Get It Straight, Or Say Good Night

Gay Paree Numéro Quatre

The lighting was subdued and Lou faced the balcony, not into the room, like she had planned. Her table was the farthest away from the huge dining rooms main entrance.

Dashing up to check on Eve, she was back and seated well before the boys reserved dining time.

Then all she could do was wait. Lou's eyes drift over as much of the room she dared ogle. The furnishing were like nothing she had ever seen before; so sublime and lavish they were. Heavy ornate curtains draped down to the floor, yardage of material pooling where it fell. The curtains framed the dazzling lights of the city of Paris exquisitely.

As the four men were lead through the restaurant by the maître d'hôtel they each stole looks around the room.

Perhaps the lady in red was dining with a male friend....

Or perhaps she dined with three more female friends, of equal mystique.

"There. Over there by the balcony doors" Paul nudged John as they pulled their chairs away to sit. Paul and John sat facing her, not that it was much good to John....
George and Richy weren't much better off, sat with their backs to the action.

"Is she alone?" John glared at the shadowy figure, willing his eyes to work perfectly for just once in his darn life. He'd forgotten his bloody glasses and now he'd have to rely on Mc20/20 to fill in his sight... Of her, the vision in red. His dreams, his teenage cravings.

Paul watched the woman as she turned the pages of her menu. She was still very much hidden from view, but nothing changed his perception of her.  Still, she was a willowy vision of grace and elegance. And even more wonderful...she sat alone. "Yeah ya fool, she's alone"

The table beside Lou's was crowded. Four rowdy men, full of red wine and half eaten meals left idle. One rose to stand as the lads ordered their own meals. The men heckled their mate as he moved toward the woman dressed in red. Intent on joining her, his hand splayed large over her back as he leaned close and spoke quietly in her ear but a twitch of her head had him fleeing back to his own table which erupted in laughter.

"She's not interested in men that one" George stated boldly, as he sat twisted in his seat. He wouldn't have a hope of impressing the female woman they were all ogling so he just tossed out any old thing to put the others off "I still say she has probably got an affliction"

Richy glared at George, if he said something 'bout his nose, he'd take him down here and now.

"To hazard a guess I'd think she couldn't speak a word of English" George stuck a chunk of fresh crusty roll in his mouth, munching and rolling his eyes, showing his happiness at being impressed with the tasty morsel.

"That's not an affliction, it's just like you... you can only speak English, no other language comes out of your gob" Paul retorted, throwing another roll at George.

"Can too. Merci Beaucoup. Bon jour, ummm. Yeah lots" George grinned proudly "See, I'm bilingual"

"You're bi something but definitely not bilingual, George" John pointed a finger at George "You know... I think you truly have a problem with keeping your trap shut"

"That's not very nice. Don't say nasty things to you now, do I. Well not tonight I haven't" George grumbled under his breath, John was a bloody big bully most of the time and tonight was no different.

Everyone was silent, the meals sublime. Music played, something classical and light. It just grated on John, felt like he had to watch how he ate in places that were stuffy like this. If he lifted the wrong fork the waiter would probably jab him in the eye with it. Nah give me a baggy of chips any day over frogs bloody le--