Chapter 4 – …in contemplation of his proposal
The waitress brought out our salads and a hot loaf of crusty bread. While we dawdled over the food, I was curious about the Chateaubriand. I decided I would eat whatever it was, regardless of how it looked.
After the salad plates were cleared away, the Chateaubriand was presented and placed in the center of the table. I placed three slices on his plate and noticed he was smiling at me. I started laughing — the rum was loosening my tongue and I almost told him I thought he was ordering a bottle of wine, not the entrée.
“I guess you know this is the first time I ever had Chateaubriand….it’s not on the menu at the diner in town.
“Laurel, there are a lot of first things out there for you to experience….and I hope I am with you when they happen.”
Our eyes met and held the gaze for a moment. “I hope you are, too,” I replied and smiled in contemplation of his proposal.
We leisurely savored the dinner, enjoyed a cup of coffee, and decided to walk around the lake. It was dark now, and all the ducks, geese, and swans were bedded down someplace in the bushes. The moon came out to light the ripples across the lake, like ribbons of silver.
“Gorgeous evening, isn’t it, Bob?”
“If this was a Broadway play, I’d begin to serenade you right about now.”
“Do you sing?”
He laughed. “No….hope you’re not disappointed. I go have some talent; for instance, I’m quite good at carving wooden ducks, painting and drawing. Working with my hands gives me satisfaction when I am able to capture the reality of my subject.
We had circled the lake and were headed back to the car.
“Are you ready to go home, or would you like to take a drive?”
“Unless you have something to do, I’d love a drive….It is a beautiful evening.”
“Everything is done. At six o’clock tomorrow morning I’ll be on the bus, heading for Camp Dix.”
“Oh Bob…I didn’t know! This is a special occasion.” A lump came into my throat and I swallowed hard, as I scooted across the front seat to be closer to him.
more tomorrow…
