“Yes please!” Matt figures he needs to impress Amber a little after their first impression of the place. The waiter signals the bus boy and removes the few items that are on their table. The bus boy shows up with a big roll of butcher paper. He sets it on the next table and rips off about five feet of it for Matt and Amber’s table. He covers the plain wood with the butcher paper tablecloth, and replaces the utensils, napkins, and the rest of the stuff.
Amber has to smile. “Did you order a tablecloth the last time you were up here?”
“This is a first, I wanted to impress you. Maybe I could have done better if I spoke Italian.”
“You impressed me all right. I would never have been able to find a place like this.”
Matt signals the waiter and requests a menu.
“Sir, we do not need a menu.”
“There was one out front,” Matt adds.
“That is our general menu. All our dinners come family style, with an anti-pasta dish, minestrone soup, tossed salad, bread, and ice cream after. The main course is listed there.” He points to a hand lettered sign with eight items…high up on the wall. If the food did not smell so yummy and the place so full of people, Matt might have grabbed Amber and left right then.
“This is fun Matt!” Amber interrupts his thought. “This place is obviously different and by the looks of all the people, very popular.” She asks the waiter to bring them a bottle of Chianti. They read the main course selections from the sign on the wall. The items are mostly different kinds of pasta with a choice of sauces. They do have lasagna and veal marsala, but they settle on traditional spaghetti and raviolis.
The wine, bread and butter are soon on the table. The wine is served in a pitcher; it is dark and delicious. Matt comments, “The wine is probably made by an old Italian woman stomping on grapes behind the restaurant.”
Matt and Amber chat, laugh, and enjoy the food. The minestrone soup was the best either of them had ever tasted. While eating their entrée, the chef comes by to check on the meal. He is pleasant and about 50 pounds overweight. There is spaghetti sauce, splatter here and there on his white outfit. He is the kind of person you would want to spend time drinking wine with.
By the time they get their ice cream dessert, they are stuffed. It was a wonderful meal as well as an unexpected adventure. They were made to feel as if they were family. Matt made a mental note to remember this place and hoped he would bring Amber here again. As they left, the waiter and even the bus boy came up to them and thanked them.
After dinner, they stroll a few streets checking out the entertainment. This is an area of strip clubs and adult shows. The strip joints are intermixed with the restaurants and bars. Many of the strip clubs feature totally nude dancers. There are a couple larger, more famous establishments, but also sleazier sex shows here and there. Matt and Amber chat while they walk the streets. They are not really looking for any place in particular, to see a show. They stop at a smaller place with a sign out front advertising fully nude dancers, with no cover charge and no drinks to buy. The place catches their eye, and they look at the pictures of the scantly clothed performers in the window. Matt and Amber see a few couples going in and out, along with single guys. They figure this place might be worth checking out.
“Are you feeling adventuresome?” Matt asks with his little smile.
“I was planning to seduce you again when we got back to the hotel. Looking at naked women would fit right into that plan.” Amber smiles too.