I walked Robert to the sandwich place. It was in an establishment that had two-way entrance with a cashier on both sides. We were coming from the back of all the stores and restaurants that were on Harbor Boulevard. I wasn’t sure if this place was still there, but I remember it being so damn good, I had a sneaky feeling it was.
Robert walked alongside me, forcing me to go at a faster pace. He knew he was short on time, and probably wanted some quality time with me. I thought it amusing.
We walked down an alley. Not some scary alley in a bad part of town, it was a red brick alley that looked more like a place you’d play an instrument for tips. I didn’t remember it looking this nice the last time I was here. The city had done a nice job of making downtown more welcoming.
After a two minute walk, there it was. Chow’s Deli. And the graphic of the owner’s red, fluffy Chow-Chow was still in the center of the window, wearing the annoyingly-cute checkerboard chef’s hat.
“Here it is,” I said. “It’s still open. So, not every business closes down as frequently as you think in this part of town.”
“I stand corrected.” Robert said, with a humble smile. A jerk would’ve looked annoyed.
I hopped in through the back entrance, over a couple of steps. It kind of reminded me of Donovan’s back yard. I should really stop thinking about Donovan with this sweet man next to me.
“Let’s find a spot to sit,” I said to Robert. “If memory serves me right, it’s self-seating.”
Robert and I found a booth near the middle of the sandwich shop and sat across from each other.
A cute, little, dainty waitress came up to us who couldn’t have been older than twenty-one. She had long brown hair, which I liked, but her makeup was a little too Miss America for me.
“Hey, guys,” the waitress said. “Welcome to Chow’s Deli.”
“Chow’s Deli?” Robert asked. It wasn’t the first time he had heard the name. I think he was trying to flirt a little with the waitress.
“It’s playfully named after the owner’s dog, Rufus,” she said. “Sadly, he passed last winter.”
“Awwww...,” we both said. Robert looked sincerely touched.
“Chow is actually the owner’s nickname, too,” I said. I remembered that from back in the day when I would come to this place all the time.
“We get mistaken for an Asian restaurant all the time,” the waitress said. “We get calls asking for lo-mein specials all the time, but this place couldn’t be more the opposite. You’re in hoagie heaven.”
“Two drinks first, please, as I want to give my friend here some time to look over your menu,” I said.
“Take your time. What would you like to drink?” she asked.
Robert looked over at me, allowing me to speak first. “I’ll have Dr. Pepper.”
“We have Mr. Pibb,” she replied.
“Even better. Most places don’t have Mr. Pibb, so I’m stuck with the second-best thing, which is Dr. Pepper,” I said, looking at Robert, embarrassed and expecting a reaction to my juvenile thinking.
The waitress didn’t add to my response and jotted down my order. She turned to Robert and gave him the biggest, friendliest smile. “And you?” she asked, bouncing on her hip.
“I’ll have the same,” he said.
“Mr. Pibb it is,” she said, as she made brief eye contact with Robert, smiled, spun around, and walked away from our table.
Had I said something to piss her off, or had she just flirted with Robert in front of me? I think Robert may have actually played along too.
I gave him a questionable look. I knew I needed to address this immediately or it would eat away at me all during our lunch date.
“If you want,” I said, “we can get her number for you. But I doubt she’d date someone twice her age.”
“Rrrrearrrr!!!” Robert said like a cat, implying I was being jealous. “I was just being friendly. I was actually trying to make you laugh. I really wasn’t flirting with the waitress. I would never dream of flirting with another woman when I am on a date with you. That isn’t me and I apologize if it seemed that way.”
Damn, that was the perfect thing to say. He was right. I was being unnecessarily jealous. What the hell?
“So, Chicago,” I said, changing the subject. “It seems kinda odd you’d forget about this convention, they usually cost a pretty penny, no?”
Robert smiled and said, “The truth is really embarrassing. It’s one of those things that may come across as weird. I think it’s better if you don’t know.”
