Page 48 of Stick Side
His heart gave a notable thump when she drew level with him and looped her arm through his. He loved the way she seemed to reach for him naturally without pausing to give her actions a second thought. He wasn’t used to her touch, but there was no doubt he welcomed the feel of her arm against his. His whole body sighed in relief at the artless way she brought their bodies into contact.
At this point in their relationship, he would celebrate any physical overture on her part, no matter how innocent. Up until this point, he’d been the one to instigate physical contact between them. As such, he’d been careful not to overstep and make any assumptions. That made it all the more gratifying to feel her relaxing into him.
Melody’s eyebrows creased in confusion when they reached the entryway of the restaurant. She read the stylized sign on the door aloud. “Closed for a private event,” she intoned before turning questioning eyes on him.
“So they are,” he said as he reached for the door handle and pulled it open for her.
Visibly intrigued, Melody walked through the door and into the interior of the restaurant.
Anticipation tingled through his body as he followed her through the doorway. It was the moment of truth. He was now seconds away from seeing how she felt about his surprise. All he could do was cross his fingers and hope for the best.
He gave a crisp nod of satisfaction as he took in the dining space before him. It was exactly as he’d hoped. The room was cultured and romantic with a single table set for two. The keynote table had been set with a delicately patterned white tablecloth, fancy dishes, elegant glassware, and a pretty, but not overdone, bouquet of mostly purple flowers. Candles adorned all of the surrounding tables, bathing the room in soft, flickering light. The smell of yeasty bread perfumed the air while soothing piano music played in the background. Everything from the brick walls to the gently roaring fireplace gave the impression of classy, old-world charm.
Melody’s open palm flew to her chest. “Oh my goodness, Ben. Did you rent out the entire restaurant?”
Relief washed through him as he took note of the dreamy expression on her face. “Something like that.”
Her eyes blinked in adorable confusion.
“Do you remember when I asked you what you might choose if you could step foot into any work of fiction?”
Melody nodded as a slow smile lit her face.
“I wasn’t sure if you were serious,” Ben explained, “but you told me that, if you could step foot through the pages of any book and into the storyline, you might pickJulie and Juliaon account of all the delicious French food you might be able to prepare and sample.”
Her smile blossomed until it became so bright that he might have wanted sunglasses if he weren’t so happy to bask in the full force of her smile.
“Even still, Ben,” she gently chastised. “You certainly didn’t need to rent out an entire restaurant to satisfy my love of French food.”
He ignored her gentle scolding, choosing instead to focus on the delighted wonder in her eyes.
“You’re close, but not quite on point with tonight’s agenda,” he divulged.
Perplexed, Melody jutted her lower lip out slightly. “What am I missing?”
Her guileless features drew him in like a bee to honey. It was incredible how she managed to be everything from adorable to enchanting.
“I rented out the restaurant so that Henri, the head chef, could give us a crash course in French cuisine.”
Melody’s eyes lit up brighter than he’d ever seen them. “Are you serious?” If her subtle bouncing from foot to foot was any indication, she was so excited that she couldn’t fully contain it.
Ben couldn’t have fought the bright smile that threatened to overtake his face if he’d tried. Her obvious delight over his surprise made all the hours of planning more than worth it.
“I’m very serious,” he declared. His touch was gentle as he chucked her under the chin. “I already know better than to tease you about food.”
They shared a warm smile before the kitchen door burst open to reveal a handsome woman in what he would guess were her early to mid-forties. “Welcome, welcome,” she enthused. “Mr. Logan and Ms. McGuire, I presume?”
“You presume correctly,” he said as he took a step forward to shake her outstretched hand, “but please call me Ben.”
“And please call me Melody,” the pretty lady at his side added. Once he released the woman’s hand, Melody extended one of hers for a polite shake.
“Ms. Garing?” Ben guessed as the ladies shook hands. Now that he’d heard her speak a few words, he was pretty sure she was the manager who had helped him to arrange tonight.
“Amy Garing, yes,” she confirmed. “I was just chatting with Chef Henri,” she continued, “and it seems he’s all ready for you. If you would follow me into the kitchen, please?”
Ben gestured for Melody to go first. His parents had drilled good manners into him from an early age, but taking up the rear also gifted him with the ability to observe the happy bounce in Melody’s step as she followed Amy into the kitchen. Melody could wear a paper bag and she would still be gorgeous, but when she got excited about something, as she was now, she shone with a truly incomparable beauty. It was quite the wonder to behold.
As their trio entered the kitchen, they were greeted by a portly gentleman who wore a long white apron over a white double-breasted jacket and black trousers. All he lacked was the tall white chef’s hat to complete the archetypal look.
