meet the chef? I think there are four chefs. I can introduce you.”
“No. Thanks.” Looking at the enormous menu, I search for the smallest steak and order it with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Aaron orders the largest steak, French fries, and string beans. “And a Coors Light,” he finishes.
When the food comes, Aaron reaches for the salt and pepper, which he liberally applies to his beans and fries. “You haven’t tasted it yet,” I say.
“What?”
“How do you know the food needs seasoning if you haven’t tasted it?” I ask.
“It’s not seasoning,” he says. “It’s salt and pepper.” When he’s done with the salt and pepper, Aaron reaches for the A1 Steak Sauce.
“You can’t use that,” I tell him.
Confused, Aaron looks at the label. “Why not?”
“If a steak is cooked to perfection, it has its own juices and doesn’t need to be suffocated with sauce.”
Aaron points at my plate. “You eat your steak the way you like, and I’ll eat mine the way I like. Okay?”
“Okay,” I say with a sigh. “But you’re doing it wrong.”
Aaron laughs.
Aaron eats with gusto. He cuts a piece of meat, puts it on his fork, spears a French fry or string bean, and puts the whole thing in his mouth. He chews rhythmically, his head bobbing slightly. When he has swallowed, Aaron takes a swig of beer, then starts the whole process over again. Piece of meat, French fry, string bean. Chew, swallow, swig. And again. And again.
I find this fascinating.
Long have I believed that men eat the same way they screw. A man who shovels food into his mouth is not interested in taste or texture. A man who eats the same things all the time is not interested in variety. A man who gets up from the table before the woman has finished eating? Please. I want a man who smells his vegetables, savors his meat, and plays with his potatoes.
Aaron is eating quickly, but he looks to be enjoying his food. His eating method does not fit into any of my categories. I don’t know what to do about that.
Soft, Gentle, Nice
Aaron drives me back to Café Louis. “I have to go inside and finish the night,” I tell him.
“Should I walk you to the door, or would you like to be kissed in the car?”
Turning in my seat, I look at Aaron. The date was perfectly fine, but I’m not overcome with desire for Aaron. I like that he enjoys life. And food. And clothes. Aaron appreciates the finer things in life. So what is he doing with me? Good question. I ask it. “Why are you pursuing me? You could have any woman you want.”
“Here’s the thing.” Aaron looks serious. “I’ve dated a lot of women and it always turns out the same way. They start out saying my family’s money doesn’t matter, but in time, they forget about me, the person, and only see the lifestyle. Then I lose respect for them and start treating them badly. But they put up with it, because they think it’ll pay off in the end. You, Mimi, don’t let me get away with anything. You are independent, smart, and successful in your own right. That’s incredibly attractive to me, as is the fact that you aren’t falling all over me. And you have a great ass.”
“You’ll hold that against me later.”
Aaron smiles. “Your ass?”
“No. Way no,” I say. “The things you said about me. Independent, smart, successful. You’ll learn to hate those things.”
Aaron is quiet for a few moments. Then, “I don’t get it.”
“It’s like this.” I turn to face him. “Right now you like my independence because it poses a challenge for you. But you’ll come to resent it.”
“Before we get to the resentment, may I kiss you?”
“Might as well do it now,” I say, “before we break up.”
His lips are smooth, and warm. Soft. Gentle. Nice.
Falling
“And that’s how the date ended,” I tell Madeline. “With a nice kiss.”
We are shopping for kitchen gadgets at Fante’s on Ninth Street, in Philadelphia’s Italian Market. I buy equipment from the much cheaper Trenton China and Pottery store, but Madeline wants only top-of-the-line stuff. Sieves, peelers, mandolins. She shops for kitchen gadgets the way other women shop for shoes.
“This is the good-on-paper predicament right?” Madeline squeezes down an aisle. “I’m bored already. You’ll never fall for this guy.”
“What good is falling? Falling is a bad thing. It hurts. It leaves bruises. And if you fall hard enough, it takes a while to get