“Okay, now you have to tell me,” I said. “I didn’t realize I unraveled a secret.”
“You’re funny,” Robert said, then he made a squealing sound.
“What was that?”
“It was me,” Robert said.
“I know it was you,” I laughed. “Why did you just squeal like a hyena?”
Robert paused. He seemed rather apprehensive, but eventually said, “I didn’t go to the convention on time because you told me you would get back to me before the weekend. So I waited until I couldn’t wait anymore. Then I felt like a pathetic loser when you never called back.”
“Wow, Robert. I didn’t know. I am so sorry. I’ve been dealing with a lot of changes this week.”
“It was hard. I’ll be honest with you.” Robert looked at me, as if he didn’t want to say anything else that would possibly embarrass him.
“That is like the sweetest thing a man has ever done for me,” I said, all while acknowledging how much of a selfish diva I was being. But thankfully Robert never quit, as he still called me and managed to score a last minute date, giving me the benefit of the doubt. He was a great guy. I still believed he was flirting with that waitress, though.
“I know, I’m not too suave, remember?” Robert said.
“You’re two things that are better,” I said to Robert and I meant every word. “You’re honest and you’re open. Those qualities beat suave any day. Don’t get me wrong, a little suave can go a long way. But what you have is substance. That is the kind of thing that women realize they need.”
“That’s refreshing to hear,” Robert said.
Robert stared at me as if he was looking right through me.
“What?” I asked.
“You have a good heart,” Robert said, sadly.
“Why are you distraught?” I asked.
“I just see what’s coming.”
“See what coming?” I asked.
Robert then squealed again. I was starting to think he might have Tourette’s. Robert took a deep breath and laughed. “I’m not sure what is going on, but I feel compelled to answer your question.”
“Okay,” I said. Now, I was absolutely fascinated with this man.
“I see the writing on the wall. The inevitable will happen soon.”
“What’s the inevitable?” I asked.
Robert looked at me with pain in his eyes. He still looked somewhat apprehensive, but he was speaking from the heart anyway.
“You’ll just stop calling me. Watch. That’s the way it works in the dating game. Whenever you like someone, they dismiss you. You’ll have ten other girls interested, but the one you pay the most attention to, eventually dismisses you.”
“Dismiss?” I asked.
“Because we’re not really dating. We are two people who saw each other’s profile on a dating site and agreed to go out and do a lookie-loo. To be honest, I’m shocked we’re on this date.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” I asked. Talk about a sudden downer.
“I have no idea. But it is weighing on my heart,” Robert said.
“Look, just relax. Let’s talk and get to know each other better. Let’s not talk about things that haven’t happened.” I didn’t know any other way to put it. This guy was burning down the house before we’d even bought the property.
“Okay,” Robert said. “What kind of sandwiches do you recommend?”
“They have an amazing meatball sandwich—extremely filling.
I’m probably going to go with my second favorite sandwich here; their Monte Cristo. It’s out of this world. ”
“They make Monte Cristo’s here?” Robert asked.
“The best ever.” I meant it too.
“Bennigan’s had the best one I ever ate,” Robert said. “It’s been years since I had a really good one.”
“Well, you will love the way they make it here. It’s heavenly.”
The waitress came back and we ordered. I watched Robert the whole time. He passed the smell test this time. We both ordered the Monte Cristo with fruit. We knew the sandwich was going to be enough calories to last us all day.
“They usually bring the sandwiches out inside of five minutes,” I said to Robert.
“That’s about how long it takes Subway to do it right in front of your eyes, so you can see them not spit in the food. But I would imagine making a Monte Cristo would take longer.”
“My motto is simple,” I said. “I try not to say things that make anyone want to spit in my food.”
“I guess that would be the easiest way to go about it,” Robert said, laughing. “I’m usually great with waiters and waitresses.”
“I was a server for Coco’s in my twenties. It was all about good service back then. So, when someone gives me good service, I appreciate it.”
“I’d tip ya’ an extra five percent,” Robert said, jokingly.
“Funny guy,” I said.
