Author's Note** Thanks to all of the sweet reviews! I think I like the way
this story is progressing, I thought I would add the part of how Arnold had
noticed Helga before.Its just that he had this thing for classic beauties
in his younger yrs. BTW-To anyone new to this story, the first chapter is a
separate story b/c at the time I wrote it, I didn't know how to add new
chapters so I figured it out by the 3rd chapter!! If you want to read the
first installment, its called Hey Helga! The Junior High yrs by me of
course !! Thanks!
Ch 9 Shall We Dance?
The restaurant foyer was larger than most cafes. Helga's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Wow, sure you can afford this place, Football Head?" she asked, mentally kicking herself at the insult. "Sure, Helga. And if not, I know you're pretty good at washing dishes!" Arnold laughed back as Gerald gave their name to the maitre'de. "Right this way, please," a young vibrant redhead escorted them to a corner table. She seated them and let them know their server would be with them shortly. The ambiance was lovely with spiral staircases leading to a dance floor below the restaurant.
"Welcome to Delancey's. I am Antoine, your server this evening. Tonight's specialties are Lamb in a light mint sauce, new potatoes and Dijon baby asparagus. May I recommend a sparkling non alcoholic cider for the table?" a somewhat aloof waiter looked down his nose at the group of young people.
"Very good." Gerald smiled as he nodded to the snooty waiter. "We'll start with the house salad, no onion, in a light balsamic vinaigrette, and Parmesan breadsticks," Arnold ordered expertly. "As you wish, sir." Antoine sauntered away from the table with a bored look on his face. Helga smiled. " Wow, Arnoldo, I'm truly impressed. Good call on the no o , too." Arnold smiled genuinely in reply. "What a very nice establishment you have chosen, Gerald," Phoebe smiled shyly behind her menu. "Only the best, mammacita" Gerald purred slightly. The whole table giggled at that gesture. Arnold couldn't stop smiling at a vibrant Helga, her hair shining in the dim lighting as she turned her head to talk to Phoebe. His face was literally beginning to hurt. Gerald elbowed him slightly. "Cool it, man, you look like a starving guy at an all you can eat buffet!" Arnold colored instantly at the comment. "What do you mean?" he hissed back quietly between his teeth. " I mean that if Helga catches you drooling like that, she's gonna pound you flat! I know she looks hot, but control yourself!" Gerald winked and nudged him again.
"What are you two hens clucking about?" Helga joked lightheartedly. She was feeling uncharacteristically generous and unagressive in the friendly atmosphere. She almost forgot how close Arnold really was to her until she turned her head back in his direction. They were sitting less then an arm's length apart. She could feel his body heat keenly when she was facing him, and it flustered her into being nice.
"Just commenting on our charismatic waiter, that's all," Arnold chuckled nervously. Gerald winked again. "He probably thinks we don't have any dough," he shot back.
"Your salads, sirs and madams" Antoine arrived with a younger, more eager looking waiter who held the aforementioned greens on a platter high above his head. He placed each salad plate in front of them expertly. He then grated fresh mozzarella over the salads and tossed each one with the balsamic vinaigrette. He finished with a large basket of aromatic breadsticks in the center of the table. "Your cider," Antoine sniffed as he poured the ice cold sparkling white cider into each champagne flute, setting the remainder of the bottle into an ice bucket that stood on a pedestal near the table. "Will you be ordering your entrée's now?" The younger server was dismissed with the snap of a hand and the senior waiter waited patiently.
"We'll have one order of ginger-almond crusted salmon, herbed chicken parmesan, and two orders of the delmonico steak, medium well, in butter and mushroom sauce," Arnold read off to the waiter carefully from the small slip of paper that everyone had written their orders on.
"Excellent choices, sirs and madams. Coming right up,"
"Like I said, FootballHead, isn't this place kinda pricey?" Helga asked nervously. "That's what I work at Mrs. Vitello's after school for," Arnold replied, carefully chewing his salad. Elegant waltzing music floated from below them. ""Care to dance, Phoebe?" Gerald wiped his lips with the crisp white napkin. "I'd love to," Phoebe answered softly as they linked hands and descended the plush spiral staircase towards the dance floor. Helga and Arnold watched their two best friends from above as they gracefully danced arm in arm to the minute waltz. Arnold turned his head first, admiring Helga's smooth round shoulders and straight posture. "Umm, I know it's a just friends kinda date, but uh, well .Do you want to dance, Helga?" he asked cautiously, waiting for her to fire back an insult. She paused only momentarily. "Uh..Sure, Footba-I ah, mean Arnold. Just as friends." She smiled lightly as she stood. He offered his hand and she readily accepted it as they traipsed down the stairs to join their friends. "Crimeny, I can't believe it, me, dancing cheek to cheek with my beloved," Helga thought happily as she moved to the music, her body trembling just slightly at being held so close to him. She felt she would swoon at any moment, and for once did not care if he noticed. "You are a great dancer," Arnold complimented her as he twirled her gently about the floor. "I can't believe this, why can't I take my eyes off of her?" he thought. They danced close and slow as the band played on, each on their own dream cloud, not knowing that the other was feeling the same.
