A Daughter of Light(A Light onto the World)

Chapter 8

Sage 

Chapter 8

“Restaurante De Lemus,” Mar reads.  “Latin?”

“You like Latin food, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I love it,” she murmurs.

I’ve been waiting for over two minutes for some old lady to get in her car and drive away so I can take her spot, but she won’t stop flirting long enough to get in the damn car.  Finally, the younger guy she is with opens her door for her.  The way he caresses her tells me she’s a cougar.  It makes me want to vomit.  She could be his grandmother.  She must be rich, why else would he be with her.  Bee’s to honey.

I pull in and shut off the engine.

“Do you think I should take my sweater?”

“Umm, yeah.  You might want one, restaurants are usually kind of chilly.”

“Kay.”

I hold open the door and we enter a waiting area with leather chairs lining both sides.  The room is much cooler than outside, just as was expected.  I hold open the second set of doors which opens to the restaurant itself; it’s cooler still.  I’m glad I advised her to bring her sweater.  The receptionist greets us warmly.  I ask for a private table in the non-smoking section.  She takes us to a quiet table in the back.  Good, more private.  I won’t have to be bothered by the hum of voices or the clatter of utensils meeting dining ware.

I pull out her chair for her before I get seated.

“Someone will be with you momentarily.”

“Okay, thanks.”

A few seconds later a waiter appears giving us our menus.  He gives us a few minutes to figure out what we’re going to order while he tends to some of the other tables.

“May I take your orders?”

“I’ll have the Enchilada Grande and a coke,” I say to the waiter as I hand him my menu.

“And you miss?”

“The same please, thank you.”  He nods and walks away.

“So, how do you like the place?”  The place is big, nice, and expensive.  The tables in the area closest to us are circular and covered in pristine cloth like ours.  The room is lit by little lamps that dangle above the table.  The walls have murals of Latin girls dancing and what not.  The waiters and waitresses are all young and most of them good-looking.  I was concerned about having a waiter instead of a waitress, but my luck seemed to change because he was ugly.  No competition there.  I would have liked to take her to a nicer restaurant, but I can’t afford it and besides; if I use all my spending money I won’t be able to take her anyplace else.  Marimar’s looking around the room taking it all in.

“It’s nice, thank you.  You know, you didn’t have to go all out.  A burger place would have sufficed.” 

I know, stop reminding me.  “It’s fine.  Don’t worry, besides, you are totally worth it.”  She blushes, the color of her cheeks turn to a rosy red, her eyelids drop revealing her long black eyelashes as she tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Here are your two cokes; the meal will be out in just a few minutes.”  Just before the waiter turns to leave, he takes a look over at Marimar not realizing that I am watching.  Mar doesn’t seem to notice, she’s taking a long draw from her coke.

I sip my coke trying to think about what to say, when Marimar starts to speak. 

“How did you know about this restaurant?”