Surprise
Keywords: Surprise,
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The old man watched the entrance gate carefully. She should be home any minute. He knew she was wearing the blue dress he liked on her so much. He quickly turned and stirred the contents of the pan on the stove and resumed his vigil. He thought he heard her heels clicking on the sidewalk. He was right, there she was. He quickly opened the window and grabbed up his laundry. She was out of sight now and he slipped out the door and moved silently down the balcony, then turned and paused until he heard her steps on the stairs. He started back toward his apartment door. She reached the landing and walked toward him. She smiled as she recognized him. He smiled back and stopped at his door. "You look lovely today Maggie. How are you?"
"Why, just fine, now that I am home. And you? Oh! What do I smell cooking? Mmmmm, that smells good."
"That is Italian sausage with onions and red and green sweet peppers. I have more than enough for two. Would you care to join me, we can eat on the patio."
"That sounds wonderful, let me change and freshen up and I will help you carry things down."
"Fine, just knock when you are ready."
Ten minutes later she tapped on his door and he opened the door. He thought she looked great in white shorts and a tiny yellow halter top. "Come on in, I have everything ready. Here you carry this bottle of wine and these two glasses and I can handle everything else."
She watched as he picked up a brass tray with a large hooped handle with a brass ring on top. The tray was loaded with plates, silverware and covered dishes. He carried it easily and she was surprised that he let it swing as he walked. Everything stayed in place even when he had to step quickly aside for a man going the other way. When they reached the patio he went to a table in the center and put the tray down. "How is this?" he said. "It looks clean."
"Just fine, let me help you. Were you ever a waiter? You handle that tray like a pro."
"No, the tray is the trick. Watch, I put wine to the brim in your glass, now I put it on the tray. Now you pick it up and walk with it."
She picked up the tray an took several tentative steps carrying it. Not a drop spilled.
"Walk faster and turn sharply, just let the tray swing when it wants to." She did as he said. Not a drop spilled.
She grinned at him as she came back. "I love it. It is so easy."
He set places for each of them and placed a covered dish on each placemat. He put two smaller covered dishes above each place. When she was seated he removed the covers from the two dishes in front of her, disclosing the meal. The larger plate held a half of a large Italian loaf. It was sliced in half and held an Italian sausage covered with fried onions and green and red peppers topped with melted Mozzarella cheese. The smaller plate held a small salad of greens, olives and cheese covered with an Italian dressing.
"Wow," she exclaimed, "This looks super. I love Italian."
"Go ahead and dig in. I don't know of a graceful way to eat this."
"Mmmmm. This tastes as good as it looks." She smiled, "what are you cooking for us tomorrow night?"
He returned her smile, "I usually cook a steak, baked potato with sour cream, a salad and hot rolls on Friday evenings if I have company, otherwise I go to Burger King."
"I'll get the steaks on my way home tomorrow if you will cook them."
"The steaks I like are expensive, but are worth every cent. Do you know Pepper's Butcher Shop on 41 north?"
"Yes, I know the place, but I have never been inside."
"When you go in ask for Jim. Tell him you want about a two pound Kobe Beef sirloin steak, tell him it is for Bill, his old fishing buddy."
"I can do that. Do you need anything else?"
"No, but watch yourself in there. He has so much great stuff in there you can blow your food budget for a week in a heartbeat."
"I have never maxed out my food budget so I am due one. I can do it once in a while. What is Kobe Beef?"
"Kobe Beef is a special breed of cattle from Kobe, in Japan. Traditionally these steers are pampered and fed beer and other goodies, and allowed little exercise, they are given daily massages. The marbling of the meat is twenty times greater that regular beef. The meat very tender and can be cut with a fork. This beef is basically the same only it is raised in Australia. The flavor is excellent. You will love it."
"It sounds good to me, I can hardly wait. Bill, I don't know how to thank you for this evening and in advance for tomorrow."
"Don't be silly, girl. The presence of your company is thanks enough. I hate eating alone."
"I will help you clean up and carry everything up to your place, then I need to get home."
"I see you checking your watch, I can make two trips, you go now. You don't want to miss his call."
"How did you know?"
"I just guessed, it wasn't difficult, a beautiful girl like you must have men lined up wanting to see you."