“You’re too nice, Sahara,” Robert said.
“So are you,” I said. “That is real important these days. There are a lot of bitter daters who treat the dating world like they are ordering at a restaurant. I’m all about authentic, genuine people and you seem to be that way.”
“I’m not usually this open,” Robert said. “It actually surprises me how honest I’m being. I feel like I’m going to throw it all out there and you will either fall madly in love with me or you will run for the hills.”
“Those are two pretty extreme choices,” I said, laughing. “Maybe I’ll be okay with something in the middle.”
“In the past,” Robert said, “I felt I loved too hard and chased the woman away.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad thing. To love hard...”
“You do on a conceptual term. But when it is staring you in the face, it’s a lot to handle if you’re not in a place in your life to take that on.” Robert once again gave me the same pathetic look like he had said too much.
“I guess it is when the person feels it’s the right person for you. You want the person you’re in love with to love you hard right back,” I said.
“I think you’re right,” Robert said. The waitress came back and gave us our drink refills. I watched Robert as she put the drinks on the table. He went out of his way not to look or talk to the waitress again. The waitress left and Robert looked at me and smiled, “Why the hell are we talking about this?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “All I know is that it is a real serious topic for a second date.”
“I don’t look at it like that.”
“I know you don’t consider what we’re doing a date.”
“I think if you go out a second time, it is closer to a date than the first date, but you’re still not there yet. You need five dates to really know someone’s bullshit.”
“I think you’re right, Robert,” I said. I had never heard a man talk like this, except in the movies.
Robert looked at me and gave me a knowing grin. He had such a handsome face.
“I want to know more about you,” Robert said. “Tell me three facts about you that you don’t think you have shared with a single person in over a year.”
“This is an interesting way to get to know someone,” I said. I thought about Donovan when he asked me about my passions. Both these guys were one of a kind.
“Why not make it fun, and sometimes you find some really cool stuff about people?”
“Okay, let me think. I like questions like this that make me think in-depth about myself. I’m very self-centered that way,” I joked. I thought about it and I said, “My first fact that I hadn’t shared with anyone is how much I loved my mother. I loved my mother deeply. We were old souls when we were together.”
“Why haven’t you shared that with people?” Robert asked.
“Because she is in a special place in my heart and it’s hard to share that part of me.”
“I feel honored you shared it with me,” Robert said. “She seems like a real woman.”
“Yeah, she was. She loved me with all her heart. I loved her right back. She was the most amazing woman. I had some serious female role models in my life, I was extremely lucky.”
“They must have been because you’re pretty spectacular.” Robert smiled at me and I knew he meant every word. I just did. I felt his honesty and it warmed me.
I looked at Robert and he was trying hard. Doing all the little things, saying most of the right things. Maybe a little too honest, but he laid it all out there. Most men never opened it. You left the relationship knowing less and less about the guy because he hid himself more and more.
The waitress walked up with a tray that had two gigantic Monte Cristo sandwiches with fruit and a saucer full of strawberry jam. “That’s how you eat a Monte Cristo. Try dipping your egg battered sandwich in jam.”
“It’s almost like having a French toast sandwich. I can feel the pounds already settling in my stomach. This is probably the most delicious-looking sandwich I have ever seen.”
“And you haven’t even tasted it yet,” the waitress said. “I’ll be back with more refills.”
The waitress left and Robert took a bite of his sandwich. His eyes lit up the second the sandwich hit his taste buds. “My goodness, that is delicious.”
“You truly feel the face of God smiling on you after you take your first bite.”
“I’m not sure if it was that spiritual of an experience for me. It was really good. I have to be honest, it’s hard to eat a sandwich that you feel so gluttonous while eating it.”
“Okay, buzz kill,” I said. “I’m done eating.” I looked down at the sandwich and it really was gluttonous looking. “The fruit kind of offsets the batter-dipped sandwich that is meant to be dipped in jam when it already has powdered sugar on it.”
