Annabella's, for Katie
Title: Annabella's
Setting: Modern
Genre: Romance, Adventure
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Bett and Akiko's double blind date doesn't turn out quite as planned.
Author's Notes: For my lovely and darling Katie! Merry Christmas!!!
She sighed as she looked into the mirror. If her life was written into literature, she would never be the clear complexioned heroine. She poked her chin and scowled at the angry red welt that appeared overnight. She would never be described as a classic beauty, or any kind of beauty really. Her golden blonde hair and clear blue eyes were too ordinary to be exotic or interesting.
She thought about concealing her uneven skin with foundation and powder but never reached for the basket that contained her little collection of cosmetics. No one would notice one way or the other. She sighed again as she stepped back to examine the whole effect. Her long sleeved burgundy t-shirt, blue jeans and black tennis were in style. They had all been purchased in the last month. But simplicity looked boring on her. Only Akiko could pull this off.
Somehow Akiko’s slender build, long, shiny, black hair, cream skin and almond shaped eyes could make a form fitted t-shirt and blue jeans look like an outfit for the runway.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” whined Elisabet in frustration.
“Oh come on Lis, it’ll be fun. I promise.” Akiko smoothed Elisabet’s chin length hair and looked her friend up and down. Only Akiko was allowed to call her ‘Lis’. She preferred ‘Bett’, to any other nickname. But Akiko was her very best friend and had more liberties than most. Like dragging her along on a blind double date.
Akiko gently turned Bett’s chin toward her while she reached for the untouched makeup basket. She skillfully vanished the pimple in a way Bett would never have been able to.
“I don’t see how it will be fun. What’s-his-name--”
“John,” Akiko amended.
“Sure, John, anyway, I don’t see how he’ll have any fun. I’ll run out of things to say in the first ten minutes and even that will be exceedingly dull. He’ll get bored and wish he was your date instead. He will then fight with Alex for your hand. We will all get kicked out and you will be left with the agony of choosing between two young, handsome, virile men and all before I can finish my first glass of coke.”
Akiko laughed. “Well, if you feel things going downhill, tell him that story. And besides, he won’t think you’re boring, because you’re not. And, hold still, unless you want to lose an eye.” Bett had started to shake her head to protest at the precise time Akiko poised to apply eyeliner with the sharpened pencil. “And, you are gorgeous.”
Bett stared into the mirror, “I don’t know about gorgeous, but improved would suffice.” Akiko rolled her eyes as Bett admired her work. Less was always more with Akiko, she had not added any rouge or eye shadow, simply defined Bett’s eyes with mascara and eyeliner, and a touch of lip gloss. Her face would never adorn a magazine cover, but achieving ‘normal’ was a step up in her opinion.
“Come on Lis, we’re going to be late.” Akiko tossed Bett her black, wool pea coat.
Bett pulled her keys from her purse as Akiko locked up their apartment behind them.
“Brrrr! It’s freezing out here!” Bett shivered as she slipped behind the wheel.
They sat in the teeth chattering cold while the defroster ran. In a fit of impatience, Bett hopped out of the car again to attack the layer of ice on the windshield and rear window with the scraper she kept under the seat. Finally they were off with the heater cranked to high and the interior windows fogging. Despite the fact it was only five-thirty, it was already pitch black outside.
Akiko fiddled with the radio knobs looking for something to listen to other than the top forty or Perry Como’s rendition of “Christmas Song” for the hundredth time. She paused on one station just as they were reporting the weather forecast.
“Snow, snow, and more snow is on our way!” The female broadcaster sang. “The system we’ve been talking about all week is finally heading this way. We expect to see the white stuff hit around three in the morning and not stop all day. And if the system coming down from Canada continues on its track we should see twelve to twenty-four inches over the next thirty-six hours.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Akiko mumbled as she continued to spin the dial. “They’ve been talking about snow for weeks and we haven’t even seen a flake. If we get any, I doubt we’ll even get three inches.”
Bett pulled into the restaurant parking lot a few minutes later. As they headed for the front door, huddled against the bitter cold a single, solitary flake fell from the sky and landed on the lapel of Bett’s coat.
“Look!” She pointed enthusiastically. “Snow!”
“Cool,” Akiko grinned as two more flakes floated down to glitter in her hair.
They stood in the middle of the frozen parking lot with their eyes trained on the nearest lamppost to watch for more. No more fell.
“And there you have it, the snowstorm of the year!” Akiko laughed.
“And boy was it a doosey.” Bett replied, “I don’t know how we survived it.”
“Yeah, it was a close one. Come on, let’s go inside, it’s cold out here.”
Both girls pulled their jackets and scarves closer to them as they headed for the warmth of the restaurant once more.
Annabella’s, named for the owner’s mother, wasn’t even half full. An elderly couple sat in the corner, sharing a bottle of red whine. A small family of a Mom, Dad and two toddlers occupied the table by the only window. A teenage couple sat in the center of the room, each taking turns to stare at the other while he or she stared embarrassedly into their dinner plate.
“Hi Jessica,” Bett greeted the hostess.
This was Bett and Akiko’s favorite place. If they weren’t eating dinner there two or three nights a week, they were there for coffee and a bagel to go, or tea and dessert. They knew all the wait staff and the chef by name. The restaurant was a converted old house. The front living room housed most of the seating. The cuisine was mostly Italian: huge salads with so many toppings they spilled off the plates, individual pizzas, some pasta and fresh baked bread to die for. The whole establishment reeked of home and comfort, and sometimes garlic.
“Hi girls!” Jessica beamed with amusement. “Your dates just arrived, I sat them in the alcove. Have fun!” She winked at the girls as they headed down the hallway.
