Wine and Roses
Chapter Three
It was 5:00 P.M. on a Saturday afternoon, and Suzette Coleman, a pleasantly plump woman with rosy cheeks and salt and pepper hair, slowly walked through the banquet room, studying its layout. The owner and operator of The Ultimate Kitchen, a private events catering service, Suzette had been operating her business in Trenton for 15 months.
Upon her arrival in Trenton, Ella had been one of Suzette's first customers, and she'd raved to Stephanie about the quality of the food and service. While Stephanie had become pretty good in the kitchen, preparing a full course dinner for 15 people was not an option, so she was glad to hand over the cooking reigns to someone else.
As Suzette scanned the room, she analyzed her work space as if she were studying an expensive work of art. Pointing dramatically toward the back wall of the room, she said,
"I'll set up the buffet table against that wall. Gilbert, my assistant, will set out the food."
"Sounds great," Stephanie said, amused with the Suzette's passionately dramatic demeanor.
"Very well, then. I'll fetch Gilbert and we'll unload the van." Suzette wobbled away, the tail of her white chef's coat trailing behind her.
"Okey dokey," Stephanie said, trying to stifle a laugh.
While Suzette and her assistant unloaded the food, Stephanie tried to keep herself busy. She walked around the dinner table, making sure all six LED tea lights were turned on. The flickering lights surrounded a vase full of red roses, presenting the illusion of a sparkling flame burning inside each votive holder. Ranger had talked Stephanie into using fire proof candle light, just in case Grandma Mazur had too much to drink.
The fragrant smell of roast beef and grilled rosemary chicken drifted through the cozy room, and Stephanie's stomach grumbled as she placed the last LED tea light into its holder.
Ella bounced into the room, noticeably sniffing the air. "Wow! The food smells wonderful."
Suzette looked up from carving the roast beef and offered Ella a proud smile, and then she dutifully went back to work, eyeing Gilbert as he placed the serving dishes over the burners on the buffet table. Gilbert was a small man with pale skin and long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was focused on his task, moving like a well oiled robot.
"I thought I'd be too nervous to eat," Stephanie said to Ella. "But the smell of the food is making me so hungry."
Ella had helped Stephanie with choosing the menu for the dinner party. Along with roast beef and chicken, they had chosen seasoned, roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables for the side dishes. Homemade dinner rolls and dessert topped off the menu.
"Everything looks delicious," Stephanie said to Ella as they glanced at the steaming food on the buffet table.
Ella walked over to a mini stereo sitting on a roll-away cabinet in the corner of the room. She plugged in the stereo, opened one of the small cabinet doors, and grabbed a handful of CD's.
"Ranger requested music that would relax your guests."
Stephanie walked over to Ella and grabbed the CD's out of her hand, flipping through the selection.
"Classical and Jazz, of course. And I see you snuck in Bon Jovi and the Black Eyed Peas. That's hardly relaxing."
Ella gave Stephanie a coy wink. Bon Jovi was a must at any Jersey gathering.
Turning to leave, she said, "I'll call you tomorrow to get an update. Have fun!"
"Ella, are you sure you can't join us? You've been a huge help. I couldn't have pulled this off without you."
Giving Stephanie a warm hug, Ella smiled. "My husband and I have hot date tonight. Maybe next time."
Stephanie rolled her eyes at the thought of a 'next time,' and Ella chuckled lightly.
"It's not going to be that bad, try to relax and have a good time."
"You don't know my family."
Ella laughed again, waved goodbye to Suzette, and breezed through the door.
Stephanie looked down at the body hugging, black cocktail dress she was wearing and smoothed out the material with her hand. Glancing at the rare vintage wine, Veuve Clicquot, resting in an ice bucket on the dinner table, she sighed, wondering if it would be rude to pop the cork before the guests arrived. And then she felt a familiar presence behind her. Stephanie closed her eyes and inhaled Ranger's scent, trying to channel the calm energy radiating off his body.
