes fast," Karen reminded her. "We set it that way because you don't like being late."
The raccoon jumped up again, crossed over to the door, and peeked through the eyehole. With a start, she stepped back and whispered, 'He's standing in front of the door!"
The skunk ran over and peeked, the male raccoon was standing in the doorway staring at his watch. She giggled to her roommate, "He's punctual!" They both stood and waited, looking at the door. Precisely on time, he rang the doorbell.
Her roommate grabbed her arm. "Let him wait for a moment," she giggled. "See what he does."
"That's not nice!" Marie whispered back.
"I know!" the skunk snickered. "Now go into the bedroom and don't come out until I call you."
"Why?" Marie whispered.
"Just do it!" Karen hissed.
The doorbell buzzed again and the skunk opened the door. Standing before her was the handsome raccoon in a dark blue suit holding a dozen white and yellow daisies. "You're late!" Karen complained pointing towards the kitchen clock.
"No, I'm not!" the male raccoon replied in confused tone. "I'm right on time!"
The skunk in the pink tee shirt and torn jeans just stood there in the doorway, not moving.
"Is Marie available?" Jake asked.
The skunk stepped back and called for her roommate. "May I come…" he didn't finish what he was saying as Marie stepped out of her room, instead he just stared at the sight of her. The black silk dress accented her curves just right and the color highlighted her grey and dark grey fur. He about dropped the flowers as he stood there with his muzzle agape.
"Are those for me Sugar?" she asked, trying not to giggle at the way he was acting.
"What?" he asked as if in a fog.
"The flowers are they for me?" she repeated.
"Oh yes!" he answered as he snapped out of his trance. "These are for you." He grinned as he handed them to her, their paws briefly touching causing them both to blush.
"You two are going to be late if you don't hurry," Karen interjected as she took the flowers from her roommate's paw. I'll put these in a vase for you."
"Thank you," Marie almost purred.
"Oh and I have something for you too!" Jake added with a grin. He pulled out a box and handed it to Karen. She looked at him in surprise as she opened the box to find a cheap plastic Mickey Mouse watch inside. "So you won't ask me for the time again."
Karen let out a laugh. "That was mean of me," she replied.
"No, mean was my leaving without saying why," he replied not to her, but to Marie.
"Just don't do it again Sugar," Marie said.
"Now my new plastic watch tells me you two will be late if you don't get going!" the skunk admonished them both.
He offered her his arm as they left the apartment and walked to the elevator. She was surprised to find a black sedan waiting for them. A tall well-dressed black panther with scars on his right eye and wearing a black chauffeur's hat held the door open. "I thought you were driving?" she asked the raccoon.
"I can't," he shrugged as he grinned at her. "I never got my license."
"Good evening madam," the chauffeur greeted her as he helped her into the car.
"Thank you," she replied.
"Marie, this is Renato Manchas," Jake introduced her to the driver. "He's a friend."
"At your service," Renato chuckled as he tipped his cap and slightly bowed. "You look very pretty tonight miss."
"Thank you kindly," Marie almost squealed in delight as she looked around at the car's inside, she had never been in such a luxurious vehicle. Jake slipped into the car besides her.
Heads turned when they arrived at the restaurant, apparently a few famous movie stars were inside and it brought out the paparazzi. Marie was surprised as the reporters ran to film them as they stepped out of the car.
"Who's that?"
"No one special!
"That's the raccoon that got that medal."
"Runnel, I think that's his name."
Jake took her arm and escorted her into the restaurant. As the approached the maître d', the old goat looked down at them. "Good evening, I'm Jake Runnel and Kat is expecting me." Jake told him.
"I'm sorry sir, but your not on tonight's list," the old goat snorted.
"Just tell Kat I'm here," Jake replied with a smile. "As I said, she's expecting me."
"Really sir, Chef Korre is too busy to be bothered by your likes," the maître d' grumbled. "Please leave or I will have you removed."
Marie looked from the raccoon and then to the goat in confusion.
"Just do us both a favor and tell Kat I'm here," Jake sighed.
"I'm sorry…" the goat began only to be cut off by a shout from across the restaurant.
"Jake, there you are!" a portly lynx dressed in a chef's jacket yelled as she approached the raccoon with open arms. "Why didn't you use the backdoor?"
