Matchmaking at The Towers

Elinor and Frank and the Tea Party Pt. 2

Checking with Airen to found out what kind of time frame would be required to prepare the conservatory to accept the guests, he planned to enlist the minions to "do" the table. He wanted to lower the garden floor to allow a traditional Japanese low table to be set over a sunken floor. They'd also need room around the table to pile lots of comfortable cushions and pillows. They would set up in the Nippon Tea Garden area in the conservatory where Ayla was so enamored of the citrusy scents.

Everything was coming together, and excited Lane had let the cat out of the bag and had let Ayla in on the details. He didn't want to hurt her feelings in case she wanted to "play," too. She did. Consulting with Airen, she got caught up on the whole plan. It was sweet of Lane to want to surprise her, but nothing sweet he did could surprise her. For the thousandth time, she thanked the PTB's that he was hers.

She went full on Geisha, including hair and make-up. Just before the guests started to arrive, Lane helped her to be seated immediately since she wore Geisha wafuku and medium high sandal clogs. She could barely mince along when walking. Lane thought it was kind of authentic-looking (...and she was cute as hell...) He could understand how the "masters" were so chivalrous. A female was damn near helpless when on her feet.

As usual, Airen surprised his best friend Lane with his own special touch. He had dug, landscaped, and permanently installed a koi pond with five beautiful koi: one black, one white, one white with black speckles and two golden. They were about twenty-four inches each and wouldn't grow much larger since their pond was designed to maintain them at that size. With specially-designed water filters, the pond was crystal clear and would stay that way. A pretty little wooden bridge spanned the pond and had an rounded platform in the middle, so one could stop there and admire or feed the fish.

Two days before the party, Airen and Ayla escorted Lane to the conservatory for a final inspection, (...in case he wanted something changed...yeah, sure...) Lane had walked half across the little bridge when he realized that it was new. He stopped and turned around to face his escorts. Ayla had her hands over her mouth and her eyes full of tears. Airen had his hands clasped in front of him. "What have you done?" He looked side to side and then leaned a little to look over the side, and nearly fell in, losing his balance when he spotted the koi.

Grabbing the side rails to keep from getting a bath, he grinned down at the water and clapped his hands one time before he caught himself. (...Acting like a kid again...) Ayla ran up and wrapped her arms around his chest. He put one arm around her and moved them both to the edge. He looked back at Airen, slowly shaking his head. "When are you going to quit doing this kind of thing for me?"

"Never, sir, uh...Lane." He stepped up close and looked down at the pond himself. "Do you like?"

"Do I like? This is a much better pet for me than the horses or the dogs." He squeezed Ayla and put his other arm around her. "I can love 'em from afar." He grinned broadly.

"There is a way for you to interact, sir." Out of a small satchel, he pulled a small stack of white bread slices. "This is not their regular food. The minions and I will do the daily care for you, just like taking care of the conservatory itself. But you can give them this every now and then." He handed the bread to Lane and a couple pieces to Ayla. "Just throw it in one piece at a time. They think it's a treat."

Releasing Ayla, Lane stretched his neck out over the side and picked out the smallest koi, the black one, and tossed a slice of bread to land right over its head. There was a great churning of water as five fish snouts hit the surface at the same time, sucking and pulling at the slice, roiling the water until every crumb was gone. Lane laughed out loud, "Oho..." He tried again, same koi, same results. Ayla tried hers, same result. Lane tried over and over again and decided the biggest golden fella got most of the bread. But all of them got some, so Lane was satisfied.

He gave Ayla a quick sweet kiss and went down on one knee, waving Airen into his arms. "Thank you again, little buddy. You amaze me every day." He kissed Airen's little cheek and then had to use his shirttail to wipe a lip print off his screen. "Please down do anything else for me today. My poor weak ol' heart can't take too much more.

They continued over the new bridge to the Nippon Garden. It was "too beautiful for words" as Ayla remarked. The minions had coaxed the dogwoods and cherry trees to bloom out of season. The ground was covered with soft moss, and here and there were plants of various colors and sizes. The little guys talked Lane into gifting all his guests with tiny bonsai trees rather than set them out as décor. The trees appeared in a long row down the middle of the table, each in its own tiny hand-painted urn.

The menu would include tiny Japanese finger foods, desserts and fruits, and the many teas they were collecting, and as Lane's coupe de gras: edible flowers. Airen rounded up sets of bento dishes, covered rice bowls, tea cups and sake cups. In case they couldn't handle the chopsticks, Airen also provided regular Western utensils. In only a few days, Lane had his list and pulled a "Lisa" to arrange the seating.

There would be two other guys, so he contacted them directly and arranged to send them Shogun outfits, including their gifts, the authentic swords, so all the ladies would have a "master" to kowtow to. (He knew that would really go over "big"...chuckling to himself.) He also hoped he didn't piss off one of the guys and and end up getting into a duel. (...Chuckled again...)

Un-traditionally, Lane decided to greet his guests at the entrance to the Nipponese Tea Garden, opting to seat each lady himself. When his two male guests arrived, he bowed nearly to the ground and turned them over to his "real" Geishas. Ellis suggested just for the meal, that they have two of the household staff be Geishas to serve and pour. Each Geisha seated her gentleman, helped him remove his swords, and sat on her heels behind her "master" until everyone was seated.

As Lane greeted each lady, he formally presented her with a gorgeous hand-painted parasol. Most of the ladies were so excited that they could hardly contain themselves for the quiet ambiance that surrounded them. Everyone had dressed in her kimono and some had added a little more just for the fun of the experience. Denise and Isabel wore the sandal clogs and did a simple version of the white make-up. Isabel told Lane at the gate when he greeted her, that the bright red lipstick was kiss-proof with a wink. He smiled his sweet smile at her and helped her be seated. In those shoes, he had to.

Elinor and Brandi wore elaborate wigs. (...Lanesent a quick message to Airen to bring him another set of hair sticks forBrandi...She cried when he presented them to her, and he had to enlist one ofhis Geishas to immediately put them in her hair...) He already had aset for Olivia and Elinor. He had planned to give a set to Ayla, but when hefound out that she was going full wafuku, he gifted her with hers. She waswearing them as part of her complete costume