AN: This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie so I decided to add stuff to the scene now since Maria's part of the group. I swear original ideas will be displayed in the story; I'm just going by the storyline of the movie for now. Oh & finally some flirtation is in this chapter between Elwood & Maria…
"How exactly are we going to persuade those guys to come with us?" asked Maria in doubt. "They're in charge of a fancy French restaurant & you're asking them to join the band! It's like trying to make Babe Ruth go in a minor league team." She then stops talking, realizing what she said I called them crappy. "Sorry I didn't mean it like…"
"We get the point don't worry." Jake responded "And I have a plan."
"Good, what's the plan?" asks Elwood.
Jake smiles smugly & faces at Maria. "We're gonna use your good looks to persuade the guys to join us."
"Wait, Wait" interrupted Maria with a chuckle "Good looks? You think I'm actually good looking enough to persuade your ex band mates?"
The guys look at each other & Jake shrugs "Eh, I don't know."
"You're easy on the eyes" replied Elwood. "I think it'll work."
"I'll take that as a compliment" she replied with a small blush on her cheeks.
Whoa, what the hell did I just say? He thought in his head Did I just say that out loud? Shit!
When the trio arrived at the restaurant, Jake got in front of Maria, checking her out & trying to spot any flaws she had.
"Ok uh…" he began "You need to make yourself more presentable."
"But…" began Maria but Elwood interrupts "Just let her be herself, Jake. She doesn't need improvement."
Aw! How thoughtful! She thought as she blushed & gave him a smile. Jake shrugged & began walking towards the door, not really caring what was gonna happen just as long as they recruit their band mates.
Maria then turned to Elwood "Thanks"
He didn't say anything; he just shrugged a bit & smiled humbly, but on the inside, he felt shy that he actually stood up for her.
He's adorable! She thought. "C'mon! Let's get them!" Jake cried out impatiently. Elwood & Maria approached the restaurant & went inside. As they went inside, they stared at the atmosphere in awe.
The chandelier was hanging just a few feet above them with the finest diamonds imported from every jewelry store in Chicago. The finest china was locked away on display as historical artifacts, even though Elwood tried to pick the lock & steal them, much to Maria's amusement. The diners especially looked impressive, wearing tuxes & fine silk dresses.
"This place is way out of our league." Maria murmured to Elwood.
"Agreed"
"There he is. Mr. Fabulous himself" Jake pointed out towards a man who looked really busy with reservations & calls. "He's the guy you need to impress."
"This is gonna be awkward" she replied uneasily.
"You said you wanted to help us out" Jake told her
She took a deep breath, knowing he had a point & walked toward Mr. Fabulous
"Excuse me." She told him in her most seductive voice.
He looked up & his eyes shone with admiration. She looked beautiful with her long wavy black hair, chocolate brown eyes, long lashes, & pouty lips. Elwood's pulse began to race in both jealousy & admiration.
I wish she can look at me like that. He thought to himself.
I guess Elwood was right Maria thought uncomfortably as she noticed Mr. Fabulous's gaze. "My friends & I would like a reservation please…and a favor to ask you."
"Certainly Miss…" he began but stopped once he saw the Brothers by Maria's side. "Oh no, wasn't it supposed to be five years?" he asked Jake. He then nods his head recalling his memory "Yeah it was five years, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Calm down, we're here to dine!" Jake replied with enthusiasm "to celebrate my early release & the induction of a new guitarist to the band."
Maria waves a bit.
"Wait…band? The band?" he asks
"Yeah" Maria replied. "Come now boys, let us dine!"
The trio linked arms as they walked into the dining room.
"Two words" mumbled Maria to the Brothers "Inappropriate behavior"
They smile a bit, thinking of a plan as they sat down on a table & incoherently tucked napkins under their collars as bibs. They waited & waited until Jake let out a deafening whistle that made the diners turn their heads.
"What are you looking at, you corporate nimrods?" Maria asked the other diners rudely "Can't a guy call his waiter?"
The diners scoff & give her dirty looks before they return to their dining. She wanted to prove to the guys she isn't a goody two shoes, & she can be rude & rebellious when it's necessary. A waiter approaches the trio, with a small look of disgust for their choice of manners.
"May I help you this evening?" he asked.
"Excuse moi, my friends & I would love your finest champagne & appetizers please." Maria asked the waiter with a hint of fake innocence.