The alcove could be the most public or private table in the house. It sat next to the kitchen as it once was a tea or breakfast room of some kind. It had pocket doors that could be left open with a full view of the kitchen, or closed for privacy. The walls were cream with panels of burgundy and forest green to balance the ambiance. An addition to the kitchen several years ago blocked the windows. Now, vivid landscapes of the Italian countryside hung behind the original window frames. Usually the room was reserved for romantic dates or special requests. But most of the time it was occupied by Akiko and Bett so they could visit with the wait staff.
Tonight the room’s only table was dressed in forest green to match the walls. A single rose sat in a bud vase in the center of the table. Bett noticed an opened bottle of the best wine Annabella’s served waiting in the establishment’s only ice bucket. She wondered if this was Akko’s plan, or Jessica’s doing.
Bett’s stomach sunk as she heard the pocket doors slide shut behind her. She was trapped; trapped in a room with two boys. Men, more accurately, but it was easier to categorize them as boys, much less scary then men.
“Good evening!” Akiko greeted Alex and John merrily.
Alex quickly jumped up to pull Akiko’s chair out for her. She smiled brightly at him and rewarded him with a peck on the cheek. Alex and Akiko both worked in the same high-rise building downtown. Akiko worked as a paralegal where Alex worked for one of the insurance companies. They had been flirting in the elevator and at the coffee shop for months. Bett had met him once or twice in passing. He was nice, and funny. He had olive skin and dark thick hair. He wore his facial hair short, but noticeable, the purposeful five o’clock shadow. Tonight he was wearing a dark blue suit jacked with a cream colored button-up shirt and blue jeans. His black shoes practically sparkled they were so freshly polished. He was just the kind of male perfection that would be attracted to the model-esque Akiko.
Bett sized up John as he stumbled to his feet several seconds too late. He was average. Tall but not too tall, thin but not muscled. Brown hair and brown eyes. He’s the guy you saw at the bus stop or in the book store. A non-threatening presence that never got a second look. He also wore a suit jacket and jeans but with a white t-shirt and tennis shoes. He smiled embarrassedly at Bett and pulled her chair out for her too.
“Thanks,” Bett murmured as she took her seat.
“John, this is Elisabet. Lis, this is John. He works with Alex.” Akiko introduced cheerily.
“Nice to meet you Elizabeth, or do you prefer Liz?” John asked looking at Bett’s forehead. He was obviously too scared to look her directly in the eye.
“It’s E-lis-a-bet, actually. And only Akiko can call me Lis. Everyone else calls me Bett.” She rattled on almost unkindly. She hated this part. Every time she met someone new, they had to go through the same conversation. She cursed her mother for “wanting something that sounded traditional, but original.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” John frowned slightly, and it seemed he meant it. “Bett then. Nice to meet you, Bett.”
Bett warmed slightly. There was something sweet about his nervousness. Like he was a fawn or something.
Akiko and Alex dominated most of the conversation after that. Talking about work, what this person had said, and who was dating whom. They laughed and carried on as if they had known each other for years.
John smiled and nodded if any questions were directed at him, but for the most part, he focused on his own food. Bett studied him quietly as he cut his steak. She almost laughed at herself, remembering the awkward teenage couple in the main part of the restaurant. ‘Guess I’m not much better,’ she chided herself.
John would occasionally look up and catch her eye. He would redden slightly, then seemingly take stalk of himself and put on a brave front. He offered her the bread basket before taking any and had asked her opinion on what was good off the menu.
As the meal progressed, everyone seemed to finally settle into comfortable conversation. Alex and Akiko had calmed considerably. ‘Probably because of the whine,’ Bett noted with amusement. John was even participating more, with less prompting. ‘Also probably due to the whine,’ Bett surmised as she watched him empty the last sip from his glass.
“I need to use the restroom,” Alex proclaimed plucking the napkin from his lap and tossing it on top of his empty dinner plate. “Will you show me where it is Akiko?”
“Sure,” she smiled at Bett and winked.
The two slipped out of the room, sliding the door closed behind them.
“Do you think they’re off for a snog, or leaving us alone for our benefit?” John asked after a moment of silence.
“A snog?” Bett asked surprised.
“Oh, uh, I mean. To make out. It’s a British term. I picked it up when I studied abroad for a year.”
“I knew that. I’m just surprised, it’s not a term you hear a lot around here.” Bett smiled brightly, her love for all things British immediately endeared him more. “You spent a year abroad?”
“It was my junior year in college. I lived in London, but spent most of my weekends traveling around England, Scotland, Ireland… Uh, I spent a week of my Christmas holiday in Germany, and my spring break in France. Nearly failed all my classes because I spent more time traveling than studying!” He laughed.
“I have to say, I’m jealous.” Bett admitted. “I’ve never been to Europe, but I’m dying to go.”
“You should, it’s amazing.”
The conversation petered out lamely after that. Bett cursed herself for not being able to think of anything to say. She had almost gone to Europe the summer after her graduation from college. She was supposed to go with her grandmother. The tickets had been booked, the site-seeing tours planned.
The car crash had stolen more than those plans.
She didn’t want to even think about that now, let alone discuss it with this stranger. So the momentary banter slipped into awkward silence once more.
‘Well, this night was a bust,’ Bett sighed to herself. She was ready for the night to be over and was relieved when she heard the footsteps that announced Akiko and Alex’s return.
“You won’t believe it.” Akiko said astounded as she plopped back into her seat.
“What?” Bett responded curiously.
“It’s snowing.” She said disbelievingly.
“Well, yeah, the news said it was going to snow.” Bett replied happily. She didn’t think it was actually going to happen.
“It’s not just snowing.” Alex interjected, “it’s more like a blizzard out there!”
“What?” Bett and John responded together.
They both rose from their seats and headed down the hall to the main seating area. None of the other patrons were left. Jessica and a bus boy, Steve, stood in front of the large plate glass window staring out into the night. The snow was coming down so heavily, Bett couldn’t see her car in the parking lot.