"Kat!" the raccoon protested as he was crushed by the bigger cat's embrace.
"And this must be Marie?" the chef enthusiastically laughed. "Come on, your table awaits you!" She grabbed Marie's paw and pulled her toward the kitchen with Jake following behind. There was surprised murmuring from many of the other patrons wanting to know why the raccoons were getting such special treatment. They left the dinning room and entered into the kitchen, where there was a table complete with white linens and a candle set up in a corner.
"Slow down cat!" Jake chuckled as he pulled a chair out for Marie. "Marie Millbrooks, I'd like to introduce you to Chef Kat Korre."
"It's nice to meet you!" Marie gushed. "I saw ya'll on Iron Skillet."
"Well take a seat, this is what we call in the business the Chef's Table," the lynx laughed. "I don't usually do a Chef's Table, but Jake called and I owe this coon a big favor. Did he tell you when he was in jail that he talked my nephew out of committing suicide? It turns out that cat is a bit of an artist and is now an apprentice glassblower for Dale Cabassous, so sit and I will serve you myself."
"Kat, you really don't need to do that!" Jake protested.
The cat walked over and kissed the raccoon's cheek. "Of course I do, you're like family."
Kat had opted to serve them a five course meal starting with a smoked oyster with a sweet jalapeno sauce, followed by a creamy mushroom soup. After that the celebrity chef had to make her rounds in the restaurant. "My restaurant is the latest craze in the city today, but if I don't play the crowd it will be forgotten tomorrow." When she returned, Kat served them braised artichokes with sun dried tomatoes. Then the chef pulled up a chair and joined them for a dish of stuffed squab served over wild rice. As they ate, Jake leaned back and happily watched as the farmer's daughter and the celebrity chef got into a conversation about of all things, the best types of apples to use to make applesauce.
"Jake if I wasn't already married, I steal this girl from you!" Kat proclaimed. "But my wife would not be happy if I brought her home." The chef excused herself and returned with a slice of cake with rum pouched fruit and two forks. She obviously expected them to intimately share the same dish. A waiter also arrived with cups of coffee.
Later that night after they said goodbye to the chef and had returned to back to her apartment, Jake escorted her to her door. She battled with herself about inviting him in for a nightcap with the possibility of more, but instead he stopped in front of her doorway. "I had fun tonight and I think Kat really likes you." He said with a nervous smile.
"I had fun too," she replied. "Thank you for taking me there Sugar."
"I would like to go out with you again," he continued as she opened the door. Her roommate had conveniently disappeared into her own bedroom.
"I'd like that," she sighed.
"Maybe next weekend?" he asked.
"That would be lovely, but this time no limos or fancy restaurants," she giggled. "Let's be less pretentious."
"Ah, I'll work on that," he shrugged. "By the way thank you."
"For what?" she asked. Again without realizing it, she cocked her head in that cute canine questioning way.
"For showing me what a fish fork was," he chuckled. "I had no idea what all that different silverware is used for, that was the first time I've been in such a fancy restaurant. Well, that's not quite true because I've had late night snacks with Kat before, but never through the front door and always at the kitchen counter."
She leaned forward, ready to invite him in but he was hesitant. Finally he broke their silence. "Good night." He said as he reached, took her paw and lifting it to his lips, he gave it a tender kiss. "I'll call you, thank you."
After he turned to leave, she stood in the doorway and called out, "Don't lose my phone number again, Sugar!"
He laughed as he replied, "I gave it to my secretary Betty, she's more reliable then I am."
As he entered the elevator, she ran down the hallway to peek out of a window, watching as the raccoon climbed into the sedan's front seat next to the driver.
"Well someone had a good time!" Karen said as she joined her by the hallway window. "I guess I was wrong,"
"What about?" Marie asked.
"You know, the more expensive the restaurant the wider they'll expect you to…well, you know!" the skunk giggled.
"He didn't try," she sighed. "I would have let him if he had, by the Great Lion above he makes me want to. But he's a real gentlemammal, he kissed my paw goodnight and didn't even try to kiss me! Ya'll know that old routine that good girls never kiss on a first date."
"So do you have another date?" Karen asked. Marie nodded as she stared out the window at the departing sedan. "Good, you still have his medal"
"Dang nab it!" the raccoon at the window groaned.