Walking up behind Stephanie, Ranger wrapped his arms around her waist. "You look good enough to eat, babe. We have about 15 minutes before our guests start to arrive. There's still time to squeeze in a 10 minute, stress reducing quickie."
Turning in his arms, Stephanie stood back and scanned Ranger from head to toe. His offer was extremely tempting. Wearing his usual black, he had on dress slacks with a button down shirt under a dark blazer, and wingtip Cole Haan shoes.
"We'll need more than 10 minutes. You're looking rather yummy, yourself."
Suzette cleared her throat loudly, as if reminding Stephanie and Ranger that they were not alone in the room. Gilbert stared at Ranger with an unabashed hunger in his eyes. If Ranger noticed Gilbert's appreciation, he didn't let on.
"I think you have an admirer," Stephanie said, motioning her head in Gilbert's direction.
Ranger passed an empty stare toward the assistant who quickly returned to what he was doing.
Shifting his gaze to Stephanie, Ranger said, "You sure know how to kill the mood."
"Maybe it's the lighting," Stephanie teased. "You do look extra sexy with the dimmer on low."
Ranger walked deliberately to the light switch on the wall and turned the dimmer up, filling the room with florescent light.
"Well, would you look at this?" Grandma Mazur shouted, walking into the banquet room. "Isn't this a hoot, Jerome?"
Jerome limped in behind Grandma, admiring the room. Jerome was a black man who looked to be in his mid-to-late sixties. He had a stiff leg, a small afro that was white as snow, and a pleasant smile that showed off a mouth full of false teeth. He was wearing a plaid jacket, a striped shirt with suspenders, and plaid pants.
"This here is Jerome, he's my new boyfriend," Grandma Mazur said proudly, tugging Jerome by his arm. "We met through a dating service on the Internet."
Grandma Mazur had on a special occasion pantsuit with blue flowers decorating the outfit. And her hair matched the flowers.
Jerome walked up to Stephanie with open arms, his false teeth gleaming. "Penelope, I've heard so much about you!"
"Her name's Stephanie not Penelope," Grandma Mazur shouted at Jerome as he hugged Stephanie. "Jerome's hard of hearing, and he's in the early stages of Dementia, so if he hears your name at all, he'll forget it just the same."
"I'm hungry," Jerome said in a scratchy voice. "And tonight's sex night. I have a lot to do before my bedtime."
Stephanie winced inwardly, but gave Jerome a polite smile. She cut her eyes to Ranger who was still standing next to the light switch, arms crossed over his chest, wearing a megawatt smile.
Stephanie rolled her eyes, trying to get the thought of Jerome and Grandma having sex out of her head. "As soon as the other guests arrive, we'll start the appetizers."
Suzette was busy setting the appetizers on the dinner table, a shrimp cocktail for each guest, and Gilbert was placing serving utensils inside the serving dishes on the buffet table.
"Look at you," Grandma Mazur said, grinning at Ranger. "You're as hot as ever. Are you the DJ tonight?"
Ranger kissed Grandma Mazur on the cheek and shook Jerome's hand. "Glad you could make it," he said politely. Then he walked over to the stereo and flipped through the CD's. Grandma Mazur walked up behind Ranger, pointing to a specific music selection.
"Bon Jovi? Hell yes! Put it on."
Ranger put Bon Jovi in the player and turned the volume up so the seniors could hear the music. Anything to keep them occupied for the moment. Jerome sat down, pulled a napkin out of its holder and dug into his shrimp cocktail as the lyrics to Living on a Prayer filled the room. Stephanie had quietly made her way to the wine and was pouring herself a full glass as Grandma Mazur sang an off key version of the song.
Ranger sidled up beside Stephanie, took the bottle of wine from her hand, and poured a glass for himself, gulping down most of the smooth liquid in one shot.
"Let's get this party started, babe."