Cherish and Simon- the First Year

by Eva Morian

  The Maître D approached and handed them menus, “Oh, thank you.” Cherish said.

  The list was limited between, “Meat Surprise.”, “Vegetarian Surprise”, and “Seafood Surprise.” For the appetizer. The entrees were tame, typical meals of a roast beef dinner, barbeque chicken, or stir fry. But, there was the option of a “Mystery Meal” at the end. Dessert wasn’t listed and would also be unknown to them.

  Simon went all in with the seafood surprise and mystery meal before he looked to Cherish and wiggled his eyebrows, “Are you going to take a risk?” he dared.

  Looking over the options, Cherish tilted her head from one side to the other. This place had far too many surprises for her liking, but Simon’s tone and question caused her to rise to the challenge. Even though she was going to be safe and choose the roast beef and seafood surprise, now she couldn’t let him outdo her. She narrowed her gaze at him before her lips parted into a grin, “You’re on. Seafood Surprise and Mystery meal, please.” She answered.

  Simon was impressed by her willingness to challenge him. Taking the menus, he passed them over to the Maître D who waved them over and led them over to a blacked-out door, “Wait here and your waiter will take you back.” He said.

  Simon was excited because he’d heard of these restaurants, but now he was going to see exactly how it was done, “Do you have any guesses?” he asked nudging against her.

  Standing, Cherish glanced at him from the corner of her eye, “Not a clue. I’m just worried that this mystery meal is going to be like mystery lunch at elementary school. Those were never good days.” She replied to his laughter.

  A minute later a short, blind man with sunglasses emerged from the pitch-black room. He turned around and patted his shoulder, “Please put your hand here.” He said patting the other shoulder, “And the other place their hand here. Don’t let go.” He ordered.

  Cherish looked from one side to the other before she reached out and grabbed the man’s shoulder as he asked. As they were led towards a dark void, she rubbed her lips together and widened her eyes to see more; all in vain. “Oh boy.” She muttered.

  Shrouded in darkness, she felt the temperature in the room drop or perhaps that was just her mind playing a trick on her. She stumbled a bit while the waiter placed her hand on the back of a chair. She pressed along the cushion, sighed, and slowly sat down.

  For Simon the darkness was strange. They were left alone so the waiter could tend to other patrons they could vaguely hear nearby. He felt as though he was nowhere and lost full sense of where he was or how Cherish sat. He reached out his hands to find her while laughing under his breath, “Where are you?” he whispered.

  Patting along the plate, the silverware, and the table, she tried to gain her bearings and not freak out when she felt Simon’s touch. Sucking in a breath, she snatched her hand away only for his voice to state who he was, “You almost scared the crap out of me!” she replied.

  Simon chuckled while his hands felt along her wrist and forearm before pulling away, “Oh, there you are.” Although he found that it was obvious, he wanted to clue her in, just in case she was still confused, “We’re at a restaurant where you eat in the dark to enhance your sense of taste and touch.” He said.

  She rocked her body from side to side and blinked several times with her mouth wide open. Giving up, she shut her eyes entirely. No difference. Even though it was an entirely new experience from the McDonalds outings she shared with Todd, Cherish wet her lips and nodded, “Well, no wonder they didn’t have soup on the menu. The last thing they want to do is scald a bunch of crotches.” She said.

  Simon laughed and was glad that she was open to trying new things, “I kind of hope we have to eat with our hands.” He stated.

  “Oh no. What if I bite my fingers?” she legitimately asked.

  Simon’s expression fell, “Do you really think that’s going to happen?” he asked trying not to laugh at her.

  Cherish’s fingertips pressed against the plate in her own paranoia, “I do.” She replied.

  As the first meal was brought out, the waiter set the plates down and took a step back, “Enjoy. This isn’t hot.” He said walking away.

  Cherish turned her head in the general direction of Simon and sucked her cheeks in, “Well, good luck. Hopefully it’s not something like a barnacle.” She muttered. Pressing against the plate, she then snatched her hand away hesitantly and snorted out a laugh, “Oh God, whatever it is, it’s firm and it…it has a shell.” She said.

