Chapter 7: Fine Dining
It was a twenty minute drive to the quaint, little Italian restaurant. Tommy made an effort to point out some of Reefside's landmarks and attractions along the way. It gave them something safe to talk about, alleviating some of the anxiety that had built up in both of them.
Kim and Tommy were grateful when they finally arrived at BellaRosa's. The popular establishment was located in a historical area of town known as Little Italy. The streets in the neighborhood were lined with restaurants, pizzerias, bakeries, art galleries, and old-fashioned Mom and Pop corner stores, most of whose owners immigrated from the Old Country in the fifties and sixties. They prided themselves on maintaining the Italian traditions of family and hospitality, and they welcomed visitors with open arms and kitchens. It was an unusual slice of the past in the otherwise progressive California city.
Rosa DiCicco, the owner and matriarch of BellaRosa's, ran her place as if her patrons were dining in her home. She was a short, little sixty-something widow with a thick Italian accent, and even thicker waistline. Apart from her seven children and eighteen grandchildren, the restaurant was her pride and joy. She encouraged all of her customers to call her 'Mama Rosa', and she doled out authentic Italian specialties and good advice to them in equal measure. Since she and her late husband Vincenzo opened their doors in 1959, they have earned a well-deserved reputation for serving some of the best food and biggest portions in all of Reefside.
Tommy discovered BellaRosa's about eight months ago, purely by accident. His parents had come to visit, and he wanted to take them someplace other than the cookie-cutter bistros and trendy cafes so prominent in the area. Being relatively new in town at the time, he got lost on his way to the Reefside Board of Education office, and ended up in Little Italy. The hand-painted sign and old-world style exterior caught his eye, and since it was nearly lunch time, he decided to stop in and get a bite to eat, along with some good directions to downtown. He has been a frequent customer ever since.
Mama Rosa, herself, greeted Kim and Tommy as soon as they walked in the door. Her round face instantly lit up upon seeing him, and she came running towards the pair as fast as her plump legs could carry her, arms wide open for a big bear hug. Friday nights were very busy, but Mama never skimped on the personal attention.
"Gaetano! Howsa my handsome boy? Where you been, eh?" She asked, using her hands to speak as much as her voice. Since getting to know Tommy, Mama has taken to addressing him using the Italian translation of Thomas. It was considered a huge compliment.
"Mama, I was just here last week!" Tommy laughed at the dear woman's exaggerated mannerisms.
"That wasa last week, come ona, sit down. Who's-a this pretty girl witha you? Why you not tella me you had a lady friend?" She moved to embrace Kim, who returned the gesture to the friendly woman. "I'm Mama Rosa, welcome!"
"It's nice to meet you, Mama. I'm Kimberly."
Tommy blushed at the reference to Kim, trying to explain. "Mama, Kim's an old friend from high school. She's in town for a job interview at the hospital, and I wanted to take her out to dinner. She lives in Florida."
He might as well been speaking Japanese. Mama definitely had her own ideas.
"Florida? Bah! Too hot! You come-a live here. Gaetano needs a nice-a girl…sit down, sit down. I gota my best table here for my Gaetano and hisa beautiful young lady."
Tommy really wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again. He knew Mama Rosa meant well, but the sense of awkwardness between he and Kim was bad enough without the added pressure from her. A glance at Kimberly told him that she was feeling much the same way. The elephant in the room was back.
Mama led Tommy and Kim to an intimate candlelit corner booth. It was set with a red checkered tablecloth, white napkins, ornate silverware, and a single red rose in a bud vase. Once they were seated, Mama felt satisfied. It took only a few seconds for her to appear with a bottle of red wine. "Ona the house. I make-a this wine-a myself. Try it, try it!" She poured them both a glass.
Tommy wasn't normally a wine drinker, but Mama's was different. He nodded to encourage Kim to try it. She took a sip, a smile appearing on her face almost immediately. Mama noticed the reaction and was beaming with pride.
