The man left work Friday night a little later than usual. He knew he missed his train, but that didn’t matter; he had nowhere to be. Stepping outside, he found the weather quite pleasant; the rain had just stopped and a warm fog hung silently in the air. No one else was out, so he let his mind wander and remembered the chicken thighs defrosting in the fridge. Should he give them a braise and serve them with the asparagus? There was a can of diced tomatoes in the pantry and he had some capers left over from last weekend’s puttanesca…
“Sir!” A woman shouted out to him from across the street. He stopped and looked up as she hurried towards him.
“Oh, thank goodness,” she gasped. “I’m a bit lost. I’m meeting a girlfriend at an Italian restaurant; the name has slipped my mind, but I know it’s somewhere around here. The cab dropped me off at the wrong intersection, and she’s not answering her phone. Are you from the area? Maybe you can help me?”
The woman wasn’t young, but time had aged her gracefully. She was naturally pretty, with a round head, flush cheeks, good teeth, cherry lips, and a blunt lob of wavy brown hair that surrounded her face like a picture frame. Her roots had begun to grey, but the discoloration made her appear even more regal and refined. She had on a fashionable hat and wore a black cashmere shawl over her shoulders. She smelled of something exotic and elegant—could it be jasmine? Oakmoss?
He knew the place she was talking about. It was one of his favorite restaurants. He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Do you mean La Bella Pasta?”
Her face lit up.
“Yes, that’s the place!” she yelled with an enthusiasm that made her seem half her age.
He chuckled. “Well, you’re in for a treat. I’m actually quite the regular there. You have to try the passionfruit sorbetto; it’s borderline ethereal. If I didn’t have dinner plans of my own, I’d head over there with you for a drink and an antipasti,” his tone uncharacteristically dapper.
At first, his offer was met with silence, but then she gave an innocent giggle and smiled back— just enough to make him feel something. He marveled at the way she conducted her disinterest with such civility, and he found himself even more enamored with her than before. The two of them held their stare for another few seconds; he was afraid that if he looked away, even for an instant, that she would vanish in the same sudden manner as which she appeared.
He realized she was still waiting for the directions, and he gave a look around to regain his bearings.
“The restaurant is just a few blocks south,” he said, swiveling his head and pointing behind his shoulder. “You go two blocks down and take a right. You’ll hit Fisher Street. Then just take another left and walk three blocks, and then you’re there. I recommend the artichoke hearts…”
But by the time he turned back around, she had already begun to drift away.
“Thank you so much,” she yelled through a smile. “Have a nice rest of your night.”
He stopped and watched for a few more moments as she disappeared down the street, her final goodbye echoing in his ears. Dinner wouldn’t have worked anyway, he thought to himself: the chicken thighs were already defrosted. And with that final musing, he continued shuffling along through the fog to the train station.
The woman followed his directions. She walked two blocks down and took the right on to Fisher Street. And then she took the left. But then she made another right and continued walking toward the convenience store on the corner. She rushed inside and came out a few minutes later with some matches and a pack of smokes. Hands shaking, she lit the cigarette and sucked down a big, long drag. Another two pulls and she had had reached the filter. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a man walking down the sidewalk in her direction. Digging into her purse, she unearthed her perfume and gave herself a spritz. The man was middle-aged and slightly bald, wearing a cap and tweed jacket two generations out of style.
“Excuse me, sir,” she said as he passed in front of her. “Can you help me? I’m meeting a girlfriend at an Italian restaurant on Main Street, and I’m afraid I’ve gotten a little lost.”