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"I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Harry, 'When Harry Met Sally'
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Chapter 15
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Ann Sather's was a landmark restaurant in Chicago that featured home-style Swedish cuisine in a casual dining environment. The original restaurant opened over sixty years ago and it still is a popular choice among locals and tourists alike. Martin liked coming here because he could eat breakfast at any hour of the day or have one of Ann's world famous giant cinnamon rolls.
The warm fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries wafted around and made his mouth water. He glanced at the display case at all the desserts and wondered which one he would have tonight.
The hostess sat them down at booth near the middle of the cavernous restaurant. That was another thing he liked about this restaurant. You could always fine a nice quite spot where you could sit and talk for hours and hours no matter what time of day or how busy it was.
After she brought out the drinks and got their orders Martin took the opportunity to ask why Sam wanted to come to this particular restaurant. "So how do you know about this place? It's a local joint."
"I know it is." Sam replied before adding, "I grew up in Kenosha. My sister and I would come up to Chicago for concerts and stop here to eat."
He raised an eyebrow and said, "So you're a Wisconsin girl huh?" Sam shrugged her shoulders and nodded. Martin wanted to know more about this woman who constantly kept him guessing. "What's your sister's name?"
Sam gave a sad sigh and said, "Brigid."
Martin raised an eyebrow and asked, "Wait a minute, isn't that the name of the femme fatale in The Maltese Falcon?"
Sam blushed, putting her hand on her forehead and nodded.
"Your mom must have been some Dashiell Hammet fan." Martin replied before adding, "That or Bogart."
"Both. Personally I think Brigid got the better name. Most people don't make the connection to the film." Sam replied with an easy smile.
"Good point." Martin replied and laughed lightly. He stirred cream into his coffee and asked, "So is your family still in Kenosha?"
Sam was quiet a beat and he could see her tense up. He was worried that he said the wrong thing when she softly replied, "Yeah they are."
"I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk…." Martin began.
Sam shook her head and said, "No it's okay. I just haven't seen my family in a long time. I thought about calling them while I was in town but…." Sam trailed off tilting her head noncommittally. She smiled and pointed to a booth on the opposite side of the restaurant. "Brigid and I would sit over there and make our big plans for the day we would leave our small town and find a fun and exciting life in the big city."
Martin suddenly felt very sad for Sam but knew that pity was the last thing she would want so he said, "Sounds nice."
"It was. I didn't know what I wanted to do but I wanted it to be important and mean something. Brigid wanted to be a weather girl for Channel 2 news in Chicago. I miss talking with her like that. We used to be really close." She replied sadly before smiling and saying, "Don't get me wrong, we fought plenty too."
"You don't have to tell me. My sister and I are in our thirties and we still get in our fair share of fights." Martin agreed and rolling his eyes he added, "She still likes to be the bossy-know-it-all older sister."
"What's your sister's name?" Sam asked as she took a drink of her coffee.
"Kelly. Kelly Gallagher." Martin replied just as the waitress returned with their food.
He leaned back as she put the steaming plate of prime ribs in front of him. He glanced at Sam who looked covetously at her baked chicken platter. She plunged her fork into the buttery potatoes and a look of joy crossed her face.
"Enjoying that?" Martin asked with a smirk.
Sam swallowed and smiled. "Yeah, I almost forgot how good the food was here."
The two dived right into their dinner with Martin doing most of the talking. Sam asked him about his sister's family, his parents, growing up in Washington, and basically anything that would keep the topic off of her own life. Every now and then he would try and steer the conversation back to her but she would only give simple yes or no answers before asking him another question. He knew she was deflecting but he enjoyed just having this time alone with her. It felt like a date only without the expectation or hope of an end of the night kiss.
Well, maybe it was like a date.
"So, is there anyplace else in town that you used to frequent?" Martin asked as he finished his dinner and pushed the plate away from him.
Sam leaned back in her chair and tossed her napkin on the table. "Well, I used to like going to Billy Goats."
Martin smiled and in a burly tone said, "Cheezborger, cheezborger."
"Ah man, are they still living off of that old Saturday Night Live skit?" Sam replied laughingly.
"Hey, it still works. I'm there every Tuesday for my cheezborgers." Martin replied with a grin. "Besides, if you want to get the true flavor of Chicago it's the place to be. Where else can you find a bunch of beer bellied men sitting at a bar at nine-thirty in the morning smoking cigarettes, and discussing sports while watching Oprah?"
Sam laughed and said, "Some things never change."
Martin loved the sound of her lilting laugh and it made his heart beat faster. But as easily as she laughed she quickly grew somber and stared into her coffee mug looking like she was lost in a memory.
Martin took a drink of his coffee and decided to bite the bullet and ask what she was thinking about. "Dollar for your thoughts."
She tilted her head questioningly and replied, "Dollar? I always thought the phrase was a penny for your thoughts."
He shrugged and sheepishly said, "Well, I raised it for inflation. Besides, I'd really like to know so I figure it would be worth the extra cost."
She hesitated before she took a deep breath and said, "I was just thinking about how different and familiar this felt. Being here, hanging out and just talking. Just conjured up a lot of memories from when I was last in Chicago."
Martin bit his lip. He really wanted to ask but he was afraid to press Sam too hard. It was like interrogating a suspect, sometimes if you remain quiet they eventually will tell you all you need to know.
A few moments later she spoke up and said, "This was the last place I ate before I caught the blue line to the airport and left the mid-west. My mother and I had gotten into a big fight about my moving to Pennsylvania. That's something we did a lot. It seemed the only way we ever communicated was by arguing. She didn't approve of my choices and I rebelled by doing things I knew she wouldn't like – even if I knew they weren't in my best interests."
Martin leaned forward, put both elbows on the table and softly said, "Most parents don't approve of their kids decisions. My parents are still angry that I didn't go into politics like they wanted."
"Well, I can see their point. You have the disposition of a Congressman." She said jokingly. Martin stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed. "I know that my mom thought she was just doing what was best for me but at the time I just thought her mission in life was to condemn everything I did."
Martin ran his fingers along the warm coffee mug and delicately said, "I know this isn't my place but you should call your mom or your sister. A lot of time has passed and you obviously miss them and I think they probably miss you too."
"Oh yeah? And how can you be so sure?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
He met her eyes and softly replied. "Because I'd miss you."
Sam sunk into her seat as if considering what he said when the waitress appeared and began to clear their plates. With the stack of dirty plates on her tray she paused and asked, "Would you care for dessert?"
He really didn't want the night to end so he smiled wickedly and asked, "So what do you say, want to split one of Ann's famous gigantic cinnamon rolls?"
She smiled and said, "I'm going to need another cup of coffee."