Read Online Can't Help Falling in Love by David W. Menefee, Carol Dunitz - Free Book Online Page A

chosen
for professional assistance. Allison felt her angst lifting as if a hundred
pound weight was being removed from her back.
         Sharon , however, was quick to pick up on that
and modify his meaning with more comments. She interjected in a decidedly
business tone, “I’m sure, and yet still, there’s so much to attend to!”
        
Allison had enough and spoke up. “And I can’t think of a more marvelous place
to conduct business than the quiet, intimate atmosphere of my office. Let’s
make an appointment to meet one day.”
        
Fortunately, the waitress appeared from out of nowhere, so Allison could not
see Sharon ’s reaction. The waitress balanced two
plates on one arm and two large cold glasses of milk in her other palm. She
expertly slid the plates on their table and managed to set the two glasses down
without spilling a drop. Best of all, she completely blocked Sharon ’s view of them. “Those sandwiches look
great!” she said. “And look at him, he’s beaming from
ear to ear!”
        
She was right. He was broadly smiling and looking straight into Allison’s eyes.
“Since it’s your first, tell me how you like it,” he said, leaning back and
waiting for her response. He was a man who did not care to impress others by
dropping names, dates, and places. He wanted to know if Allison liked the unusual
meal that she was experiencing for the first time in her life, not if she was
going to put on a floor show for the benefit of the uncouth, monopolistic
business burglar across the aisle.
        
Allison could see he wanted her to like his selection, and so she raised one
half of the sandwich to her lips. While she did not know anything about the
subtle art of creating fried peanut butter and banana cuisine, she wanted to
give her sandwich more than the cursory consideration she generally would have.
She sniffed the sandwich and said, “Lovely aroma!” as if she was savoring the
bouquet of a wine.
          
They were both concentrating so fully on Allison that when she parted her lips
to take her first bite, they parted theirs in unison with anticipation of her
reaction.
        
Allison took a ladylike bite and then sat back to take pleasure in the taste.
“Ah, this is very nice!”
        
The waitress was somewhat more interested in pleasing men, Allison could tell,
but in a motherly sort of way. She was obviously entranced by the man in front
of her, but not in a predatory way like Sharon . “See? He’s smiling again! You made a
good selection for your date, young man!”
        
His smile showed off his large, pearly-white teeth, and the waitress grinned
and squared her shoulders triumphantly. For some unknown reason, Allison
realized that the moment was important to him and that he sincerely wanted for
her to appreciate his choice.
        
The waitress also acted as if the entire restaurant’s reputation hinged on
Allison’s verdict. “I’m glad you like it, honey!” she crowed, and then swished
away, proudly satisfied.
         “Very nice? Just very nice?” Sharon suddenly shrieked, as soon as the way
was clear. She now had a direct shot at Allison again, and she screeched in a
tone that faked amusement as a thin disguise for ridicule. She proceeded to
lobby a volley of questions at her as if she was an interrogation officer for
the German Gestapo. Allison was sure she saw her tongue fork like a serpent.
“My dear, don’t you know what you’re eating? The Arcade ’s menu has earned them an international
reputation! Everyone in Memphis and across all fifty states has heard of
their award-winning signature entrée! You’ve lived here for years and you’re
just now trying one? Where have you been hiding, in a hole somewhere?”
         Sharon came across with all the charm of a
vulture in an Edgar Allen Poe story, and she made Allison feel embarrassed.
Allison thought that perhaps she ought to have been more effusive in her praise
of the sandwich, but