Robert smiled at me and said, “I think you put too much pressure on this poor sandwich. It couldn’t possibly live up to the hype you were dishing. I don’t think I have ever eaten anything in my life that gave me the kind of experience you’re promising with this sandwich. I’m just saying, you might want to pull back a little.” Robert winked to assure me that he was keeping the conversation light.
I ate my own sandwich. It was really good. It was just like I remembered. I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it.
I looked at Robert and he was trying to eat his sandwich and it was falling apart all over him. I laughed out loud and said, “Let’s get out of here and go for a walk before you have to leave.”
“All right.”
“Excuse me,” Robert said to the waitress. “Could we have our check? We’re going to take off.”
“Was the sandwich okay?” the waitress asked.
“It was delicious,” Robert said.
“I’ll bring you guys out a couple of containers.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “We’re kind of in a hurry.” I didn’t mind I was almost done with it.
Robert paid and left a tip and we went back outside and decided to walk in the front of the stores and go down Harbor. There are a lot of cute, quaint shops.
“It was a very good sandwich,” Robert said.
“We can talk about something other than that sandwich?” I asked.
“Okay, you still have two things you have never told anyone for a year.”
I thought about it and said, “I’ll name one more and then you have to give me two?” I said to Robert as we walked. His hand slipped down and touched my hand. Then we began to hold hands. It was nice and I w
as going to have to think of another thing. I wanted to keep it light on the second one. “My dream car when I was younger was a white Corvette.”
“Very sexy car,” Robert said.
“I always thought so. Now, it’s your turn.”
“I tell you what. I’ll do the same thing you did. I’ll give you one serious one and one fun one.”
“Or two fun ones,” I said. I really didn’t want this date get any heavier.
“Okay,” Robert smiled. “I was arrested once when I was sixteen for going through a block and hitting every trash can I could with my truck.”
“Did you have anger issues? At that age?”
“Not really. The two friends I was with all thought it was funny. It was funny until a guy cornered us in a cul-de-sac that looked pretty huge and we were stuck. The police weren’t exactly nice about it. I had to do community service and pay for a couple of trash cans.”
“You are a rebel,” I said. “Ever been arrested as an adult?”
“No, they sealed my records when I was eighteen. So, I have no record.”
“That’s good to know after I have been to your house to pick you up for a second date.”
“What about you? Have you ever been arrested?”
I laughed. “I have a story similar to yours,” I said. “Hey this is becoming the third thing I’m telling you,” I protested.
“You brought it up.”
I looked at Robert and said, “Yes, I did. I worked at a retail job when I was sixteen and was stupid enough to take a twenty out of the cash register, knowing there was a camera on me. The loss prevention security guys had me arrested within an hour. It was scary. But I was also able to seal my records.”
Robert and I both laughed out loud. “We were a couple of rebels. Trash can hitting and stealing twenty bucks.”
“You now have two more things to tell me, mister.”
“Okay,” Robert said. He thought about it. “My brother is my best friend.”
“He is? How many siblings did you say you have? I remember you mentioned it on our first phone call.”
“I have one brother and three sisters.”
“And your brother is your best friend.”
“He and my assistant.”
“I forgot you told me you had an assistant. Where does he live?”
“In a room in my house most of the time, but he travels around a lot.”
“Sounds like a busy assistant.”
“Oh, he doesn’t travel because of me. He just likes to get away.”
“Okay, your brother and your assistant are your best friends. You have to give me one more.”
“I haven’t loved a woman in the way I know I can in ten years.”
I looked at Robert and I said, “You broke the rule. You went heavy.”
“It was something I wanted you to know,” Robert said.
Robert and I had consistently funny and endearing conversations. He really made no mistakes on this date and that was great for a second date. We went back to my car and he did the same thing where he opened my door to let me in. O the driver side door. He gently took my keys and found the one he needed and opened the door for me. He was two for two in a big way. We’d see how long that would last. By date ten, he’d be asking to drive.
Date ten? What was I thinking?
Chapter Twenty-three