Alexander.”
She smiled. “I love me
some Tyson Alexander.”
“You better stop that,
girl. I’ll fly out there tonight.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Don’t test
me.”
“Tyson, stop it. I’ll be
back Sunday. You have to pack for Atlanta anyway.”
“Looks like I’m going to
be packing for Chicago. We can get a room with a Jacuzzi
and...mmm...”
“Tyson...”
“That’s one thing I miss
about our home...we don’t have a Jacuzzi, but looks like I’m going
to have to get one very soon.”
“Tyson...”
“Like yesterday
soon.”
Gabrielle
laughed.
“Anyway, listen baby, call
me before you go to bed, okay?”
“I will.”
“Have you eaten?” he
asked.
“Not yet...Padma should be
here any sec now to get us.”
“Is she taking y’all to
The Blue Room?”
“Yes. Have you eaten
there?”
“A few times when I stayed
there a few years ago. The food is phenomenal.”
“Nothing is more
phenomenal than your cooking, my love.”
“Okay, you’re really making me want to
come up there right this instant.”
“Oh, Tyson.” Just then,
Gabrielle heard a knock at the door. “Tyson, I think Padma’s
here.”
“Okay, baby. Love you.
Have fun.”
“Love you too.
Bye.”
“Bye,
sweetheart.”
* * *
The women stepped in The
Blue Room, a snazzy, five-star restaurant on the first floor of the
hotel there. Blue, fiber-optic lights hung from the ceiling over
every table and floor standing water fountains, with steady flows
of trickling water, divided the restaurant from one side to
another. It was an elegant restaurant for sure with candles on
every table.
After the hostess showed
them to their table, one right beside the water fountain, the women
took a seat and were each studying a menu.
“Everything looks
delicious,” Padma said. “Think I’ll stick to something light,
though. Eating a big meal this late will have me up all
night.”
“I’m with you, Padma,”
Gabrielle said. “I’ll give the zucchini spaghetti a
try.”
“Ummm...” Lalita said, her
eyes still rolling over the menu, trying to make a quick decision.
“I’m going to order the black bean garden salad.”
Once they ordered their
food, Padma gave them a brief rundown of what the expo would entail
– that they would discuss food protection, marketing, getting
started with a restaurant business and a website overview of
everything a restaurant’s website should contain.
When the food arrived,
they were busy discussing their meals. Lalita talked about her kids
and Padma went on and on about work, but out of the blue, she
stopped mid-sentence with an opened mouth and big, wide
eyes.
“Padma, are you okay?”
Gabrielle asked.
Before she could speak, a
male voice from behind Gabrielle and Lalita said, “Good evening,
ladies.”
Gabrielle frowned. She
knew the owner of that voice – Dilvan Alexander. She watched him
walk around the table and sit directly in front of her. He was
dressed impeccably, as always and his presence owned the room. He
was sure to cause women to rubberneck wherever he went.
“Dilvan, what are you
doing here?” Padma asked.
“I told you I had a shoot
here this weekend.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong,
but I thought you turned it down.”
“Changed my mind,” he
said, looking at Gabrielle.
Gabrielle held his gaze,
trying to understand him. Was he a mental case? He couldn’t have
come here solely for the purpose of seeing her, could he? Would he
go that far? Accept a photo shoot that he hadn’t wanted to do, only
so he would have an excuse to come to Chicago?
While she gazed upon him,
she noticed his enchanting gray eyes, and thick, black eyebrows.
His face was freshly shaven. His silky hair was longer than she
remembered and he rocked a thin mustache.
Gabrielle could admit
that Dilvan was a handsome man, but appearance really didn’t mean
much when you had an attitude that sucked.
“Hey, Gabrielle. Lalita,”
he said cordially.
“Hi, Dilvan,” Lalita
responded.
Gabrielle
She smiled. “I love me
some Tyson Alexander.”
“You better stop that,
girl. I’ll fly out there tonight.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Don’t test
me.”
“Tyson, stop it. I’ll be
back Sunday. You have to pack for Atlanta anyway.”
“Looks like I’m going to
be packing for Chicago. We can get a room with a Jacuzzi
and...mmm...”
“Tyson...”
“That’s one thing I miss
about our home...we don’t have a Jacuzzi, but looks like I’m going
to have to get one very soon.”
“Tyson...”
“Like yesterday
soon.”
Gabrielle
laughed.
“Anyway, listen baby, call
me before you go to bed, okay?”
“I will.”
“Have you eaten?” he
asked.
“Not yet...Padma should be
here any sec now to get us.”
“Is she taking y’all to
The Blue Room?”
“Yes. Have you eaten
there?”
“A few times when I stayed
there a few years ago. The food is phenomenal.”
“Nothing is more
phenomenal than your cooking, my love.”
“Okay, you’re really making me want to
come up there right this instant.”
“Oh, Tyson.” Just then,
Gabrielle heard a knock at the door. “Tyson, I think Padma’s
here.”
“Okay, baby. Love you.
Have fun.”
“Love you too.
Bye.”
“Bye,
sweetheart.”
* * *
The women stepped in The
Blue Room, a snazzy, five-star restaurant on the first floor of the
hotel there. Blue, fiber-optic lights hung from the ceiling over
every table and floor standing water fountains, with steady flows
of trickling water, divided the restaurant from one side to
another. It was an elegant restaurant for sure with candles on
every table.
After the hostess showed
them to their table, one right beside the water fountain, the women
took a seat and were each studying a menu.
“Everything looks
delicious,” Padma said. “Think I’ll stick to something light,
though. Eating a big meal this late will have me up all
night.”
“I’m with you, Padma,”
Gabrielle said. “I’ll give the zucchini spaghetti a
try.”
“Ummm...” Lalita said, her
eyes still rolling over the menu, trying to make a quick decision.
“I’m going to order the black bean garden salad.”
Once they ordered their
food, Padma gave them a brief rundown of what the expo would entail
– that they would discuss food protection, marketing, getting
started with a restaurant business and a website overview of
everything a restaurant’s website should contain.
When the food arrived,
they were busy discussing their meals. Lalita talked about her kids
and Padma went on and on about work, but out of the blue, she
stopped mid-sentence with an opened mouth and big, wide
eyes.
“Padma, are you okay?”
Gabrielle asked.
Before she could speak, a
male voice from behind Gabrielle and Lalita said, “Good evening,
ladies.”
Gabrielle frowned. She
knew the owner of that voice – Dilvan Alexander. She watched him
walk around the table and sit directly in front of her. He was
dressed impeccably, as always and his presence owned the room. He
was sure to cause women to rubberneck wherever he went.
“Dilvan, what are you
doing here?” Padma asked.
“I told you I had a shoot
here this weekend.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong,
but I thought you turned it down.”
“Changed my mind,” he
said, looking at Gabrielle.
Gabrielle held his gaze,
trying to understand him. Was he a mental case? He couldn’t have
come here solely for the purpose of seeing her, could he? Would he
go that far? Accept a photo shoot that he hadn’t wanted to do, only
so he would have an excuse to come to Chicago?
While she gazed upon him,
she noticed his enchanting gray eyes, and thick, black eyebrows.
His face was freshly shaven. His silky hair was longer than she
remembered and he rocked a thin mustache.
Gabrielle could admit
that Dilvan was a handsome man, but appearance really didn’t mean
much when you had an attitude that sucked.
“Hey, Gabrielle. Lalita,”
he said cordially.
“Hi, Dilvan,” Lalita
responded.
Gabrielle
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