Two Boys in Love

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

The rain poured down in sheets as the car pulled up to the front of Louie Mack's Steakhouse. After parking in one of the spaces near the front, a man and a woman emerged with umbrellas in hand. They then ran to the front entrance through the torrential Florida rain, They plunged through the main entrance and into the immaculate lobby of the restaurant. The couple then hung up their coats and umbrellas on the coat rack and went to the maitre' d who sat behind the small station at the restaurant entrance.

" Hello Sir and Madam. How may I assist you this evening?"

"We have a reservation for two." The man said.

"Your name please?"

"Fitzgerald." He replied.

"Ah yes, reservation for two. Please come this way."

The Maitre 'd grabbed two menus and the couple followed him to a table in the back of the restaurant. Their table was in an elevated area right next to several large windows that looked out on a small lake. The rain battered against the window and the lightning illuminated the water. The Maitre'd gave the couple their menus, announced their waiter would be with them shortly, and retreated.

"This is really nice, Don." Said Grace Simmons. "Thanks for asking me out to here."

"I like this place a lot. I've been coming here for years." Don Fitzgerald replied.

"I haven't really been able to see a lot of places since we moved here. I'm usually either at work or at home." She said.

"Lakeland is a nice city. I've been living here for almost twenty years now." He said.

"Where are you from originally again?" Grace asked.

"Medina, Ohio." He said.

"I've never been to Ohio." She said.

"You haven't missed anything." He said.

A table runner came by and put a basket of warm bread on the table and quickly retreated. Don reached in and took out one of the rolls.

"You're from Towson Maryland, right?" Don asked.

"Yes. We moved here last August." Grace replied. Just then the waiter showed up and introduced himself. Don ordered a bottle of Merlot.

"So what brought you to our little slice of paradise here?" Don asked as the waiter went to get the wine.

"I'm here because one day, Professor Bill Welleham decided to shack up with one of his young and pretty graduate students. One day I'm carrying groceries into the house and Bill tells me he's having an affair and he's leaving and that our 16 year marriage is ending. Just like that. No warning, no big fight, no counseling, just over."

"He's a professor at Towson University, right?" Don asked as he buttered his roll.

"Right." She replied. "He teaches Russian History." The waiter came with the bottle of Merlot and two glasses. He uncorked the bottle and poured half a glass of wine for each.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked.

"We'll have the Prime Rib Au Jus." Replied Don to the waiter. "It's the best anywhere." He said to Grace. The waiter took the menus and Don and Grace clinked their glasses in a toast.

"Here's to new beginnings." He said. Grace took a sip of her wine.

"So Don, what happened with your marriage, if I may ask?" Don took another sip off of his glass.

"Sherry and I split because she wanted to live a rich, cushy, Republican life, and I just wanted to make enough of a living to be comfortable and raise our family and have a few beers and play my guitar. I opened up my print shop and I thought I was doing well, but she just wanted more and more and more. We started fighting all the time, even in front of the kids. It was awful. I couldn't make her understand that we just didn't need two BMW's and a boat. We had no debts, the print shop was making steady money, we were saving up for the kids college, we had a house, but none of that was good enough for her. Finally one night I just left. I had nothing but my clothes, my guitars, my car, and a hot plate. "