  Both hands went to work peeling the shrimp before she ran her finger along its entirety. Taking a bite, the soft taste of the shrimp complimented the chilled garlic and tomato sauce drizzled on top. Cherish rolled her jaw as she chewed before she nodded, “Oh dang. That’s…that’s good and spicy! I wasn’t expecting that.” She said.

  Simon came to appreciate the tone and sound of Cherish’s lilted voice. The experience of eating food solely by touch and smell was one thing he wanted to do again. The moment he found out the appetizer was shrimp, he peeled and ate them quickly. Shrimp was by far one of his favorite crustaceans.

  Within five minutes, and behind Simon, Cherish’s fingers danced over the plate and brushed the shells from side to side with a sigh, “Damn, I finished already.” She laughed.

  Simon rubbed his hands against the napkin, “That was really good. I don’t know if it’s because I can’t see, but the taste was really bright.” He said.

  Cherish ran her finger along the back of her ear out of habit before she lowered her hand and waited. The waiter returned, “Pardon my reach.” He stated taking the plates away.

  She found herself smiling. Even though she couldn’t see him it was nice and reassuring to hear his voice. She wiped her corner of her mouth with her thumb and cleared her throat, “I don’t know about tasting bright, specifically because I don’t know what light tastes like, but I do agree that it was far more flavorful.” She replied.

  As she adjusted to the blindness and didn’t psyche herself out, the first thing she was struck with as the waiter returned was the smell. She inhaled a deep breath, smiled to herself, and hummed out an all too excited chuckle. Pausing, she rolled her lips in and squeezed her eyes shut. She was turning into a bonafide glutton like Simon.

  Simon inhaled a deep breath before he felt around for what the food was. He was pretty sure it was curried chicken, or a flavoring along the lines of a Caribbean dish, and couldn’t wait to taste, “I hope this is what I think it is.” He said taking the first bite. He hummed out with satisfaction and nodded, “Oh, it is. It is. Cherish, you need to try this.” He asserted while leaning over. Digging into his greens and rice, he ate with little to no grace. He couldn’t see, and he had to hover over the plate; eating like a caveman. Thankfully, everyone was in the same boat and not a soul could judge.

  Without even knowing, she leaned into the plate just as he did and scooped what she could and allowed the rush of flavor take over her senses. Reaching over, she patted against his chest to gain his attention, but mistook it for his arm, “You’re right. This is really, really good!” She then blew out and cleared her throat, “And hot. Where did they say the water was again?” she whispered to herself as she lifted her body and gently felt around for the chilled glass.

  Smiling, Simon took a hold of her forearm and wrist. He reached over to the vicinity where her glass was and led her hand to it, “Right here.” He said.

  Cherish paused and released a soft breath. His fingers were warm, strong, and gentle against her skin. She bit down on her bottom lip once her fingers touched along the precipitation on the glass. Clearing her throat, she wrapped her fingers around the cool surface and gripped it abnormally tight, “T-Thank you.” She said.

  His hold on her knuckles lingered. Her fingers were slim and pleasantly cool, and her nails were short enough to do her job, but long enough to give a feminine scrape along his palm once he pulled away. For a moment, in the darkness, Simon felt a pull towards her. Thoughts of the
way her touch felt on him lingered in his mind as they ate in silence.

  Lifting the rim to her mouth, she metaphorically rolled her eyes upward as the thought of sex crept into her mind once more. Of course, this was quite a different sense of sensual with the meal, but for a split moment she lost herself. Both thoughts were momentary as the waiter returned and brought them to their senses. Cherish lifted herself as the waiter came through and gave them the final leg of their meal, “I’m taking your plates and setting down dessert.” He said.

  With the small plate placed down in front of them, Simon took a bite and he guessed it was blueberry cheesecake, but he wasn’t sure, “If it’s not cheesecake, I’m afraid to ask.” He said.

