What Lies Beneath
“I’m taking you on a dinner date this evening.” He held out the flowers. “These are for you.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Let me put these in some water and I’ll get ready.”
Will nodded and followed her inside the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He watched as she searched the cabinets until she found a vase, unwrapped the flowers and arranged them in water before placing them on the kitchen table. “They’re beautiful, Will, thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. I got us reservations for dinner at six-thirty. You’d better get a move on if we’re going to make it on time.”
Cynthia glanced at the clock and gasped, turning on her bare heels to disappear into the back of the apartment. Will waited patiently on the couch, wondering if she could manage to get ready that quickly.
Ten minutes later, he got his answer. She emerged from the back in a fitted black skirt and a ruffled white top with black details and stitching. She’d pulled her dark brown hair up into a bun and put on some lipstick that made her lips look pouty and plump like cherries. It was perfect.
“You look stunning,” he said.
“Thank you. I tried to hurry.”
“You did very well. We might even get there early.”
They gathered their coats and caught a cab to the restaurant. It was an expensive Italian place, but not one of the society haunts where they might run into someone they knew. Not that she knew anyone. This being their first date, he wanted it to be private and without people gossiping about where they were and why her ring was suspiciously absent.
They were seated at a curved, burgundy leather booth for two, the table lit with the soft glow of candlelight. The sommelier brought him the wine list, and he was two seconds from ordering for her when he stopped. He didn’t know what she liked anymore. “Do you want a diet soda, or would you like to try some wine tonight?” he asked.
She thought about it for a moment. “I’d like to try wine, but I want something light and sweet.”
He nodded, taking the sommelier’s suggestion for a brand of Riesling and a cabernet sauvignon for himself. Once they gave the waiter their order, they were finally left alone with a crusty loaf of bread and some herb-infused olive oil.
“Normally on a first date, I think I would ask a woman about herself, what she likes to do, where she grew up. Unfortunately, I don’t think you know the answers.”
Cynthia laughed and took a sip of her wine. “Mmm…this is lovely, thank you for choosing it. It might be hard, but maybe I can learn something about you and me while we’re at it. Give it a try.”
“Okay,” he said, tearing a chunk of bread from the loaf and dipping it. “We’ll go more esoteric, then. If you were trapped on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?”
“Well, if we’re talking deserted with absolutely nothing, I say food, water and a toothbrush. If that kind of stuff is covered, then I say some books, a sketch pad with pencils and an mp3 player with a solar battery pack. How about you?”
“Given base needs are met, I would take…” he shook his head. “I almost can’t even say. I wouldn’t know what to do with a bunch of leisure time.”
“What do you like to do for fun?”
“Fun? I just work. That’s what I do. Occasionally Alex makes me play racquetball or you drag me to a party or a play. That’s about it.”
“Doesn’t the paper own box seats at Yankee Stadium or something?”
“Courtside for the Knicks, actually, but I usually give the tickets out to clients and friends.”
“Why? Don’t you like basketball?”
“Yes. I just never make the time to go. You never wanted to go with me, and Alex typically had a date or was traveling on business when I asked.”
“When the season starts up again, I think I’d like to go. It sounds fun.”
Will smiled as he tried to picture Cynthia at a Knicks game with a beer in one hand, nachos in the other, screaming at the players. “We can certainly do that. Anything else you’d like to try, assuming we go on a second date?” he said with a wink.
“Hmm…” She thought aloud. “Bowling, maybe. Or doing some of the touristy things around town. I don’t remember any of that stuff, so it’s like I’m a visitor.”
“Do you mean like seeing the Statue of Liberty and Times Square?”
“Yeah. Maybe get one of those ‘I ♥ NY’ T-shirts.”
Will had to laugh. The woman across the table from him surprised him every day. She really was an entirely different person. A sweet, caring woman with a zest for life and the simplest pleasures, like silly tourist fare. Maybe she really had changed for good. Enough that he could trust her with some of the feelings swirling in his gut but wasn’t ready to say aloud.