“Holy cow!” She exclaimed.
“Oh my God,” John said in wonder.
“There’s no way we can drive in that.” Akiko stated from behind Bett. Obviously she and Alex had followed them out of the alcove.
“I’ve never seen it come down like this before.” Jessica said in amazement.
“Hopefully this’ll let up soon. I was going to go to the movies with Cecilia after my shift.” Steve whined.
Bett cringed. Even though it was only getting to be about seven, she was already thinking of her toasty electric blanket and a cup of chamomile tea. If she were at home, she would curl up on the couch, turn off the lights, and just watch the snow from her living room window. But for the moment, she was stuck.
“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica said, answering Steve’s complaint and correctly interpreting Bett’s shocked face. “It’ll let up soon, I’m sure. Why don’t you guys order dessert and I bet it’ll practically be all gone by the time you’re done.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Akiko teased, apparently appeased. “You just want a bigger tip.”
Jessica laughed. “Apple pie for Akiko and strawberry rhubarb for Bett, what’ll you have gentlemen?”
Bett couldn’t help but smile. Jessica knew them too well. They headed back to the alcove to eat their dessert.
Bett savored the juxtaposition of the sweet strawberry and tangy rhubarb; the hot pie mixing with the cold vanilla ice cream. The treat brightened her mood and she had to admit to herself that the date hadn’t been horrible. It certainly hadn’t been anything to write home about but neither was it a horrible date story either.
Jessica had scrounged up a deck of cards and cleared the table of the dishes and the single rose. The four played hearts for the next couple of hours, periodically checking to see if the snow had let up yet.
Bett started to worry when she looked at her watch and it read ten fifteen. That’s when the wind began to howl and the lights started to flicker.
“Jessica,” Bett called. The pocket doors had been left wide open for the last couple of hours.
“Yeah?” Jessica popped in. She’d been in the kitchen.
“Do you have a radio?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” She disappeared into the kitchen again and returned moments later. She switched the battery operated boom box the chefs often listened to. She flipped the switch to AM and tuned into a local news and traffic radio station.
“…County has been hardest hit. We’re looking at breaking the record set in 1938 of eighty-three inches already. If the snow continues to fall at the current rate, we’re looking at surpassing that record in the next four hours!” The newscaster reported enthusiastically.
“Eighty-three inches?” Alex asked, panic starting to show in his eyes.
“That’s almost seven feet!” John said, doing the math quickly in his head.
“Shhhh!” The girls all hushed as the newscaster continued.
“State authorities are asking everyone to stay home. Or if you are not home, stay put. They are adamant: DO NOT try to drive in this weather. Call 9-1-1 if you have an emergency.
“Next we go to Stacy O’Brien who’s currently on the phone with a Christmas shopper at the Lincoln Square Mall where hundreds of people are stranded…”
“I can’t believe this.” Alex said, his voice starting to go up an octave. “We’re stuck here? All night?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica said, obviously trying to take charge over her fearful looking customers. “We’ve got plenty of food, seeing as we’re stranded in a restaurant. And I think I have a couple of sleeping bags in the trunk of my car. I don’t think my daughters took them in after their sleep-over last night.”
Jessica wandered off to solicit Steve’s help in retrieving what they could from her car.
“I’ll see what I can do to help.” John said following Jessica out the door. Bett followed curiously just to watch.
The snow was waist deep already. The visibility was absolutely nothing.
“Wait,” John called as Steve made for the front door. “You’ll get lost out there. It doesn’t matter that the car’s only fifteen feet away. People used to get lost in the snow and freeze to death just trying to find their barn. What we need is some kind of guide rope.”
“I know where we have a fifty foot extension cord.” Steve volunteered.
“That’ll work.” John smiled.
“As long as you don’t plug it in first.” Bett commented dryly.
John laughed. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good.”
Jessica gave Steve the keys to her car after he was all bundled up and the extension cord was securely tied around his waist. John eased the door open. Thankfully it opened inward, but he wanted to prevent as much show getting in as possible. It would get cold very fast if they couldn’t close it again.
Steve climbed carefully onto the snowdrift and half walked, half waded his way towards Jessica’s car. They lost sight of him almost immediately. The wind bit bitterly at their faces and hands through the front door.
Bett felt Akiko snuggle up to her as they tried to watch through the window. It took them nearly a half an hour and 3 trips to empty Jessica and Steve’s trunks. He had managed to salvage two sleeping bags, and two pillows from Jessica’s car. Steve, thankfully, had an extra set of clothes, and an old blanket in his trunk.
“I’m glad you thought of this,” Steve said as he untied the extension cord from his waist. “I couldn’t see anything out there.”
John and Rex, the chef and only other remaining staff, used a couple of pots from the kitchen to shovel as much of the snow out of the doorway as Bett eased the door shut again.
Steve quickly disappeared into the bathroom with the extra set of clothes. His black work pants and socks were soaked through. He emerged a few minutes later and took the old blanket from the table-top where it had been laid.
“Man, I’m f-freezing!” he exclaimed as he wrapped himself in the blanket.
“At least we have electricity.” Rex assured Steve. “Come put your head in the oven, you’ll warm up real quick.”
“Ha ha, real…” Steve’s playful retort was cut off as the lights buzzed and diminished.
“Oh crap!” several people said at once. Everyone chuckled at the simultaneous response.
“What happened?!” A panicked voice came from down the hall.
Bett hadn’t realized, but Alex hadn’t been in the front room with the rest of them. He hadn’t helped with the effort to retrieve things from the car, or help get the door closed again.
“The power went out.” Akiko responded exasperatedly. It was obvious that she was not impressed by his lack of support and sudden freak-out.
