Furio looked up. Frosted glass lamps hung from the ceiling and glowed gold in the room. The tables were all booths and were covered in cream linen. The tables were large and square, made of dark wood. The maitre'd smiled when he saw Jen.
"Oh! We are looking lovely tonight!" The thin man gushed at her.
"Michael, you always know how to make me blush!" Jen kissed the man on the cheek as he took her hand. Furio would have been rather jealous had the man not been so flamboyant.
He led them to a table and excused himself.
"So", Furio began. "I am wondering if maybe you know every man in the city."
Jen smiled at him.
"The owner is one of my friends from home. Actually, a lot of us ended up here."
"How is this?" Furio considered a moment. "And, where is home?"
"Well, home is in Ohio, and", Jen tilted her head to the side, "we all just wanted something here. Most of my friends who ended up in the city are in theatre." Excited, she leaned towards him.
"We should go see one of their shows sometime. They're all wonderful!"
Furio couldn't care less about seeing one of her friends in a show, but he cared very much about her sudden excitement and the thought of having another excuse to see her.
"This would be wonderful! I am very much loving the theatre." He tried to mimic her enthusiasm.
Jen smiled at him for another moment and then looked to her menu.
He couldn't care a damn thing less about the theatre...
"Well?" Jenn looked at Furio. "Are you ready to dance or did you want desert?"
Furio's face felt warm. "I tell you that I do no dance."
"I know. I remember. We were leaving my apartment building and you said 'I do no dance', and I said..." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Come on, what did I say?"
He felt a little like she was mocking him. He wouldn't have let anyone else leave the table with all of their bones in tact, but somehow she was cute.
"You say that tonight I do, but you are wrong." Furio raised his eyebrows right back at her.
Jen stuck out her lower lip in a pout and slid closer to him on the booth. She covered his hand with hers.
"Please."
Furio's jaw went slack and he stared at her, motionless.
"Come on Hott-Stuff", she grasped his hand as she slid out the other side of the booth. "You aren't going to win and you know it." Furio followed her back to the elevator.