"The finest champagne we have is 250 dollars" the waiter replied uneasily.
"So let it be" she replied as she shooed the waiter away.
"Wow, you're being rude." Elwood commented impressed that such a pretty woman can have a nasty side. "Keep it up & he'll give in, in no time."
Their appetizers & drinks came as one waiter offered to pour the champagne. Jake held up his glass & the waiter pours his glass. Elwood raised his glass but the waiter hesitates. "Wrong glass sir." he tells Elwood rudely
"Does it really fucking matter what glass he uses?" Maria asked him annoyed by the pickiness he demonstrated. She then holds up two glasses with different shapes. "What's the big damn difference between these two besides the shape? Huh? Both are glass, & both hold drinks so it doesn't really matter what glass he uses for champagne."
The waiter rolls his eyes & pours Elwood's drink. He hesitates on pouring Maria's until Elwood replied sternly with "Show some good manners & Pour the lady her drink."
The waiter grimaced as he pours Maria's drink & walked away. They toast
Clink
And began drinking…rather loudly & annoyingly. Some diners grimaced while a few turned their heads to face the trio. Elwood tore a piece of a roll & aimed it for Jakes mouth. Luckily, he made it & Jake chewed on it happily. Maria meanwhile put her legs on the table, leaned on her chair & picked her teeth with her knife. Mr. Fabulous then came over to the table angrily. "I've been getting complaints because of you three. C'mon, get out or I'll call the cops!"
Jake responds coyly "You would do that to me would you man?"
"He just got out of Joliet, he's on parole. You can't call the cops on him man!" replied Elwood as he chewed on a roll.
"We'll stop once you agree to come back." Maria retorts
Mr. Fabulous gave her a look, while Matt Murphy came from behind with Blue Lou next to him.
"Oh crap, The Blues Brothers!" he said, happy to see his long lost band mates. The brothers greeted him & Lou as they talked about Jake's time in Joliet. "Matt, Lou this is our new guitarist Maria Valens." Jake introduced. Maria smiled & shook hands with Matt & blue Lou. They seem nice, she thought, I hope its easier convincing them to join again than Mr. Fabulous.
"It's always nice to meet another fellow guitarist like myself." Matt told her kindly.
"Likewise" she responded with a smile
"So we're getting the band back together; you in?" Jake asks the other guitar player & Saxophonist.
Blue Lou & Matt instantly took off their aprons, & put their platters they were holding to the side.
"Let's go!" they said in unison, obviously excited for them to be part of the band again.
"We can't go yet" replied Maria as she glanced smugly at Mr. Fabulous. "Someone has to give in first."
"Absolutely not! I don't care how hot you are, I'm not gonna be persuaded by you to be back in the band!" he responds with absolute certainty.
A sting of jealousy pierced Elwood as he locked his jaw & flinched a bit at the word "Hot" He obviously wasn't the only one who found Maria attractive; but he personally would've used a different word to describe her such as
Beautiful…
Talented…
Kind…
A Good soul…
Maria rolled her eyes & began talking to Jake quite loudly, provoking Mr. Fabulous "So Jake, did you get that oozing scab on your leg checked?"
He smiles a bit & plays along. "When they peeled off the excess skin, they showed it to me & in my opinion; I thought it looked like a strip of bacon!"
The diners around them felt a slight pang of sickness as they were eating. Jake looks around & continues playing along with the gross conversation he was having "So how's your job at the morgue Maria?"
She chuckles & responds "This one guy lost a lot of blood because he was a prisoner in his country. I think his punishment was that they cut off his fingertips & fed them to some wolves…"
"Ok ok! I'll play! Just get out of here!" Mr Fabulous then declared loudly enough for the whole restaurant to hear. The trio smiled triumphantly & began walking out, feeling accomplished.
"Nice doing business with you." Maria told him "and if you call me 'hot' one more time, I will choke you with my guitar strings"
At least I'm not the only one who has a problem with him calling her hot. Elwoodthought as a half smile was on his face.
AN: Fun fact for you: I got the idea from an old SNL sketch with John Belushi, When Maria mentioned about the 'prisoner' and his fingertips being fed to some wolverines. It was his very first sketch & it was the very first SNL sketch ever. In the skit, John was taking speech classes & he was repeating what the speech coach said. The coach said "I would like to feed your fingertips to the wolverines." As part of the speech therapy thing, so there!
Please R&R