Alex stumbled noisily down the hall towards them. “What do you mean the power went out? When is it going to come back on? How long are we going to be stuck here?”
“Calm down, Alex,” John responded evenly. “The power will come back on when it comes back on. Probably not until the storm stops so the power company can get out to the lines.”
“We should start a fire,” Rex said gesturing towards the fireplace.
“Sounds like a good idea.” John said, “Do we have any firewood?”
“Yeah,” Steve said happily. “A new chord arrived yesterday. I spent most of the afternoon filling the wood box outside the kitchen door. There’s some stacked in the fireplace already.”
Rex and Steve hunched down to light the fire. Akiko and Jessica went about moving the tables and chairs aside so they could lay the sleeping bags out in front of the fireplace.
‘This could almost be fun,’ Bett thought. ‘Almost like an indoor picnic, or a slumber party.’ There was no where else she would rather be stuck in a snowstorm, and no better people than Akiko, Jessica, Steve and Rex.
A commotion behind her reminded Bett that there were other people here too. She spun around to see Alex pacing up and down the corner that served as the waiting area. His cell phone pressed to his ear.
“I can’t even get a line!” he said angrily as he flipped the phone shut, then immediately opening it again and punching more buttons.
“The phone lines are probably down too, so everyone’s overloading the system with their cell phones.” John tried to reassure him. “We’re not in any emergency. You should save your battery and not tie up the lines even more than they already are.”
Alex scowled at John, “Someone needs to come dig us out of here! We can’t stay here all night in this crappy little restaurant!”
“Shhhhh!” John waved his hands, indicating that Alex should keep his voice down. “This is a very nice place, and the people are friendly. They’re getting a fire started so we’ll have light and be warm. We’ve got a couple of blankets and we’ll be fed. We’re fine.” He exaggerated the word ‘fine’ to emphasize the fact.
“I’m not going to be buried alive in some dumpy little hole-in-the-wall with a bunch of minimum wage waiters.” With that, Alex turned on his heel and headed back to the alcove.
Bett heard a definitive swoosh and snap of the pocket doors being forcefully closed.
“What’s his problem?” Bett asked angrily. She didn’t care for her friends and favorite place to eat to be treated so disrespectfully.
John looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. I’ve never seen him act like that before.”
“The situation isn’t ideal, but we’re not that bad,” Bett said defensively.
“You don’t have to snap at me,” John said, hurt in his voice.
“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Bett said in a kinder tone. “You’ve been a big help tonight. I would never have thought of a rope. How’d you come up with that?”
John made his way to the couch placed next to the cash register. Bett joined him. The heat from the fireplace was starting to spread throughout the room.
“My grandparents grew up in Wisconsin. I can’t tell you the number of stories they used to tell us about the ‘Great snow of ‘33’ or the ‘Blizzard of ‘22’ and so on. The dates always changed, but the cautionary tales were always the same.”
“My grandma used to tell me stories like that,” Bett started. “You know, the old ‘I used to walk six miles to school in the snow, barefoot, uphill, both ways’ kind of stuff.”
“Exactly!” John laughed. “Grandpa would have loved this.”
“Would have?” Bett asked quietly.
“Yeah,” John smiled sadly. “Grandpa died when I was in High School. Cancer.”
Bett nodded in response.
“What about you. Still got any grandparents?”
“I only ever knew my mom’s mom. And she died in a car accident nearly five years ago now.” Bett’s voice was barely louder than a whisper. She couldn’t believe she was saying this.
“I’m sorry.” John continued. “Were you close?”
“Very,” Bett responded sadly.
The conversation stalled again. Bett had exceeded the appropriate time limit to continue with the conversation, and John, it seemed, was willing to let it fall again, for her sake. It was that realization that spurred Bett on.
“I was supposed to go to Europe with my Grandma… The accident happened a week before we were supposed to leave. Instead of boarding a flight I had to attend a funeral.”
She looked up with him, tears starting to form behind her eyelids. “I-I don’t really like to talk about it much.”
“I understand,” John carefully, cautiously, placed his hand on top of hers. He let it rest there for a moment, before squeezing her hand and letting go.
Bett quickly rubbed her eyes as Akiko headed their way.
“Everything ok?” Akiko asked.
“Oh yeah, just the smoke from the fire makes my eyes water,” Bett replied quickly.
“Mine too,” Akiko whined.
“Better than being cold though,” John acquiesced.
“Good point,” Akiko nodded.
“I’m sorry Alex is being so… such a…” John started.
“A jerk?” Akiko supplied. “Yeah, I’ve got to tell you, I’m not really amused by his behavior tonight. You were a big help though John. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” John smiled, the embarrassment blushing his cheeks again.
“Hey Rex,” Bett called in an attempt to change the subject.
“Yeah?” he looked up from the card game he was playing with Jessica and Steve.
“The stove is gas right? We can still cook stuff?”
“Yeah, all I need is a match.”
“Got any popcorn?”
“Oh, good idea!” Rex picked himself up and headed for the kitchen. He handed his cards off to Akiko. “Here, play for me.”
Bett and John sat and talked into the wee hours of the morning. They talked about work and college experiences. John described his year in Europe in minute detail, while Bett talked about her trips to Mexico with her church to build houses. They discussed their favorite British comedies and the differences in slang. They took turns talking about their families and plans for the future. John told Bett about his dog, named Pavlov, and the funny things he’d been trained to do. Bett bantered with stories about her crazy cat. They discussed books and movies, guilty pleasure TV shows and their favorite sports. Apparently they both loved bowling.
They all took turns playing cards and retrieving wood from the kitchen. Everyone was slightly punch drunk from the late hours and excessive amounts of snack foods. They were warm and happy.
Alex, however, stayed holed up the rest of the night.
Somewhere around five Bett felt herself drifting off next to John. She realized as he pulled one of the sleeping bags over her, that this was a great date after all.
