"Robert? Do you ever get lonely?"
It seemed to come out of nowhere and while the honest answer could be delivered without hesitation he stiffened and took another bit of his salad as if he were thinking it over.
Elizabeth and Robert were sharing a comfortable dinner after an excruciatingly long but successful bypass surgery. It was their fourth dinner together in the last six days. Not that Elizabeth would admit to counting. Nor would Robert admit to marking each of these meetings in his palm pilot.
Rather than answer the question himself he went another route. "Well it's your fault you shipped Ella off to that boarding school at the ripe age of 14 months."
"It's not a boarding school! It's a camp. For grandparents. It's supposed to be well renowned."
"So you say."
"But no Robert... I mean you. Don't you get lonely?"
"Well..." he wiped briskly with his napkin at his mouth and then set it back down in his lap. He knew he wasn't going to get out of this conversation easily. "To be honest..."
"Yes..." Elizabeth could feel her pulse quicken and she quickly chastised herself for getting so excited over a simple question.
"I haven't really had the chance to get lonely... lately. I mean really Lizzie, with your needy desire to not pay for your own meal this past week..."
"Oh shut up." She took her own napkin and playfully swished it about like she was trying to hit him from across the table.
He grabbed a hold of her arm. "Simmer down, feisty. You don't want get us both thrown out of here. Where will I take my dates?" She froze and sat back down solemnly in her chair. She picked up her fork and pushed around the lettuce on her plate. "Oh come on now. Don't pout."
"No. I'm not. It's nothing."
Robert took a drink of water and then gathered up the pieces of romaine that had scattered across the table in their struggle. He spoke quickly and with an air as if trying to laugh off the sincerity of their conversation. "Oh come on? What do you want me to say? Of course I'm lonely. I'm a 45 year old man with no wife, no children, no pets. And I followed the only woman I've cared a damn about half way around the world only to be violently attacked by her during appetizers." Elizabeth's eyes grew as wide as the plates between them. "Sorry Lizzie, no one's ego deserves to be stroked that much." Robert smiled wickedly and then waiting for a retort he finally looked up into her gaze. Oh god. Tell me I didn't just say all of that out loud. He shifted uncomfortably trying to find a way to backpedal. The longer the period of silence, the more he knew there was no way out.
Their waiter came and refilled their water. He felt the heavy silence of the table and figured they were angered by their service. He attempted to take away their plates while still holding the water. It wasn't working. "I'm sorry sir. Ma'am" His voice cracked a bit. "Your lobster will be just one moment. I, uh... I'm new. And I really need this job... I am so sorry."
They smiled warmly at one another and Robert's eyes sparkled as if questioning how much she would let him get away with. Elizabeth smiled and drew her eyes to the floor indicating, "if you must..."
He addressed the staff, "As you should be. Did you have to go out and retrieve the traps from the bay yourself?"
"No sir. They have other people for..." And then the waiter noticed the man wink at the woman. He smiled for having fallen for it. He was tempted to bite back but he really did need this job. "Yes sir. I'll be right out with both of your dinners. I am sure you'll be delighted with how FRESH they are."
Romano played off he was insulted as the waiter left the table. "Did you hear that mouth? Why I never."
"Never?" Elizabeth baited.
"Well hardly ever."
"I sincerely doubt that."
The light banter had gotten Robert out of an uncomfortable situation. He had no idea why he was so compelled to get himself back into it. "Lizzie. Why are you so interested in my loneliness all of the sudden?"
"I.. well..." there was the easy answer and there was the much harder one. "You seem different here... happier. And it's something I saw so rarely at Cook County, I guess I am just worried with your promotion that you might become that beast of a man you were in Chicago."
"Worried about my pompous pomp-ass rearing it's ugly head, are you?"
"Something like that."
"Well let's make a deal. You keep me in check and I'll keep paying your dinner checks."
"Deal." The waited came with steaming plates and the two ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. "Robert?" She interrupted the quietness. He looked up at her holding his small fork with a butter soaked piece of the shellfish in the air. "No please. Eat." He placed the food in his mouth and looked back down to his plate. He picked up his shell cracker and an unopened claw. "I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind going home with me tonight."
Romano's hand squeezed so tightly that pieces of shell flew haphazardly from the table. Elizabeth picked a piece from her hair and placed it gently on their waste plate. "What did you say?" But she just looked at him with an intensity that he struggled to shake off. She wasn't going to repeat herself. They both had heard her request clearly. "I... uh... I don't know if that..." He struggled to find the words.