"It's wonderful, Mama, thank you." Kim told the woman. It was the best wine she'd ever had.
"Yeah, thanks Mama, but you didn't have to give it to us. I'll gladly pay for it."
"Nonasense, Gaetano. It's ona me. Now I'll leave-a you two lovebirds alone. Carla will come by and take-a you order. Enjoy!" And she waddled off. Carla was Mama's nineteen-year-old granddaughter. She had a terrible crush on Tommy.
Tommy knew his face had to be as red as the tablecloth. He forced himself to look up from his wineglass and found that Kim was staring into hers, picking at the corner of her napkin.
"Kim?"
She turned her gaze up at him, an amused smirk growing on her face. As soon as their eyes met, they both dissolved into fits of laughter. Mama's jolly demeanor was exactly what they needed to rid themselves of the tension between them.
"Sorry. Mama can be sort of…" Tommy apologized, trying to catch his breath from laughing so hard. Momentarily taking in the vision of Kim's giggling before him; he suddenly became silent, awestruck. She was more beautiful than ever. Get a hold of yourself, Tommy. For all you know, she has a boyfriend.
His apology finally sunk in and got her attention. Shaking her head vigorously, she cut him off. "No, it's OK. She's a riot. Why does she call you Gaetano?"
"She thinks I'm Italian. I've tried to tell her that I'm not, but she won't hear of it."
"How do you know you're not? You might be." Kim knew that Tommy was adopted, but it was after she broke up with him that he discovered his Native American heritage.
"No, I'm not. About a year or so after you left, I found out that I have an older brother named David. When we were orphaned, we got split up. David was raised on the Cherokee reservation where our parents lived. It's a long story…" Tommy's voice dropped off. The topic was a startling reminder that so much has happened in each other's lives that they missed over the past thirteen years.
Kim noticed Tommy's change in disposition, his thoughts apparent on his face. This time, she wanted to be the one to change the subject. "You picked a great place. I hope the food is as good as the hospitality."
"The food is even better, believe me. I have to work out an extra hour a day for a week after I eat here. Speaking of eating, have a look at the menu," Tommy suggested, handing her one of the large, laminated cards that Mama Rosa had laid on the table. He was very familiar with everything they served, but it was always a challenge to make up his mind, since everything was so delicious.
"What are you having? It all sounds so yummy. And the desserts look positively decadent." Kim just couldn't decide.
"I'm torn between the veal parmesan and the spaghetti carbonara. They're both excellent. I think I've had everything on the menu at least once. You can't go wrong with anything you choose."
"OK, I was thinking about veal myself, but I don't know if I should have the parmesan or the Marsala. Now for dessert, it's definitely going to be the Tiramisu. Or maybe the cannoli…"
Tommy laughed at her indecision. He understood completely. "Alright, I've made up my mind. I'm having the veal parmesan."
"Then I'll have the veal Marsala. Maybe we can share." Kim immediately felt self-conscious as soon as she let that slip out. They used to trade food off each other's plates all the time as teens, but after being apart for thirteen years, she no longer had the right to suggest they share that kind of intimacy. They were almost strangers. For all I know, he has a girlfriend.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Tommy put the menu down and reached for his glass of wine. He felt like the shy seventeen year old he used to be. Every time the anxiety between broke, one of them said something to bring it right back. Luckily, Carla the waitress approached the table just then.
"Hi, Tommy. How are you?" Carla asked with near-adoration in her voice. Oh, if only I were a year younger I would have had him as a teacher. Then I'd have gotten to see him everyday. Who's this with him?
"Hi, Carla. I'm fine, thank you. This is Kimberly, an old friend from high school." Tommy didn't miss the nasty look she gave Kim, but decided to ignore it. He understood teenage crushes. Besides, this wasn't a date.
"Nice to meet you, Kim," she said with barely-contained envy.
"Pleased to meet you, too, Carla." The young woman's jealousy was obvious and amusing to Kim. The girl obviously has it bad for Tommy and thinks that we're here on a date. Which we aren't.