Setting: Modern
Genre: Romance, Adventure
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Bett and Akiko's double blind date doesn't turn out quite as planned.
Author's Notes: For my lovely and darling Katie! Merry Christmas!!!
She sighed as she looked into the mirror. If her life was written into literature, she would never be the clear complexioned heroine. She poked her chin and scowled at the angry red welt that appeared overnight. She would never be described as a classic beauty, or any kind of beauty really. Her golden blonde hair and clear blue eyes were too ordinary to be exotic or interesting.
She thought about concealing her uneven skin with foundation and powder but never reached for the basket that contained her little collection of cosmetics. No one would notice one way or the other. She sighed again as she stepped back to examine the whole effect. Her long sleeved burgundy t-shirt, blue jeans and black tennis were in style. They had all been purchased in the last month. But simplicity looked boring on her. Only Akiko could pull this off.
Somehow Akiko’s slender build, long, shiny, black hair, cream skin and almond shaped eyes could make a form fitted t-shirt and blue jeans look like an outfit for the runway.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” whined Elisabet in frustration.
“Oh come on Lis, it’ll be fun. I promise.” Akiko smoothed Elisabet’s chin length hair and looked her friend up and down. Only Akiko was allowed to call her ‘Lis’. She preferred ‘Bett’, to any other nickname. But Akiko was her very best friend and had more liberties than most. Like dragging her along on a blind double date.
Akiko gently turned Bett’s chin toward her while she reached for the untouched makeup basket. She skillfully vanished the pimple in a way Bett would never have been able to.
“I don’t see how it will be fun. What’s-his-name--”
“John,” Akiko amended.
“Sure, John, anyway, I don’t see how he’ll have any fun. I’ll run out of things to say in the first ten minutes and even that will be exceedingly dull. He’ll get bored and wish he was your date instead. He will then fight with Alex for your hand. We will all get kicked out and you will be left with the agony of choosing between two young, handsome, virile men and all before I can finish my first glass of coke.”
Akiko laughed. “Well, if you feel things going downhill, tell him that story. And besides, he won’t think you’re boring, because you’re not. And, hold still, unless you want to lose an eye.” Bett had started to shake her head to protest at the precise time Akiko poised to apply eyeliner with the sharpened pencil. “And, you are gorgeous.”
Bett stared into the mirror, “I don’t know about gorgeous, but improved would suffice.” Akiko rolled her eyes as Bett admired her work. Less was always more with Akiko, she had not added any rouge or eye shadow, simply defined Bett’s eyes with mascara and eyeliner, and a touch of lip gloss. Her face would never adorn a magazine cover, but achieving ‘normal’ was a step up in her opinion.
“Come on Lis, we’re going to be late.” Akiko tossed Bett her black, wool pea coat.
Bett pulled her keys from her purse as Akiko locked up their apartment behind them.
“Brrrr! It’s freezing out here!” Bett shivered as she slipped behind the wheel.
They sat in the teeth chattering cold while the defroster ran. In a fit of impatience, Bett hopped out of the car again to attack the layer of ice on the windshield and rear window with the scraper she kept under the seat. Finally they were off with the heater cranked to high and the interior windows fogging. Despite the fact it was only five-thirty, it was already pitch black outside.
Akiko fiddled with the radio knobs looking for something to listen to other than the top forty or Perry Como’s rendition of “Christmas Song” for the hundredth time. She paused on one station just as they were reporting the weather forecast.
“Snow, snow, and more snow is on our way!” The female broadcaster sang. “The system we’ve been talking about all week is finally heading this way. We expect to see the white stuff hit around three in the morning and not stop all day. And if the system coming down from Canada continues on its track we should see twelve to twenty-four inches over the next thirty-six hours.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Akiko mumbled as she continued to spin the dial. “They’ve been talking about snow for weeks and we haven’t even seen a flake. If we get any, I doubt we’ll even get three inches.”
Bett pulled into the restaurant parking lot a few minutes later. As they headed for the front door, huddled against the bitter cold a single, solitary flake fell from the sky and landed on the lapel of Bett’s coat.
“Look!” She pointed enthusiastically. “Snow!”
“Cool,” Akiko grinned as two more flakes floated down to glitter in her hair.
They stood in the middle of the frozen parking lot with their eyes trained on the nearest lamppost to watch for more. No more fell.
“And there you have it, the snowstorm of the year!” Akiko laughed.
“And boy was it a doosey.” Bett replied, “I don’t know how we survived it.”
“Yeah, it was a close one. Come on, let’s go inside, it’s cold out here.”
Both girls pulled their jackets and scarves closer to them as they headed for the warmth of the restaurant once more.
Annabella’s, named for the owner’s mother, wasn’t even half full. An elderly couple sat in the corner, sharing a bottle of red whine. A small family of a Mom, Dad and two toddlers occupied the table by the only window. A teenage couple sat in the center of the room, each taking turns to stare at the other while he or she stared embarrassedly into their dinner plate.
“Hi Jessica,” Bett greeted the hostess.
This was Bett and Akiko’s favorite place. If they weren’t eating dinner there two or three nights a week, they were there for coffee and a bagel to go, or tea and dessert. They knew all the wait staff and the chef by name. The restaurant was a converted old house. The front living room housed most of the seating. The cuisine was mostly Italian: huge salads with so many toppings they spilled off the plates, individual pizzas, some pasta and fresh baked bread to die for. The whole establishment reeked of home and comfort, and sometimes garlic.
“Hi girls!” Jessica beamed with amusement. “Your dates just arrived, I sat them in the alcove. Have fun!” She winked at the girls as they headed down the hallway.
