The Ties That Bind

Chapter Fifteen: The Power of Love

Another attendant arrived at the table, his arms laden with mouth-watering, aromatic plates that, once the domes were removed, looked almost too artful to consume.

"Sir, your second course, Dungeness crab risotto, with millet, quinoa, pressed oats, sunflower seeds, and chives. Madam, ricotta gnocchi, homemade lamb sausage, sun dried tomatoes, Marcona almonds and capers."

Franziska took a heavenly bite, closing her eyes for a moment as she relished the sublime food melting on her tongue before she shot an amused look at her fiancé. "Risotto, liebling? What happened to your California low carb diet?"

"I ran up and down 30 flights of stairs about a dozen times today, meine dame," he shot back, chuckling. "I truly will require the quick energy fuel to get me through this evening! I don't think this will even put a dent in my diet...I am positive today's activities have left me with cast-iron thighs you could crush a coconut with!"

Franziska laughed. "Weren't they always capable of such?"

"Not at all. Perchance a grapefruit prior to today's unaccustomed exercise, but I've most certainly moved up on the food cracking scale, I assure you!"

"Why on earth did you put yourself out so, liebling?" Franziska was suddenly serious. "I recall you said, 'among other things' as the reason for all this splendor, but inexorably, welcoming me back home to the city of angels wasn't the sole motive for this grandeur spectacle?"

"Spoken like the ever diligent prosecutor who has known me for far too long," Miles praised. "You're have correctly identified my mens rea in this happenstance. There is indeed ulterior motive behind my modus operandi."

"Well?" She pressed, when it appeared he wasn't about to go on. A server came to clear their plates. "Aren't you going to profess the logic behind all this?"

Before Miles could reply, another waiter appeared with two more domed platters.

"Your main course, sir, prime côte de boeuf, pommes aligot, armagnac peppercorn sauce. For the lady, wolfe ranch quail made with brioche stuffing, falafel macaroon, mint raita, eggplant compote, and lotus root."

"I will relinquish that information later, I swear it," Miles promised before he practically dove headfirst into his food.

Franziska barely suppressed a sigh. If there had ever been a time to lament about having too attentive a staff, it would have been then! Miles appeared to have no intention of picking up the conversation where it had left off, and left no room for further chatter. Instead, he tucked into his meal with such relish one would have thought it was his last one on earth! She wasn't sure if he was skillfully dodging her line of questioning or if he genuinely had such a voracious appetite from all his unacquainted physical activity earlier. Either way, she would have to be a complete shrew to intervene in his enjoyment of what was admittedly the most delicious meal she'd had in months if not years! For this reason, she decided to back off for now, and focused on her finishing her food. This was getting progressively harder to do as she was now so incredibly full from all the rich fare, she thought she would indeed burst!

Assuming she didn't die of curiosity first.

This mysterious act Miles was still somehow pulling had gone from being mystifying to downright maddening! Oh, he'd continued to converse, of course, but she was nowhere closer to solving the riddle of what had provoked her fiancé to pull out all the extravagant stops that night than she'd been half an hour ago!

Franziska couldn't help herself, she was paranoid that this whole romantic, grand rooftop gesture was because he was going to somehow pull the rug out from under her again! Consequently, she was going to be all pins and needles until the other shoe dropped. The last time Miles had caught her off guard, he had announced their upcoming 'parenthood' and that he was emigrating! What else could he possibly have up his sleeve this time?!