Up & Out - Ariella Papa [39]
“Vixen,” says his owner, a twenty-something blonde in low-rise sweats. She holds his leash in one hand while the other is wrapped around the waist of a guy.
“Cute dog,” I say, and the couple smiles at each other proudly. They give Vixen a tug and are on their way. It must be nice to have a boyfriend and a dog.
I take a deep breath and focus on the scripts. These doubts about life are only putting me further behind schedule.
I told Seamus that he could pick any restaurant he wanted and make reservations, but he could not offer to pay. I insisted. I want to establish myself as an equal in this relationship. He picked Nobu, not Next Door Nobu. Delicious, but not cheap.
Don’t get me wrong, normally I would be thrilled to go, but this time I was paying. I had made that clear. As soon as we sat down at our table, Seamus started talking omakase. Omakase is the chef’s choice. It is prix fixe, but not like a $9.99 all-you-can-eat buffet. No, there’s a bunch of courses offered for varying prices, each one more expensive than the next. Seamus assumed we would get the most expensive. I couldn’t get out of it by saying I wasn’t hungry because at least two people at a table had to do omakase. Also, there was no way I could watch Seamus enjoying all the savory Japanese treats without yearning to sample my own.
“Is this okay, Rebecca?” Seamus asks. “I would have picked somewhere a little less popular, but I remembered how you said you loved the rock shrimp tempura.”
“I do. This is great and I usually go next door, not to this Nobu.” I am flattered he remembers. I decide to forget about the tab and just enjoy. I just got that promotion and I have been paying all the minimums on my credit card bills. It is a mere token. I won’t always have to pay.
I order a mango martini and Seamus gets sake. He knows what kind of sake he wants. I have a feeling he’s been here a million times, too.
“Do you like it here?” I ask.
“I do. It’s lost a bit of its wow! but it’s still a fantastic meal for the layperson.” Am I a food layperson? “To me, nothing compares to West Coast sushi. I like Nobu, but this place in L. A., Matsuhisa, is far superior. Of course, there are arguably places in Vancouver that can rival that.”
“Of course.” I don’t always choose the restaurants when it comes to going out with my friends, but I am usually the person everyone looks to to choose the wine, even though I was learning from Seamus that my knowledge is limited. I am also the person who generally gets the “good choice” comment from the server when I order. With Seamus, I feel out of my league, yet it turns me on.
“I’d like us to try something,” he says. Uh-oh! Is this when things get kinky? “I want you to drink sake with me for dinner tonight.”
“Instead of wine?”
“Yes, I know. It’s out of the ordinary, but, Rebecca, I know some great sakes that are positively euphoric. I want you to trust me.”
“Okay,” I downed the rest of my mango martini. I could get used to this. “I’m in. Let’s do it.”
When the first bottle of sake comes, it tastes strong and gross at first, but I agree to finish my whole cup. Toward the end I could stomach it, so I took another cup. By the time we were on our second bottle, I was no longer tasting the delicious foods that were put in front of me. The cod in black bean could have been a Filet-O-Fish.
By the time dessert comes in its attractive little box, I am no longer sure what Seamus and I are saying to each other. I just know that he has invited me back to his place and I am ready to go. There aren’t too many things I like doing when I feel this full of alcohol. I was looking forward to doing one of them in front of Seamus’s fake fireplace. All my inhibitions have been cast aside. All systems are go. There was no way Seamus would ask, “Did you, did you yet?”
When the bill comes, it’s unbelievable. Despite my alcohol haze, I could still make out the amount was over $400. Not including the tip. I have never spent that much on a meal (for two!) before. Thank God for plastic.
We get a