The alcove could be the most public or private table in the house. It sat next to the kitchen as it once was a tea or breakfast room of some kind. It had pocket doors that could be left open with a full view of the kitchen, or closed for privacy. The walls were cream with panels of burgundy and forest green to balance the ambiance. An addition to the kitchen several years ago blocked the windows. Now, vivid landscapes of the Italian countryside hung behind the original window frames. Usually the room was reserved for romantic dates or special requests. But most of the time it was occupied by Akiko and Bett so they could visit with the wait staff.
Tonight the room’s only table was dressed in forest green to match the walls. A single rose sat in a bud vase in the center of the table. Bett noticed an opened bottle of the best wine Annabella’s served waiting in the establishment’s only ice bucket. She wondered if this was Akko’s plan, or Jessica’s doing.
Bett’s stomach sunk as she heard the pocket doors slide shut behind her. She was trapped; trapped in a room with two boys. Men, more accurately, but it was easier to categorize them as boys, much less scary then men.
“Good evening!” Akiko greeted Alex and John merrily.
Alex quickly jumped up to pull Akiko’s chair out for her. She smiled brightly at him and rewarded him with a peck on the cheek. Alex and Akiko both worked in the same high-rise building downtown. Akiko worked as a paralegal where Alex worked for one of the insurance companies. They had been flirting in the elevator and at the coffee shop for months. Bett had met him once or twice in passing. He was nice, and funny. He had olive skin and dark thick hair. He wore his facial hair short, but noticeable, the purposeful five o’clock shadow. Tonight he was wearing a dark blue suit jacked with a cream colored button-up shirt and blue jeans. His black shoes practically sparkled they were so freshly polished. He was just the kind of male perfection that would be attracted to the model-esque Akiko.
Bett sized up John as he stumbled to his feet several seconds too late. He was average. Tall but not too tall, thin but not muscled. Brown hair and brown eyes. He’s the guy you saw at the bus stop or in the book store. A non-threatening presence that never got a second look. He also wore a suit jacket and jeans but with a white t-shirt and tennis shoes. He smiled embarrassedly at Bett and pulled her chair out for her too.
“Thanks,” Bett murmured as she took her seat.
“John, this is Elisabet. Lis, this is John. He works with Alex.” Akiko introduced cheerily.
“Nice to meet you Elizabeth, or do you prefer Liz?” John asked looking at Bett’s forehead. He was obviously too scared to look her directly in the eye.
“It’s E-lis-a-bet, actually. And only Akiko can call me Lis. Everyone else calls me Bett.” She rattled on almost unkindly. She hated this part. Every time she met someone new, they had to go through the same conversation. She cursed her mother for “wanting something that sounded traditional, but original.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” John frowned slightly, and it seemed he meant it. “Bett then. Nice to meet you, Bett.”
Bett warmed slightly. There was something sweet about his nervousness. Like he was a fawn or something.
Akiko and Alex dominated most of the conversation after that. Talking about work, what this person had said, and who was dating whom. They laughed and carried on as if they had known each other for years.
John smiled and nodded if any questions were directed at him, but for the most part, he focused on his own food. Bett studied him quietly as he cut his steak. She almost laughed at herself, remembering the awkward teenage couple in the main part of the restaurant. ‘Guess I’m not much better,’ she chided herself.
John would occasionally look up and catch her eye. He would redden slightly, then seemingly take stalk of himself and put on a brave front. He offered her the bread basket before taking any and had asked her opinion on what was good off the menu.
As the meal progressed, everyone seemed to finally settle into comfortable conversation. Alex and Akiko had calmed considerably. ‘Probably because of the whine,’ Bett noted with amusement. John was even participating more, with less prompting. ‘Also probably due to the whine,’ Bett surmised as she watched him empty the last sip from his glass.
“I need to use the restroom,” Alex proclaimed plucking the napkin from his lap and tossing it on top of his empty dinner plate. “Will you show me where it is Akiko?”
“Sure,” she smiled at Bett and winked.
The two slipped out of the room, sliding the door closed behind them.
“Do you think they’re off for a snog, or leaving us alone for our benefit?” John asked after a moment of silence.
“A snog?” Bett asked surprised.
“Oh, uh, I mean. To make out. It’s a British term. I picked it up when I studied abroad for a year.”
“I knew that. I’m just surprised, it’s not a term you hear a lot around here.” Bett smiled brightly, her love for all things British immediately endeared him more. “You spent a year abroad?”
“It was my junior year in college. I lived in London, but spent most of my weekends traveling around England, Scotland, Ireland… Uh, I spent a week of my Christmas holiday in Germany, and my spring break in France. Nearly failed all my classes because I spent more time traveling than studying!” He laughed.
“I have to say, I’m jealous.” Bett admitted. “I’ve never been to Europe, but I’m dying to go.”
“You should, it’s amazing.”
The conversation petered out lamely after that. Bett cursed herself for not being able to think of anything to say. She had almost gone to Europe the summer after her graduation from college. She was supposed to go with her grandmother. The tickets had been booked, the site-seeing tours planned.
The car crash had stolen more than those plans.
She didn’t want to even think about that now, let alone discuss it with this stranger. So the momentary banter slipped into awkward silence once more.
‘Well, this night was a bust,’ Bett sighed to herself. She was ready for the night to be over and was relieved when she heard the footsteps that announced Akiko and Alex’s return.
“You won’t believe it.” Akiko said astounded as she plopped back into her seat.
“What?” Bett responded curiously.
“It’s snowing.” She said disbelievingly.
“Well, yeah, the news said it was going to snow.” Bett replied happily. She didn’t think it was actually going to happen.
“It’s not just snowing.” Alex interjected, “it’s more like a blizzard out there!”
“What?” Bett and John responded together.
They both rose from their seats and headed down the hall to the main seating area. None of the other patrons were left. Jessica and a bus boy, Steve, stood in front of the large plate glass window staring out into the night. The snow was coming down so heavily, Bett couldn’t see her car in the parking lot.
