After Midnight

by Lacy Hart

  “I hope this table is satisfactory,” he said to me as he pulled the chair out for me.

  “It’s perfect,” I said to him as I took off my shawl and placed it on the back of the chair, sat and looked out the window.

  “Your server, Eric, will be out shortly. When Mr. Wilson arrives, I’ll bring him over. Enjoy your meal, miss.”

  “Thank you,” I said to him as he bowed lightly and walked away.

  This was easily the fanciest restaurant I had ever been in, a far cry from most of the places I would eat at. There were some other couples at tables nearby, and a couple tucked into the corners where the booths were, giving them a little more privacy. As I gazed out the window, watching the waterfall gently cascade and ripple into the pond below, our server appeared at our table.

  Eric wore a black tuxedo like everyone else. He was clearly a young college student, with his short black hair nicely combed and gelled into place. He smiled at me and bent down to light the candle on the table.

  “Good evening,” he said to me as he stood back up. “I’m Eric, and I’ll be your server this evening. I see you’re still waiting for another guest. Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”

  I almost never had any alcohol to drink, and my immediate thought went to order an iced tea, but I wanted to feel more like a grownup today.

  “I’d like a gin and tonic, please,” I offered.

  “Of course,” Eric replied. “Any gin you would prefer?”

  I couldn’t think of any gins off the top of my head since it had been so long since I had gin.

  “To be honest, Eric, it’s been a long time since I had one. Is there one you recommend?”

  “Well, Bombay Sapphire is quite nice. I would recommend that,” he said confidently.

  “I trust you, Eric,” I said smiling at him.

  “Very good,” he said and walked off to get my drink.

  I sat nervously and could feel myself tapping my feet under the table, anxiously awaiting Caleb so I could feel more comfortable. I knew it might take him a bit to get here since he was walking up Oak Street and hoped he wouldn’t be too much longer.

  I watched a few other couples get seated and looked around the room at the nicely decorated walls, with pieces of artwork from local artists. I could see that there were many older couples, some sitting casually like coming to a fine restaurant was a daily experience and others that were clearly on a special date and wanted the evening to be memorable. Seeing couples like that made me think about how special this night was for me.

  It was then that I saw the maitre’d coming towards me with Caleb walking tall behind him. I smiled broadly when I saw him, and the maitre’d guided him to the seat across from me.

  “Enjoy your meal, folks,” he said kindly as he bowed once again and moved away.

  “Hi there,” I said to Caleb, as he got into his seat and got comfortable.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” Caleb replied. “The walk was a little further than I thought, and I stopped along the way to get this.” He reached over to me and handed me a single red rose wrapped nicely in paper.

  “Oh, Caleb, that’s so sweet.” I held the flower up and sniffed it, taking in the lovely scent. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had given me any flowers, or if anyone ever had for that matter.

  “I know, it probably seems a little corny,” he said to me. “The last time I was dating it seemed like a nice thing to do.”

  “It’s still a nice thing to do,” I said to him, reaching over and taking his hand in mine. “Thank you very much. It’s lovely.”

  I gazed over at him across the table and met his eyes.

  “Speaking of lovely,” he said to me, giving my hand a squeeze. “You look amazing.”

  I looked down and could feel a surge of warmth come over me.

  “Thank you,” I said softly. “I bought this dress years ago and never had a chance to wear it.”

  “Well, I’m glad you wore it tonight, and that you have a special occasion to wear it.”

  Eric appeared next to our table with my drink and placed it down in front of me. He then handed menus to Caleb and me and asked Caleb if he wanted a drink.

  “Do you have Macallan?” he asked Eric.

  “Of course, sir,” Eric said, equally surprised at the question and that Caleb might even ask.

  “I’ll have Macallan and water, please,” Caleb said politely. “And I’d like to see the wine list as well.”

  “Right away, sir,” Eric said as he went off to grab the wine list.

  Caleb smiled at me as I took a sip of my drink.

  “I think you caught him off guard with your drink order,” I said with a smile.

  “I’m not much of a drinker, to be honest,” Caleb told me. “I acquired a taste for Macallan from one of our captains along the way and like to indulge every now and then. I did learn a lot about wine over the years though. Sometimes knowing stuff like that helps you connect better with people.”

  Eric quickly returned with Caleb’s drink and the wine list and then proceeded to let us know about the specials for today. He then moved off to another table while we decided on what we wanted.

  Upon my first look at the menu, the thing that jumped out at me the most was the prices on the menu. I was used to seeing our hamburgers and entrees at the diner for no more than fifteen dollars, twenty at the most. Here, the cheapest entrée seemed to be almost twice that.

  “Caleb,” I said quietly, “this place is very expensive.”

