Chapter 80
The cheese dip tasted delicious, and Dana was sad to see the waiter appear to take the pot away once all the croutons and vegetables were gone. Next came a pot of boiling oil. “Ne touchez pas,” he said, followed quickly by, “No touch, s’il vous pla?t. Is very hot.”
“God, I don’t really cook,” Dana admitted as another server set down a plate of raw steak and shrimp. The thought holding the meat in the oil long enough to cook it properly was intimidating.
But the waiter had a cheat sheet he set on the table, a little menu with instructions on how long to hold what kind of meats in the oil to cook them perfectly. “C’est facile,” he assured her.
Dana frowned up at him.
“It’s easy,” he translated.
“Yeah, I got that.” She still wasn’t quite sure she’d be able to pull it off.
But Bethany was game, spearing a piece of shrimp and dipping it into the oil. The pot had two small timers on its base, one on either side of the table. Bethany set hers to three minutes. “You try,” she urged Dana.
“I’m going to wait and see how yours comes out,” Dana said, skeptic.
It came out pink and opaque and delicious—Bethany cut it in half and split it with her, and Dana dipped it in the teriyaki sauce, which was fabulous. Maybe cooking wasn’t half as hard as Dana thought it might be. “I can cook like this,” she said, spearing a cut of meat. “Let’s eat here every night.”
Bethany laughed. “Yeah, when we’re rich and famous. I’m not making enough money yet to eat here thatoften.”
“Well,” Dana conceded, “I guess Valentine’s is a special enough occasion.”
“Actually, it’s our first date,” Bethany said. “That trumps Valentine’s any day.”
Grinning, Dana joked, “Oh good. So I’m not the only one who noticed.”
* * * *
After dinner, Bethany and Dana held hands as they hurried through the blustery evening to the nearest subway entrance. The night sky was deep and clear, and the stars had a crystalline quality to them that Dana always associated with snow, even though there wasn’t a cloud in sight. When she mentioned it to Bethany, her friend laughed. “I think it’s too cold to snow,” she said, hugging Dana for warmth. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get home and out of this weather. God, I am soready for spring.”
The subway wasn’t heated but at least the wind wasn’t blowing in the tunnel, and in the enclosed car, the combined body heat of the other people helped keep everyone warm. When Dana and Bethany reached their stop and climbed the stairs to the street, they had to bend over to hide their faces in the lapels of their coats. “I hateFebruary!” Dana cried.
Bethany laughed in agreement. “I’d say let’s race home, but I don’t think I could possibly run after that meal we had. I’m stuffed!”
“I don’t think I’ll eat again for days,” Dana added.
Linking her arm with Dana’s, Bethany said, “You better. I planned to make you breakfast in bed tomorrow before I head off to work.”
“Yeah, okay, no.” Dana shook her head, amused. “I’m definitely notgoing to be hungry at six in the morning. I don’t even know if I’ll be hungry by six at night. Seriously, I’m full up.”
Bethany frowned and snuggled closer to Dana. “So I guess relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine and that box of chocolates is out then, eh?”
“Oh, there’s always room for wine,” Dana assured her.
When they reached their apartment, Dana poured them each a glass while Bethany put away their coats. Then she placed a few candles around the living room—”to set the mood,” she claimed, turning off the other lights.
Dana had to admit the effect of the flickering candles was stunning and more than a little romantic. Though she wasn’t sure exactly how romantic she’d be herself on such a full stomach. Already she felt a bit nauseated with anxiety. What if she said or did something stupid this time to screw things up between them? What if she scared Bethany away? What if—
“Well?” Bethany asked, patting the empty cushion beside her on the couch. “Aren’t you going to join me?”
Dana hurried over with the wine, handed the glasses off to Bethany, then went back to the kitchen for the bottle and saw the box of chocolates, so she grabbed that, too. She didn’t know if it was some sort of shield or safety net, but she felt like she needed it between them. If things started to go south, she’d just pop a piece of candy in her mouth. She couldn’t mess up too badly if she was busy chewing, now could she?
She folded a leg under her as she sat down on the couch. Taking the wine bottle, Bethany set it on the end table behind her. When she turned back around, Dana had the box of chocolates open. “Want one?”
“I had something sweeter in mind.” Gently Bethany closed the box and placed it on the floor at her feet. Then she took both of Dana’s hands in hers and gave a little tug. “Come here, you.”
“Bethany,” Dana hedged, suddenly nervous.