“Holy cow!” She exclaimed.
“Oh my God,” John said in wonder.
“There’s no way we can drive in that.” Akiko stated from behind Bett. Obviously she and Alex had followed them out of the alcove.
“I’ve never seen it come down like this before.” Jessica said in amazement.
“Hopefully this’ll let up soon. I was going to go to the movies with Cecilia after my shift.” Steve whined.
Bett cringed. Even though it was only getting to be about seven, she was already thinking of her toasty electric blanket and a cup of chamomile tea. If she were at home, she would curl up on the couch, turn off the lights, and just watch the snow from her living room window. But for the moment, she was stuck.
“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica said, answering Steve’s complaint and correctly interpreting Bett’s shocked face. “It’ll let up soon, I’m sure. Why don’t you guys order dessert and I bet it’ll practically be all gone by the time you’re done.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Akiko teased, apparently appeased. “You just want a bigger tip.”
Jessica laughed. “Apple pie for Akiko and strawberry rhubarb for Bett, what’ll you have gentlemen?”
Bett couldn’t help but smile. Jessica knew them too well. They headed back to the alcove to eat their dessert.
Bett savored the juxtaposition of the sweet strawberry and tangy rhubarb; the hot pie mixing with the cold vanilla ice cream. The treat brightened her mood and she had to admit to herself that the date hadn’t been horrible. It certainly hadn’t been anything to write home about but neither was it a horrible date story either.
Jessica had scrounged up a deck of cards and cleared the table of the dishes and the single rose. The four played hearts for the next couple of hours, periodically checking to see if the snow had let up yet.
Bett started to worry when she looked at her watch and it read ten fifteen. That’s when the wind began to howl and the lights started to flicker.
“Jessica,” Bett called. The pocket doors had been left wide open for the last couple of hours.
“Yeah?” Jessica popped in. She’d been in the kitchen.
“Do you have a radio?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” She disappeared into the kitchen again and returned moments later. She switched the battery operated boom box the chefs often listened to. She flipped the switch to AM and tuned into a local news and traffic radio station.
“…County has been hardest hit. We’re looking at breaking the record set in 1938 of eighty-three inches already. If the snow continues to fall at the current rate, we’re looking at surpassing that record in the next four hours!” The newscaster reported enthusiastically.
“Eighty-three inches?” Alex asked, panic starting to show in his eyes.
“That’s almost seven feet!” John said, doing the math quickly in his head.
“Shhhh!” The girls all hushed as the newscaster continued.
“State authorities are asking everyone to stay home. Or if you are not home, stay put. They are adamant: DO NOT try to drive in this weather. Call 9-1-1 if you have an emergency.
“Next we go to Stacy O’Brien who’s currently on the phone with a Christmas shopper at the Lincoln Square Mall where hundreds of people are stranded…”
“I can’t believe this.” Alex said, his voice starting to go up an octave. “We’re stuck here? All night?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Jessica said, obviously trying to take charge over her fearful looking customers. “We’ve got plenty of food, seeing as we’re stranded in a restaurant. And I think I have a couple of sleeping bags in the trunk of my car. I don’t think my daughters took them in after their sleep-over last night.”
Jessica wandered off to solicit Steve’s help in retrieving what they could from her car.
“I’ll see what I can do to help.” John said following Jessica out the door. Bett followed curiously just to watch.
The snow was waist deep already. The visibility was absolutely nothing.
“Wait,” John called as Steve made for the front door. “You’ll get lost out there. It doesn’t matter that the car’s only fifteen feet away. People used to get lost in the snow and freeze to death just trying to find their barn. What we need is some kind of guide rope.”
“I know where we have a fifty foot extension cord.” Steve volunteered.
“That’ll work.” John smiled.
“As long as you don’t plug it in first.” Bett commented dryly.
John laughed. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good.”
Jessica gave Steve the keys to her car after he was all bundled up and the extension cord was securely tied around his waist. John eased the door open. Thankfully it opened inward, but he wanted to prevent as much show getting in as possible. It would get cold very fast if they couldn’t close it again.
Steve climbed carefully onto the snowdrift and half walked, half waded his way towards Jessica’s car. They lost sight of him almost immediately. The wind bit bitterly at their faces and hands through the front door.
Bett felt Akiko snuggle up to her as they tried to watch through the window. It took them nearly a half an hour and 3 trips to empty Jessica and Steve’s trunks. He had managed to salvage two sleeping bags, and two pillows from Jessica’s car. Steve, thankfully, had an extra set of clothes, and an old blanket in his trunk.
“I’m glad you thought of this,” Steve said as he untied the extension cord from his waist. “I couldn’t see anything out there.”
John and Rex, the chef and only other remaining staff, used a couple of pots from the kitchen to shovel as much of the snow out of the doorway as Bett eased the door shut again.
Steve quickly disappeared into the bathroom with the extra set of clothes. His black work pants and socks were soaked through. He emerged a few minutes later and took the old blanket from the table-top where it had been laid.
“Man, I’m f-freezing!” he exclaimed as he wrapped himself in the blanket.
“At least we have electricity.” Rex assured Steve. “Come put your head in the oven, you’ll warm up real quick.”
“Ha ha, real…” Steve’s playful retort was cut off as the lights buzzed and diminished.
“Oh crap!” several people said at once. Everyone chuckled at the simultaneous response.
“What happened?!” A panicked voice came from down the hall.
Bett hadn’t realized, but Alex hadn’t been in the front room with the rest of them. He hadn’t helped with the effort to retrieve things from the car, or help get the door closed again.
“The power went out.” Akiko responded exasperatedly. It was obvious that she was not impressed by his lack of support and sudden freak-out.
Alex stumbled noisily down the hall towards them. “What do you mean the power went out? When is it going to come back on? How long are we going to be stuck here?”