"So, are you both ready to order?" Carla smiled as best she could while she sized up the competition, like women always do. Damn, why does she have to be gorgeous?
"Yeah, we are. Kim…" Manners dictated that she order first.
"OK, I'll have the veal marsala. Could I also have a glass of water with lemon, please?"
"Sure," she said curtly, and then turned her full attention towards Tommy.
"The veal parmesan, please." Tommy was eager for the girl to be on her way. He wanted to talk with Kim and evict the elephant from the room for good.
"So, tell me about this job you're applying for?" That was a safe topic to start with.
"Well, the position is supervisor of the hospital's Blood Bank. It's a great opportunity. Their last supervisor retired a few months ago. They've had a rough time finding decent applicants. Medical Technologists are pretty scarce these days, and California has pretty stringent licensing regulations. Luckily for me, the only other state whose requirements are stricter is Florida, so they'll accept my credentials without my having to take another test."
"That's great. How did you decide on a career in the lab?"
"I just sort of fell into it. I originally thought I was going to be a nurse, so I had to take some general science courses. One of my professors at Florida U. suggested that since I'm such a curious person, it would be a very natural transition to laboratory science. So I did it. I had to complete an additional year of school after my bachelor's degree at a hospital-based school of Medical Technology. After that, I was able to take the certification test and get my license. It's a great career, I love it…How about you, Mr. Science Teacher? I never would have guessed that one."
"Yeah, neither did anyone else. When I started school at USC, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was still racing part time on my uncle's stock car team…"
"Racing?"
"Uh-huh. So I just took some classes in general stuff. Somehow, I found myself in a geology class, and I really liked it. It's interesting to study the development of the rocks and soil and see how their composition tells a story of the history of the Earth. I decided to major in it. The thing is, there aren't a lot of jobs available to someone with an undergraduate degree in geology, so I had to go to graduate school. I was lucky enough to be accepted as a doctoral candidate in the specialized field of paleontology, and I got to go on digs all over the world. I was working for a private research company while I finished my thesis, but when I got my PhD. last year, I decided I wanted to teach."
"A PhD.? Wow, I'm very impressed."
Tommy blushed. "It's not really a big deal…"
Always so modest…"I always expected that you'd become a martial arts teacher. Do you still practice karate?"
"Absolutely. I tested for sixth degree two years ago. It's still a major part of my life. I'm even thinking of starting a karate club at the high school. I think there would be a lot of interest."
Tommy felt much better about their evening now. If they stuck to neutral topics, things should be fine. He took a few sips of his wine. When he looked up, he saw that Kim was staring down into her glass. She had a very nervous expression on her face. So much for lessened anxiety.
"Tommy, I want to explain what happened when I was in Florida, with the letter and all…"
"Kim, there's nothing to explain. It was high school. We were dating, and we broke up. I see it happen all the time." As soon as he said it, Tommy realized that in his effort to make her feel more comfortable about what went on, he just downplayed the significance of their relationship. "That's not to say I wasn't affected by it…" The remorseful look that came over her made him cringe at his stupidity. Great, now she feels bad. Shut your mouth before you do any more damage, Tommy.
"No, no…I do need to explain. There was more to it than that. Please, just let me get this out."
"OK. If it makes you feel better, I'm all ears. I just want you to know that you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I don't hold anything against you. We're not kids anymore."
"I know, but I need to get this off my chest once and for all. I've carried it around long enough, and the guilt has kept me from everyone here in California. By staying away, I didn't have to tell you guys what happened. Just let me do this."
Just then, Carla reappeared with their orders. It was the biggest platter of food Kim had ever seen.
"Maybe we should eat first, though," Kim suggested. Tommy simply nodded.
Author's notes: Don't kill me. The next chapter is almost finished. In fact, I split this onefrom Ch7 into Ch7 and 8because it was getting entirely too long. There's lots to accomplish, and I refuse to only do it half way, so I'm giving you this much now. Thanks, as always, to those who R&R. Love you all...