**WHEW~ Looooooooong chapter, I know! I can get pretty long winded sometimes, and this happened to be one of them. Please RR because I'm really not sure anyone is even reading this anymore! Any suggestions on how to make it better are welcome!! Plus, is anyone else completely livid at the whole thing of pairing Joey and Rachel on friends? I WILL BOYCOTT THE SHOW!!! NO JOEY AND RACHEL! ARRRRRRGHH!!
Ch 9 Shall We Dance?
The restaurant foyer was larger than most cafes. Helga's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Wow, sure you can afford this place, Football Head?" she asked, mentally kicking herself at the insult. "Sure, Helga. And if not, I know you're pretty good at washing dishes!" Arnold laughed back as Gerald gave their name to the maitre'de. "Right this way, please," a young vibrant redhead escorted them to a corner table. She seated them and let them know their server would be with them shortly. The ambiance was lovely with spiral staircases leading to a dance floor below the restaurant.
"Welcome to Delancey's. I am Antoine, your server this evening. Tonight's specialties are Lamb in a light mint sauce, new potatoes and Dijon baby asparagus. May I recommend a sparkling non alcoholic cider for the table?" a somewhat aloof waiter looked down his nose at the group of young people.
"Very good." Gerald smiled as he nodded to the snooty waiter. "We'll start with the house salad, no onion, in a light balsamic vinaigrette, and Parmesan breadsticks," Arnold ordered expertly. "As you wish, sir." Antoine sauntered away from the table with a bored look on his face. Helga smiled. " Wow, Arnoldo, I'm truly impressed. Good call on the no o , too." Arnold smiled genuinely in reply. "What a very nice establishment you have chosen, Gerald," Phoebe smiled shyly behind her menu. "Only the best, mammacita" Gerald purred slightly. The whole table giggled at that gesture. Arnold couldn't stop smiling at a vibrant Helga, her hair shining in the dim lighting as she turned her head to talk to Phoebe. His face was literally beginning to hurt. Gerald elbowed him slightly. "Cool it, man, you look like a starving guy at an all you can eat buffet!" Arnold colored instantly at the comment. "What do you mean?" he hissed back quietly between his teeth. " I mean that if Helga catches you drooling like that, she's gonna pound you flat! I know she looks hot, but control yourself!" Gerald winked and nudged him again.
"What are you two hens clucking about?" Helga joked lightheartedly. She was feeling uncharacteristically generous and unagressive in the friendly atmosphere. She almost forgot how close Arnold really was to her until she turned her head back in his direction. They were sitting less then an arm's length apart. She could feel his body heat keenly when she was facing him, and it flustered her into being nice.
"Just commenting on our charismatic waiter, that's all," Arnold chuckled nervously. Gerald winked again. "He probably thinks we don't have any dough," he shot back.
"Your salads, sirs and madams" Antoine arrived with a younger, more eager looking waiter who held the aforementioned greens on a platter high above his head. He placed each salad plate in front of them expertly. He then grated fresh mozzarella over the salads and tossed each one with the balsamic vinaigrette. He finished with a large basket of aromatic breadsticks in the center of the table. "Your cider," Antoine sniffed as he poured the ice cold sparkling white cider into each champagne flute, setting the remainder of the bottle into an ice bucket that stood on a pedestal near the table. "Will you be ordering your entrée's now?" The younger server was dismissed with the snap of a hand and the senior waiter waited patiently.
"We'll have one order of ginger-almond crusted salmon, herbed chicken parmesan, and two orders of the delmonico steak, medium well, in butter and mushroom sauce," Arnold read off to the waiter carefully from the small slip of paper that everyone had written their orders on.
"Excellent choices, sirs and madams. Coming right up,"
"Like I said, FootballHead, isn't this place kinda pricey?" Helga asked nervously. "That's what I work at Mrs. Vitello's after school for," Arnold replied, carefully chewing his salad. Elegant waltzing music floated from below them. ""Care to dance, Phoebe?" Gerald wiped his lips with the crisp white napkin. "I'd love to," Phoebe answered softly as they linked hands and descended the plush spiral staircase towards the dance floor. Helga and Arnold watched their two best friends from above as they gracefully danced arm in arm to the minute waltz. Arnold turned his head first, admiring Helga's smooth round shoulders and straight posture. "Umm, I know it's a just friends kinda date, but uh, well .Do you want to dance, Helga?" he asked cautiously, waiting for her to fire back an insult. She paused only momentarily. "Uh..Sure, Footba-I ah, mean Arnold. Just as friends." She smiled lightly as she stood. He offered his hand and she readily accepted it as they traipsed down the stairs to join their friends. "Crimeny, I can't believe it, me, dancing cheek to cheek with my beloved," Helga thought happily as she moved to the music, her body trembling just slightly at being held so close to him. She felt she would swoon at any moment, and for once did not care if he noticed. "You are a great dancer," Arnold complimented her as he twirled her gently about the floor. "I can't believe this, why can't I take my eyes off of her?" he thought. They danced close and slow as the band played on, each on their own dream cloud, not knowing that the other was feeling the same.
**WHEW~ Looooooooong chapter, I know! I can get pretty long winded sometimes, and this happened to be one of them. Please RR because I'm really not sure anyone is even reading this anymore! Any suggestions on how to make it better are welcome!! Plus, is anyone else completely livid at the whole thing of pairing Joey and Rachel on friends? I WILL BOYCOTT THE SHOW!!! NO JOEY AND RACHEL! ARRRRRRGHH!!