  “I know,” he said back to me. “Ella and I came here once years ago and were floored by the prices. We almost walked out but managed to stick it out and ordered cheaply. We’re not doing that tonight. Get whatever you want, Sarah. You’re entitled to indulge every now and then you know. Tonight, you get to feel special.”

  I tried to relax some and took a quick sip of my drink. I still felt bad about ordering something that would cost forty or fifty dollars, but everything on the menu sounded decadent and delicious.

  Eric came back and took our order, with me ordering a roast duck dish and Caleb opting for a surf and turf dinner. Caleb insisted we each order first courses as well, so I went for a simple Caesar salad, while he decided on a tuna sashimi appetizer. Caleb also ordered our wine, selecting a bottle of wine I had never heard of or knew about. Just from the name it alone it sounded expensive, and from the reaction of our waiter, he was both surprised and impressed at the same time.

  The entire meal from start to finish felt like a whirlwind and left my head spinning. Between the drinks, the wine, and the richness of the meal I had, I was completely full and didn’t think I could have one more morsel.

  “Would either of you care for dessert?” Eric said to us as he cleared the dishes. Caleb looked over at me and could see that I was feeling full.

  “Perhaps something we could share, Eric? Do you have any suggestions?’ Caleb asked him.

  “We offer a Bananas Foster tonight that I think is excellent,” he said proudly.

  “That sounds perfect,” Caleb told him. “And I would like a cup of coffee. How about you, Sarah?”

  I decided if we were going all-out tonight I might as well get the chance to order something that I never get that chance to have in my everyday life.

  “Can I get a cappuccino, Eric, please?” I asked him.

  “Of course,” he said with a smile and went to get our drinks.

  “Caleb, I am so full,” I told him. “I don’t know if I can eat anything else.”

  “I’m pretty full myself, but this is a once in a blue moon dinner,” he said to me, reaching over and taking my hand. “We may as well make the most of it.”

  Eric came back with coffee and cappuccino, and just the smell of the cappuccino told me it was much better than anything we crafted at the diner that passed as cappuccino. Eric then came back with a tray and made the Bananas Foster right in front of us, creating the sauce with the butter, sugar, and bananas, and then adding the dark rum
and lighting it to create a dazzling burst of flame that made me jump a bit in my seat. He let the flames die down and then expertly served the sauce over vanilla ice cream and placed the bowl on the table for us, along with two spoons. Caleb and I both gave Eric a round of applause for his performance, and he smiled and took a quick bow before leaving us to eat our dessert.

  “Oh, this is so good,” I said to Caleb as I spooned another bite into my mouth.

  Caleb just took a bite or two along the way, and I found myself devouring most of the ice cream and bananas. Finally, when the dessert was done, I had to push my chair away from the table to give myself room. I felt like I would explode if I had to eat anything else.

  “That meal was amazing,” I said to Caleb.

  “It sure was,” he answered. “I almost want to walk home because it will take me miles of walking to work all that off.”

  I decided now was a good time to excuse myself to the restroom and stood up and walked from the table. I had walked just a few steps and turned around and could see Caleb watching me as I walked. I smiled back at him, feeling fantastic that this handsome man was treating me so well and that his eyes were following me wherever I went.

  I ran into Eric and asked him to direct me to where the ladies’ room was, and he pointed me in the direction to go. I worked my way to the opposite end of the dining room and was passing the last booth tucked into the corner when a face caught my eye. I slowed down as I was walking to make sure I wasn’t making a mistake, but there was no denying that there was Denise, dressed in one of the business suits she often wore to work. At first, I thought maybe it was just a business dinner for her, but she was there holding hands with a blond gentleman that was certainly not my brother. I saw the man lean in and start kissing her neck, and while Denise craned her neck to allow for the kisses, her head turned in my direction, and our eyes locked briefly.

  I quickly turned and headed back to our table, where Caleb was looking over the bill. I sat down quickly and had a panicked look on my face. Caleb took notice of my distress right away.

  “What’s wrong?” he said as he folded money into the check holder to pay the bill.

  “We need to leave, now,” I said to him, standing up from the table.

  Caleb placed the check down on the table and took my hand, and I moved ahead of him, leading him out of the restaurant and away from the side of the room where I had seen Denise. We got outside fast and stood just outside the front door at the valet desk.

  “Are you okay?” Caleb said to me with a worried look on his face. “What’s going on?”

  It was then I realized I had left my shawl back at the table.

  “Damn,” I said. “I left my shawl inside…” I said with panic as I looked back at the restaurant.

  “I’ll go get it,” Caleb said calmly. “You get the car, and I’ll meet you out here.”

  “Forget it, Caleb,” I said to him, not wanting to delay our leaving any further. “It’s not important.” I fumbled to open my purse to find the valet ticket.