“Calm down, Alex,” John responded evenly. “The power will come back on when it comes back on. Probably not until the storm stops so the power company can get out to the lines.”
“We should start a fire,” Rex said gesturing towards the fireplace.
“Sounds like a good idea.” John said, “Do we have any firewood?”
“Yeah,” Steve said happily. “A new chord arrived yesterday. I spent most of the afternoon filling the wood box outside the kitchen door. There’s some stacked in the fireplace already.”
Rex and Steve hunched down to light the fire. Akiko and Jessica went about moving the tables and chairs aside so they could lay the sleeping bags out in front of the fireplace.
‘This could almost be fun,’ Bett thought. ‘Almost like an indoor picnic, or a slumber party.’ There was no where else she would rather be stuck in a snowstorm, and no better people than Akiko, Jessica, Steve and Rex.
A commotion behind her reminded Bett that there were other people here too. She spun around to see Alex pacing up and down the corner that served as the waiting area. His cell phone pressed to his ear.
“I can’t even get a line!” he said angrily as he flipped the phone shut, then immediately opening it again and punching more buttons.
“The phone lines are probably down too, so everyone’s overloading the system with their cell phones.” John tried to reassure him. “We’re not in any emergency. You should save your battery and not tie up the lines even more than they already are.”
Alex scowled at John, “Someone needs to come dig us out of here! We can’t stay here all night in this crappy little restaurant!”
“Shhhhh!” John waved his hands, indicating that Alex should keep his voice down. “This is a very nice place, and the people are friendly. They’re getting a fire started so we’ll have light and be warm. We’ve got a couple of blankets and we’ll be fed. We’re fine.” He exaggerated the word ‘fine’ to emphasize the fact.
“I’m not going to be buried alive in some dumpy little hole-in-the-wall with a bunch of minimum wage waiters.” With that, Alex turned on his heel and headed back to the alcove.
Bett heard a definitive swoosh and snap of the pocket doors being forcefully closed.
“What’s his problem?” Bett asked angrily. She didn’t care for her friends and favorite place to eat to be treated so disrespectfully.
John looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. I’ve never seen him act like that before.”
“The situation isn’t ideal, but we’re not that bad,” Bett said defensively.
“You don’t have to snap at me,” John said, hurt in his voice.
“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Bett said in a kinder tone. “You’ve been a big help tonight. I would never have thought of a rope. How’d you come up with that?”
John made his way to the couch placed next to the cash register. Bett joined him. The heat from the fireplace was starting to spread throughout the room.
“My grandparents grew up in Wisconsin. I can’t tell you the number of stories they used to tell us about the ‘Great snow of ‘33’ or the ‘Blizzard of ‘22’ and so on. The dates always changed, but the cautionary tales were always the same.”
“My grandma used to tell me stories like that,” Bett started. “You know, the old ‘I used to walk six miles to school in the snow, barefoot, uphill, both ways’ kind of stuff.”
“Exactly!” John laughed. “Grandpa would have loved this.”
“Would have?” Bett asked quietly.
“Yeah,” John smiled sadly. “Grandpa died when I was in High School. Cancer.”
Bett nodded in response.
“What about you. Still got any grandparents?”
“I only ever knew my mom’s mom. And she died in a car accident nearly five years ago now.” Bett’s voice was barely louder than a whisper. She couldn’t believe she was saying this.
“I’m sorry.” John continued. “Were you close?”
“Very,” Bett responded sadly.
The conversation stalled again. Bett had exceeded the appropriate time limit to continue with the conversation, and John, it seemed, was willing to let it fall again, for her sake. It was that realization that spurred Bett on.
“I was supposed to go to Europe with my Grandma… The accident happened a week before we were supposed to leave. Instead of boarding a flight I had to attend a funeral.”
She looked up with him, tears starting to form behind her eyelids. “I-I don’t really like to talk about it much.”
“I understand,” John carefully, cautiously, placed his hand on top of hers. He let it rest there for a moment, before squeezing her hand and letting go.
Bett quickly rubbed her eyes as Akiko headed their way.
“Everything ok?” Akiko asked.
“Oh yeah, just the smoke from the fire makes my eyes water,” Bett replied quickly.
“Mine too,” Akiko whined.
“Better than being cold though,” John acquiesced.
“Good point,” Akiko nodded.
“I’m sorry Alex is being so… such a…” John started.
“A jerk?” Akiko supplied. “Yeah, I’ve got to tell you, I’m not really amused by his behavior tonight. You were a big help though John. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” John smiled, the embarrassment blushing his cheeks again.
“Hey Rex,” Bett called in an attempt to change the subject.
“Yeah?” he looked up from the card game he was playing with Jessica and Steve.
“The stove is gas right? We can still cook stuff?”
“Yeah, all I need is a match.”
“Got any popcorn?”
“Oh, good idea!” Rex picked himself up and headed for the kitchen. He handed his cards off to Akiko. “Here, play for me.”
Bett and John sat and talked into the wee hours of the morning. They talked about work and college experiences. John described his year in Europe in minute detail, while Bett talked about her trips to Mexico with her church to build houses. They discussed their favorite British comedies and the differences in slang. They took turns talking about their families and plans for the future. John told Bett about his dog, named Pavlov, and the funny things he’d been trained to do. Bett bantered with stories about her crazy cat. They discussed books and movies, guilty pleasure TV shows and their favorite sports. Apparently they both loved bowling.
They all took turns playing cards and retrieving wood from the kitchen. Everyone was slightly punch drunk from the late hours and excessive amounts of snack foods. They were warm and happy.
Alex, however, stayed holed up the rest of the night.
Somewhere around five Bett felt herself drifting off next to John. She realized as he pulled one of the sleeping bags over her, that this was a great date after all.