  She tapped her fork against the bouncy surface before she applied pressure and cut through. Tasting the sweet, soft texture, she rolled it around with her eyebrows tucked together, “Do you think it’s flan? I saw Martha Stewart make it once. It’s very…different. I don’t know if I like it.” she admitted.

  Simon paused and circled his head all around. He was curious again and wondered if people had done nefarious acts in the dark together. He looked for the slightest hint of a red light, “I wonder if they have cameras in here…”

  Cherish choked a bit on her bite and pressed her knees together, “What in the world makes you think that now? When the meal is done.” She laughed.

  Her giggle caught him as he coughed on whatever he was eating and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth. She had a point. As their laughter died down, she cut into her flan cake again and rubbed her lips together, “No lie, this is a pretty great experience. Thanks.” She stated.

  “I asked myself, “Who would I trust to stay in the dark with for an hour?” and the choice was obvious.” He replied contentedly. His fork scraped at his plate and, though she couldn’t see, the look of disappointment on his features was profound.

  It had ended all too soon.

  The tone of his voice and compliment caused Cherish to smile to herself. She lowered her head slightly and tightened her hand into a loose grip against the hem of her dress. She was struck with that nervous sensation again and didn’t dare move; because she knew if she touched any part of him, that would be it for her. There was another twinge of guilt in the back of her mindset as she cleared her throat and she pushed the confusion away, “Well, I’m glad you chose the woman who is terrified of surprises. How sweet of you.” She toyed. Honestly, she loved the experience once they’d relaxed and settled down; surprises and all.

  Their waiter returned for the final time and asked them to stand carefully and take a hold of his shoulders again. As they emerged in the dimly lit room, she squinted and rubbed beneath her eyes, “Holy cow, it’s so bright.” She whispered. As Simon paid for their meals and handed the receipt back, she caught a glimpse of the total and saw, with tip, that he paid close to 200 dollars. She choked on air and waved a hand in front of her face stepping away. She told herself she’d owe him another hundred dollars and internally sighed.

  Simon opened the door for her and rested his hand on her back as she passed through. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, but the sky was purple speckled with pink, yellow, and orange hues. The air was cooler, and the streets weren’t as crowded. He held his arm out to her again.

  Wrapping her arm with his again, she turned back to the Maître D, “Thank you.” She called back.

  Full and happy, Simon looked down at her as their steps fell in sync, “One more place. You’re going to love it.” He stated.

  “What do you mean?” She asked looking to his profile. The only thing she was met with was Simon staring ahead with a smirk on his face.

  Silence. Of course.

  Instead of asking another question, she fell silent with him and made her way to the car with a smile that matched his. She caught sight of the time which showed they still had three hours until the projected time Simon expected to return home. Just what could they do for that length of time?

  Once he paid the parking toll, Simon pulled out and drove away. Within ten minutes the downtown scene had melted away and they drove through arches of the historical district. Immediately, Cherish was hit with a sense of old-world charm which had been fixed up and modernized. Despite the viewpoints of the time, she felt as though the era a hundred years ago was the most romantic.

  Biting on her thumb nail, she turned her head at Simon and grinned. Even though she tried to keep her excitement at bay, he could hear the shaken giddiness in her tone, “Where are we going?” She asked.

  Her exhilaration was all and more than what he could’ve asked for when he planned their evening. Fulfilled, he pointed ahead of them towards the cinema sign before they pulling in front and parking, “Right here.” He said knowingly. Getting out of the car, he walked around to her side and opened the door for her. He held his hand out and smiled, “Our movie is starting soon, we should hurry.” He said.

  Cherish grabbed his hand and stepped out. The old-time bulbs on the marquee shined down on her face, “Now showing Gone With the Wind?!” she exclaimed turning her attention to Simon, “You’ve messed up. I’m going to want to come here every weekend I’m off. I’m going to follow them on Facebook. Oh my gosh.” She rambled.