  “Sarah, don’t be silly,” Caleb said to me. “It will just take a minute.” With that, Caleb was back through the restaurant door to go back to the table.

  I finally found the valet ticket and handed it to the valet, hoping they could have the car here as fast as possible. I could feel nervousness building in my stomach the longer it seemed to take. I felt a hand touch my shoulder and felt relaxed that Caleb had gotten back so quickly, but when I turned around, I didn’t see Caleb standing there. There was the blonde man I had seen at the table, standing in front of me and grinning. It was then it dawned on me that I knew this face from somewhere. It was Jared Sterling, and he had that same smug grin he always had when I would see him at parties.

  “Hello, Sarah,” he said to me as he rubbed his chin. “I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

  “Hello, Jared,” I said to him and then turned to see if the car had been brought up yet.

  “What are you doing here? I thought you only spent time at the diner now.” Jared allowed himself a little laugh, expecting me to join in with him. I just turned and shot him a look.

  “I’m here with someone,” I told him coldly. “I’m expecting the car any second, Jared…”

  “Oh, I’m expecting mine, too,” he said to me. “They’re always slow out here, but it gives us time to chat.”

  Jared moved from behind me to in front of me. I could see his eyes scanning over my body, looking me up and down, and his vision settled right on my cleavage for several seconds before his eyes came back up to meet mine.

  “You’re looking better than ever, Sarah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this good.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my head to the side, hoping beyond hope that the car, Caleb, something would come along to end this.

  Jared leaned in close to me, gripping my right arm inside his left hand just above my elbow.

  “I don’t know what you think you saw inside before, but I’m pretty sure it was nothing, right?” I felt his grip on my arm tighten slightly.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I told him as I tried to free my arm.

  “Good answer,” he said to me. “You know, I had always hoped we would hook up when we were in school, but you always shot me down. Even before I saw those nice pictures of you…”

  I felt a big lump in my throat and tried to push myself away from Jared, but he wouldn’t let go. Just then, I felt two hands behind me pull me away.

  “Is there a problem here?” Caleb said, as he stood in front of me and faced Jared. Caleb towered over him, making Jared back up right away.

  “No problem at all,” Jared said as he stepped back, surveying Caleb and realizing he was someone he probably didn’t want to mess with. The valet appeared with the Jeep and Caleb took my hand, leading me to the car while making sure to stare down Jared. Jared wouldn’t even look at him, and instead kept his eyes on me until Caleb had helped me into the car and closed the door. Caleb came back around, handed the valet a couple of bills, gave Jared another cold look, and got in the car. As Caleb started to pull away, I saw Denise come out of the restaurant and stand next to Jared. I could see her watching the Jeep as we pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Who was that clown?” Caleb asked me. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?” I felt Caleb step on the brakes before the car got out of the parking lot as if he was ready to go back and confront Jared again.

  “Caleb, no, let’s just go home, please,” I said. I was clearly shaken and frightened, but Caleb relented and drove on. I sat there silently for the ride until we got back to Caleb’s driveway. He parked the car and came around and helped me out of the car. He put his arm around me and let me go up the steps to his apartment ahead of him. Once we were inside, I finally felt safe again and sat down on the couch.

  “Sarah, what’s going on? Something happened back at the restaurant. Please, tell me what went on so I can help.”

  Caleb was sitting next to me on the couch now, his hand on my bare knee. I turned to him and could felt tears forming in my eyes. Before I knew it, I found myself shaking and fell into his arms. Caleb held me for a bit, and then slowly pulled back so he could look at me.

  “Sarah,” he said softly, “You can trust me. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Let me know what happened.”

  “I saw my sister-in-law, Denise, at a table when I got up to go to the restroom,” I told him as I tried to control myself. “She was there with some guy holding her and kissing her neck… someone who wasn’t my brother. I was pretty sure she had seen me, that’s why I rushed back to the table to get you so we could leave. I didn’t want to confront her. Then, when you went back in to get my stupid shawl, that man… Jared, someone I knew from college… came up to me. He’s the one I saw with her. He was…he always scared me, Caleb. There’s something about him I don’t like. I think he was threatening me.”

  I put myself back into Caleb’s arms and Caleb held
me tightly, trying to comfort me in any way he could.

  “Don’t worry,” Caleb said to me, stroking my hair as he held me. “You don’t have anyone to be afraid of, not while I’m around.”

  I wanted what Caleb said to be true, but in the back of my mind, I feared what may be just ahead for me, and for us.

  23

  Caleb

  Sarah spent the night in my arms, first on the couch as she recounted what she had gone through at the restaurant, and then when we went to bed. I held her all night, keeping her close to me and promising to protect her and give her the help she needed. No matter how I tried to reassure her, she still felt worried. It wasn’t until we woke the next morning that she started to show some signs of feeling better.