"You flatter me too much, Bill, this is one guy I want to get rid of."
"If I can help, please let me know."
"Thanks, but I can handle it myself, it is sweet of you to offer though. Good night!" She brushed his cheek with her lips and ran up the stairs.
The next day he set the little dining table with two places using his best linens and silver. He had gone out and bought an attractive centerpiece of flowers he put in the center of the round table. He had made twice baked potatoes with sour cream and chives, he had the salad made and two homemade dressings. Rolls were ready to ready to go in the oven. He had showered and shaved and trimmed his mustache and goatee. He estimated he had fifteen minutes to go until Maggie got home, allowing for her stop at the butcher shop. He waited patiently in his chair from which he could see the entrance gate. He smiled as she came through the gate exactly on time. He loved to watch her walk in her high heeled shoes. Lovely. Made his mouth water. God! He wished he was young enough to really make a play for her. She tapped on his door. He waited until she tapped a second time before he answered the door. "Hi! There you are, as lovely as ever." She blushed and handed him a small package. "Here are the steaks, he sure bragged on you. He said I was very lucky."
"Don't put too much store in what he says, we have been friends for twenty years."
"Give me twenty minutes and I will be back."
"Take your time Maggie, I'm not in a hurry. I thought we would have a drink or two and let you relax a bit before dinner."
"That sounds wonderful, let me clean up after work and I'll be right back. Do you have any Captain Morgan?"
"Ah! One of my favorites, Yes, I have plenty."
Exactly twenty minutes later he heard her light tap and he opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks. She wore her hair in a crown braid, she wore a red dress that clung to her body, she had on high heeled shoes and stockings. He stared at her. "Are you going to invite me in, Bill?"
"Oh! God you are gorgeous in that outfit. Please don't step on my tongue."
"Why thank you dear Sir, you make me blush."
"Please come in and have a seat, how do you like your Captain?"
"With ice and water, please. You look handsome tonight." "Thank you dear, I know a good eye doctor for you to see."
They sat and talked, telling each other their likes and dislikes, and many other things about themselves. Bill looked at his watch and jumped to his feet. "Hey! Let me get the steaks going. I'll have dinner ready in twenty minutes or less.
After dinner Maggie looked at Bill and said," That has to be the best meal of my life. Everything was very, very good. The steaks were out of this world, perfect, just perfect. You were right about them, they are worth the money. You sure know how to spoil a girl. Are you trying to seduce me?"
He grinned, "Of course I am. No, I have no delusions about that. I just love to be with you. I love your company."
"Why do you say 'Of course not?' You are the sweetest man I have ever known. You like me for myself, not just for my body."
"If you think I don't lust after your body you are nuts. You are the most desirable woman I have ever seen. But I don't want to take a chance of loosing your friendship."
"That has to be the sexiest thing any man ever said to me."
"I have watched and admired you for a while now. I know a lot about you, and I like all I know and see."
"What can you know about me?"
"A whole lot of things. You do not appear to date anyone, you keep yourself in excellent physical condition, you read a lot, I know that you hide your body under frumpy clothes when you go to work at the real estate office. You love the sexy lingerie at Victoria's Secret. You love their dresses too, and have several, but rarely wear them. You are divorced from someone who has to be a total idiot to let you get away from him. I know when you have your monthly period, and lots of other interesting things."
"What?" She blushed, "how can you know all that?"
"I am very observant."
"I don't believe you know all that."
"Your period is due on the third of next month or close to it."
Her mouth dropped open, "How?"
"Easy, you must have missed the note about the change in the garbage and trash pick up several months ago. You no longer leave it outside the door, you have to take it down to the dumpster. I started carrying yours down when I took mine. You use those clear plastic bags and I am very observant. I noticed certain items every time I took down your trash. They were always there just after I have a payday. I get my pension every twenty eight days."
Maggie threw her head back and laughed. "You are observant, I'll have to buy some of those black trash bags. But I think there are a few secrets I have kept from you."
"I sure hope so. A little mystery make one more attractive."
"Tell me all about you, Bill. I want to know all your secrets."
"No way. I am a dull person. I have been married twice, divorced once, widowed once. I fathered three sons, raised five kids. Retired early, fished a lot, lusted after beautiful women, but I tended to marry them.
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Keywords: Surprise,