  On the way inside, she clasped her hands together and held them to her lips. The lobby had the same vintage look but was decently maintained. The smell within wafted with the rich, buttery smell of popcorn which marinated in the building for decades. For Simon, it brought back childhood memories of watching movies with his parents. As he paid for the tickets, she looked over the dated movie posters lining the wall with Coming Soon… signs.

  As Simon pulled up beside her, she took her ticket and they both went into the theatre. The seats had been updated for comfort purposes and the quality of the picture was HD, but they mimicked the way pictures were shown back in the day. As they settled into their seats, Simon wasn’t exaggerating when he said their show was starting.

  Within a minute the lights dimmed, and the reel started at the beginning of the movie. Cherish sat back and smiled to herself the entire time while the movie kept the entirety of her attention. Although she loved the old movies, Simon found that his mind wandered within the first hour. Two hours passed with a thirty-minute intermission. By the time the break had come, he was ready to leave and had to bribe himself with popcorn to stay for the second half. Another two hours later, the movie ended, and they finally left.

  Though she was happy at first, Cherish pressed her hands to her lower back and leaned her head away wearily, “Holy moly, were all movies that long?” She asked.

  He pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eye as they approached the car. Stifling a yawn, he with her gaze before they ducked into the vehicle, “I don’t think so, but this story was so big and hard to follow they probably had to make it as long as the Bible to tie it all together.” He muttered.

  Cherish smirked at him and rubbed on his shoulder, “You survived. I’m so proud of you.” She teased shutting the door behind her.

  Turning on the car, the clock lit up and he hissed in a breath. 11 P.M. They were going to hear it when they got back, “Oh boy, let’s get home.” He said.

  She inhaled a deep breath and held it before she sighed with a nod, “You’re right.” She said. Regardless of being tired, Cherish felt refreshed and as though she could get through another leg of her job, the kids, and home life. She knew another break wouldn’t come anytime soon. She stared out of the window silently with her chin against her palm while soft guitar instrumental flowed through the speakers of the radio. She didn’t have to say anything for Simon to know their outing had been a great time.

  The soft music and the tired, content nature of the car felt like the perfect atmosphere to bring up the plans for their first vacation. Although he felt that there would be trouble with her agreeing, he had to convince her. He drummed his fingers on the wheel which tipped her off that he was deep in thought. Cherish turned her head towards Simon
as he spoke up, “On the holidays we were planning out a trip to a cabin in Colorado and we want you and Jasmine to come with us.” He gave her a quick glance and added, “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

  She scratched lightly against her arm as she rose her eyebrows, “Yeah? I mean, yes. That sounds like everything I’ve never had, but I don’t think I can afford to go.” She said and quickly explained before Simon had a chance to tell her he would pay, “What I mean is, I want to be able to contribute to the trip if Jasmine and I were to go. Colorado, wow. This time last year I never thought I’d have this sort of life let alone be this happy. Jasmine and Jr. are going to have their first Christmas and I want it to be memorable.” She said nodding. The decision was a no brainer because she wanted to provide for Jasmine in a way she never had herself. Anything and everything for that little girl. “I’ll put in the days tomorrow, just tell me when.” She said biting her bottom lip, “Can we invite Emily’s parents?” she asked.

  Simon was pleasantly surprised which caused a big smile to take over his mouth. He nodded enthusiastically, “This is my mother we’re talking about. They’re already booked on a flight coming here a couple of days before.” He stated.

  Smiling, she nodded quietly. It was good for both Simon and Emily’s parents to stay in the loop. Emily was their only child and Jr. was the only tie to her they had left. She would include them in everything if she had the chance to stick around long enough to do so. She rubbed a finger under her nose before snapping, “Oh, speaking of money. I think I found a car on Facebook that I’m really interested in. It’s a white 2004 Nissan, with ninety-nine thousand miles. AC works fine, no shakes or rattles they said and its recently been inspected. They only want two thousand for it. Can you take me there tomorrow to check it out?” she asked.