Chapter 36
Yuri watched Katherine sing, then when her song ended, applauded appreciatively and smiled. "Doesn't she have a wonderful voice, Bentley?" Yuri observed, turning to Bentley. She smiled as she saw him staring at her, smiling that adoring smile he had just for her.
"Yeah, she does, Yuri," Bentley agreed, then shook his head. "But, not half as pretty as yours, pretty girl," he told her, believing every word he said.
Yuri blushed and looked away a moment, touched. She then turned back, and bestowed her most loving smile on her beau. That lingering gaze was only disrupted by the appearance of their waiter, who came to take their dinner orders.
Bentley cleared his throat in pleased embarrassment, and finally turned to Yuri. "Ahem! Well, my love? What would you like this evening?"
Yuri looked down at the menu, briefly consulted it, and nodded and smiled. "I would like the salad du Charlie….and, I do hope it is as good as it was last year, eh Hercule?"
Hercule, their penguin gent waiter smiled, nodding approvingly. "It is superb, Madame…is it is every year, you know. An most excellent choice, might I add?" the penguin waiter offered her with a pleased smile. "And, of course, I shall be certain to let Chef Charlie know just who it is that ordered his creation. I am sure he will ensure it is precisely the way you like it, Madame."
"Merci, that is wonderful, Hercule," Yuri replied, impressed as always with the quality of service and servers at Le Bistro Bourgeot. Yuri then frowned, and added with a smile, "Oh, I nearly forgot, ami. Could you bring me a large cup of your excellent herbal tea, if you please?"
"Very good, of course, Madame," Hercule amended, jotting the addition to her order down. He then turned to her companion, adjusting his red bow tie just so. "Now…what may I bring you, Moniseur Turtle?"
Bentley looked down at the expansive menu. "Tell you what, Hercule old boy," Bentley began, "I'll have the steak Francais…that's perfect. Er, um, and a glass of your finest cola too, please...and in a glass, if it's not too much trouble." Bentley smiled, handing over his menu to the immaculately dressed waiter. "Oh, and Hercule…do remind the chef, no tomatoes. I'm deathly allergic."
Hercule smiled magnanimously, bowing his head politely. "Oui! Rest assured, Monsieur, I shall remind him." The penguin walked off with his characteristic waddling gait, which caused both Bentley and Yuri to grin.
Yuri then looked across the table to her Bentley. "Bentley? You have never told me that you are allergic to tomatoes, mon cher," she told him.
Bentley blinked rapidly a moment, then addressed his lady. "What? You're kidding! I haven't?" Bentley asked incredulously. "Well, geez…I guess I somehow never got around to telling you about it, hon."
Yuri smiled. "Let us both agree to something, hmm, cher? After this evening, we shall tell each other everything about each other. Are we agreed?"
"D'accord!" Bentley replied, smiling. "You got yourself a deal, toots!"
"Toots?" Yuri responded, her eyes wide…then, she giggled. "You are so silly," she told him, and then she and he leaned across their table to seal their deal with a kiss.
As they were doing this, Mademoiselle Stordahlen finished yet another song, this one called 'Heaven'. She smiled at her crowd's applause, then looked around before herself. "There does seem to be more than a few couples here tonight," she observed, then laughed. "Not that I'm surprised, really. I mean, after all, isn't Paris called the 'City of Love'?" Katherine arched an eyebrow, and gave them all a most clever smile, which elicited some laughter in the crowd. She smiled again, then continued. "Now, much like many of you lucky ladies I see out in the audience this evening, I too am lucky enough to have a man who loves me." Katherine beamed softly, and an appreciative sigh wafted throught he crowd then. "Now, true…it did take me some time before I realized just how I felt about him, but thanks to a friend of mine---one who shall remain nameless!---I'm the happiest woman alive." The crowd gave her a happy soft round of applause.
Carmelita applauded along with them, then smiled, leaning over to whisper into Sly's ear. "So, handsome…think our Kitty's got to her too?" she posed, grinning.
"One never can tell, Carmelita," Sly replied cryptically, trying to stifle his brief bout of laughter.
"Now, having mentioned my beau," Katherine continued a moment later. "I would like you all to meet him…may I present to you, the love of my life, Monsieur Alexandre Perquoit."
To the accompaniment of amused applause, the audience watched as a tall slender snow leopard made his way up from the crowd and up on stage. He was a handsome fellow, with the long dark hair, an untrimmed Van Dyke beard and moustache, and dark maroon beret commonly worn by musicians. The leopard gent waved amiably to the crowd, smiling, who saw he was dressed in a t-shirt with broad black-and-white horizontal stripes, which he had tucked into slightly blousy black cargo trousers.
Naomi smiled over at Murray. "Her beau…he is a beatnik!" she observed impressed. "I had thought beatniks a thing of the past…"
Katherine kissed her Alexandre once upon his cheek, then turned toward the audience once more. "As you might of already of guessed, tonight is a night dedicated to couples. And, to honor the many couples here this evening, Alexandre and I will sing a duet," she announced. She turned to the string quartet, who began to softly play, then slipped her gloved hand into that of her beatnik beau's, and the lovely vixen tilted her head back slightly to sing:
Over and over I look in your eyes,
you are all I desire,
you have captured me.
I want to hold you,
I want to be close to you,
I never want to let go.
I wish that this night would never end,
I need to know…
Alexandre smiled and then leaned his head toward his lovely partner and joined in singing the refrain:
Could I hold you for for a lifetime?
Could I look into your eyes?
Could I have this night to share this night together?
Could I hold you close beside me?
Could I hold you for all time?
Could I could I have this kiss forever?
Could I could I have this kiss forever, forever?
Katherine wound to a halt, then smiled, watching as her Alexandre continued:
Over and over I've dreamed of this night,
now you're here by my side.
You are next to me,
I want to hold you, and touch you, taste you,
And make you want no one but me.
I wish that this kiss could never end,
oh baby, please…
Katherine rejoined him then, both of their voices harmonizing:
Could I hold you for a lifetime?
Could I look into your eyes?
Could I have this night to share this night together?
Could I hold you close beside me?
Could I hold you for all time?
Could I could I have this kiss forever?
Could I could I have this kiss forever, forever?
I don't want any night to go by,
Without you by my side.
I just want all my days
spent being next to you.
Living for just loving you,
And baby, oh, by the way…
Could I hold you for a lifetime?
Could I look into your eyes?
Could I have this night to share this night together?
Could I hold you close beside me?
Could I hold you for all time?
Could I have this kiss forever?
Could I could I have this kiss forever, forever?
They duo's song slowly wound to a halt, then the two shared a kiss, and when it ended, turned to their appreciative audience and smiled, Alexandre holding up his their joined hands in triumph.
Yuri smiled, but then frowned…thinking that for some odd reason, she could of sworn those two seemed a bit too familiar to her. "Do you know…I could swear I've seen those two somewhere before. Haven't you, mon cher?"