Page 77 of Crying Shame
We focused on the photo in silence until a staff member came in with a tray to the inner garden. She blinked and stared at me. “What’s this?”
If this was the end of our time together, I wanted to spend it in style. “Wine and snacks.”
“Perfect,” I said as a staff member poured wine into our glasses.
I watched her as she tasted it. I needed to prove how much she meant to me without using money to do it.
39
Clarissa
The drive to the restaurant in the limo reminded me that I didn't belong In Elon's world. There were people on the streets of Manhattan from all walks of life, and most of them knew what it was like to work for a living.
Elon made every second special. I had no answers for what I wanted from the future, but I'd promised myself to enjoy the day. At the restaurant, as we stepped into a private dining room with living plants that provided wall-to-wall greenery, I quickly gazed at the white uniforms worn by the staff.
I’d been raised to a life of service, and from first glance, it was obvious the restaurant staff was at the top of its game. When we were seated, I glanced at the menu. It didn't give options—it was more a statement on what to expect. My eyes widened as I read. “This is the place Gerard recommended?”
Elon nodded. “Yes. Why?”
My mind formed a picture of his brother cruising around the world. Adrien's blog listed some amazing, mouthwatering dishes he’d enjoyed. “The whole menu is vegetables. Did Adrien turn into a vegetarian? HIs blog still talks about meat.”
Elon shook his head. “After the pandemic, this restaurant decided to focus on sustainable food. One dinner here pays for five meals for hungry children.”
He'd provided another reason to be here. The old thought that I didn't belong began to surface, but when the food came, I focused on the savory smell of the appetizer and set aside my fears.
“Work was hard during the pandemic," I said. "The theme park was closed for a while, but the good thing about it was I got to spend some one-on-one time with Sam. And I think he liked being with me too.”
We both sampled the butternut squashfundido, which tasted like a healthy cheese dip. I spooned some more as Elon finished his first taste.
“Sounds perfect,” he said.
I swallowed and wished the small bowl of fundido was larger. But on the other hand, I was curious about the rest of the meal. “It wasn’t so bad for me, but so many people had so much loss that they don’t really talk about it.”
“I understand," he said. "I’m the same way.”
I sipped my wine, which seemed to cleanse my palette. “Did you ever spend a day alone?”
He nodded. I was surprised. I’d read that the ultrawealthy retreated to oceanfront properties on private islands. I knew the Norouzis had more than one of those.
“A few weeks. I volunteered for duties at the hospital, as my colleagues were exhausted," he said. "Then I had to quarantine, all with only Cyrus for company.”
“Wow.” I’d never once thought of him putting himself at risk. My heart raced a little as I reached across the table and took his hand. “I’m impressed. Though it sounds like you weren’t entirely alone, you shouldn’t have taken risks like that.”
"The infectious disease guys were happy to get a few hours of sleep in the early days, and it was easier to work knowing my brother Cyrus was doing the same thing. That meant I had someone to talk to who saw the same stuff happening. And I knew money doesn’t matter to infectious diseases.”
There seemed to be nothing left to say on that subject. We both focused on our food. The staff came to take our plates away.
“Well, the first course was delicious,” I said.
“Ten more to go,” he said as the staff left with our plates.
I must not have read the menu closely enough. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Relax and enjoy.”
I reread the menu. Some more servers came in to deliver the next vegetable course. The stuffed shishito peppers reminded me a bit of poppers. They tasted heavenly, which was also a perfect word for this day with Elon. “Always.”
Hopefully, I’d be able to spend the rest of my life just focusing on the here and now. Maybe then I’d be happy.