It seemed to come out of nowhere and while the honest answer could be delivered without hesitation he stiffened and took another bit of his salad as if he were thinking it over.
Elizabeth and Robert were sharing a comfortable dinner after an excruciatingly long but successful bypass surgery. It was their fourth dinner together in the last six days. Not that Elizabeth would admit to counting. Nor would Robert admit to marking each of these meetings in his palm pilot.
Rather than answer the question himself he went another route. "Well it's your fault you shipped Ella off to that boarding school at the ripe age of 14 months."
"It's not a boarding school! It's a camp. For grandparents. It's supposed to be well renowned."
"So you say."
"But no Robert... I mean you. Don't you get lonely?"
"Well..." he wiped briskly with his napkin at his mouth and then set it back down in his lap. He knew he wasn't going to get out of this conversation easily. "To be honest..."
"Yes..." Elizabeth could feel her pulse quicken and she quickly chastised herself for getting so excited over a simple question.
"I haven't really had the chance to get lonely... lately. I mean really Lizzie, with your needy desire to not pay for your own meal this past week..."
"Oh shut up." She took her own napkin and playfully swished it about like she was trying to hit him from across the table.
He grabbed a hold of her arm. "Simmer down, feisty. You don't want get us both thrown out of here. Where will I take my dates?" She froze and sat back down solemnly in her chair. She picked up her fork and pushed around the lettuce on her plate. "Oh come on now. Don't pout."
"No. I'm not. It's nothing."
Robert took a drink of water and then gathered up the pieces of romaine that had scattered across the table in their struggle. He spoke quickly and with an air as if trying to laugh off the sincerity of their conversation. "Oh come on? What do you want me to say? Of course I'm lonely. I'm a 45 year old man with no wife, no children, no pets. And I followed the only woman I've cared a damn about half way around the world only to be violently attacked by her during appetizers." Elizabeth's eyes grew as wide as the plates between them. "Sorry Lizzie, no one's ego deserves to be stroked that much." Robert smiled wickedly and then waiting for a retort he finally looked up into her gaze. Oh god. Tell me I didn't just say all of that out loud. He shifted uncomfortably trying to find a way to backpedal. The longer the period of silence, the more he knew there was no way out.
Their waiter came and refilled their water. He felt the heavy silence of the table and figured they were angered by their service. He attempted to take away their plates while still holding the water. It wasn't working. "I'm sorry sir. Ma'am" His voice cracked a bit. "Your lobster will be just one moment. I, uh... I'm new. And I really need this job... I am so sorry."
They smiled warmly at one another and Robert's eyes sparkled as if questioning how much she would let him get away with. Elizabeth smiled and drew her eyes to the floor indicating, "if you must..."
He addressed the staff, "As you should be. Did you have to go out and retrieve the traps from the bay yourself?"
"No sir. They have other people for..." And then the waiter noticed the man wink at the woman. He smiled for having fallen for it. He was tempted to bite back but he really did need this job. "Yes sir. I'll be right out with both of your dinners. I am sure you'll be delighted with how FRESH they are."
Romano played off he was insulted as the waiter left the table. "Did you hear that mouth? Why I never."
"Never?" Elizabeth baited.
"Well hardly ever."
"I sincerely doubt that."
The light banter had gotten Robert out of an uncomfortable situation. He had no idea why he was so compelled to get himself back into it. "Lizzie. Why are you so interested in my loneliness all of the sudden?"
"I.. well..." there was the easy answer and there was the much harder one. "You seem different here... happier. And it's something I saw so rarely at Cook County, I guess I am just worried with your promotion that you might become that beast of a man you were in Chicago."
"Worried about my pompous pomp-ass rearing it's ugly head, are you?"
"Something like that."
"Well let's make a deal. You keep me in check and I'll keep paying your dinner checks."
"Deal." The waited came with steaming plates and the two ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. "Robert?" She interrupted the quietness. He looked up at her holding his small fork with a butter soaked piece of the shellfish in the air. "No please. Eat." He placed the food in his mouth and looked back down to his plate. He picked up his shell cracker and an unopened claw. "I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind going home with me tonight."
Romano's hand squeezed so tightly that pieces of shell flew haphazardly from the table. Elizabeth picked a piece from her hair and placed it gently on their waste plate. "What did you say?" But she just looked at him with an intensity that he struggled to shake off. She wasn't going to repeat herself. They both had heard her request clearly. "I... uh... I don't know if that..." He struggled to find the words.