“Here we are,” Grant beamed at Tasha as he stopped his car in the parking lot of a new exquisite restaurant called Le Petit Paradise. Nestled in a quiet alley, hidden from the chaos of the bustling city streets.
And the best part was that it had a theater upstairs. This afforded the clients the opportunity to enjoy movies in a more serene environment. One of Grant’s clients had taken him to the restaurant for a meeting last month.
That was how he got to know the place. And he had decided since then that he would take Tasha there for a celebratory dinner whenever she finished her book. She and Evelyn had finished up their writing two days ago.
He got out of the car and turned around to open the car door for Tasha. Grant couldn’t help but admire her beauty. With her raven-black hair and captivating green eyes, and an aura of grace that was added to her beauty. The flowing red dress she wore enhanced her curves, and Grant couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at being her partner.
“Wow, this place is magnificent.” Tasha’s eyes lit up with excitement as they walked up to the entrance of the restaurant.
Grant pushed open the glass door. “Wait until you see the inside.”
As they walked through the doors, the warm hues of the dimly lit room, the soft murmurs of other lovers, and the enticing aroma of French cuisine welcomed them.
“Come,” he took her hand and led her to a private booth tucked away in the corner with the number on his reservation receipt.
A waiter, dressed in a crisp white apron, appeared beside their table.
“Welcomed to Le Petit Paradise.” He greeted them with a friendly smile and presented them with the menu.
They perused the menu. And ordered grilled shrimp vegetable salad with Chardonnay for appetizer and classic duck confit with grilled potatoes for the main course.
As the waiter served their appetizers, Grant proposed a toast. “To more success, love, laughter, and adventure.” Tasha raised her glass, her eyes sparkling with love and admiration. “Yes, to us, to everything good,” she whispered, and they clinked their glasses together before sipping.
Tasha studied him over the rim of her glass, admiring the very handsome and compassionate man she had fallen for.
He caught her scrutiny and grinned, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “I love you Tasha, I want you to know that you mean the world to me,” he breathed, his voice hoarse. “You make my heart sing, and I can’t imagine my life without you.”
He couldn’t wait for summer to be over so he could propose to her. He already had the ring, but he didn’t want to do it in Tyson’s absence. So he had to wait.
Tears welled up in Tasha’s eyes as she realized just how much he loved her. “I love you too, Grant. More than words can express,” she replied, her voice trembling.
They finished with their appetizer, and Grant beckoned to the waiter for their main dish to be served.
“Next week Tuesday is Trevor’s send forth party,” Tasha said after a moment of silence. “I hope you will have time to come with me?”
“Sure,” Grant nodded, cutting into his potatoes. “I will. You all are going to miss him in your department. Aren’t you?”
“You can say that again,” she cleaned her mouth with the napkin. “I, for one, am missing him already. I don’t have any close friends in the faculty anymore. With Ellen Dunlop’s resignation before summer and now Trevor.” She sighed heavily.
“I trust you,” Grant whispered. “You will make new friends soon.”
“I will try,” she said. “Trevor is a great guy; he doesn’t have any airs around him. You can hardly believe he’s a full professor already with the way he carries himself.”
“Yeah,” Grant nodded. “What about his girlfriend?”
“You can’t believe it,” Tasha reached out and placed a hand on Grant’s hand. “She’s going with him to Los Angeles. She will conclude her master’s program there.”
“I like that,” he drank from his water. “Beautiful. That means they are pretty serious with each other.”
“Yes, they are,” she smiled.
“I wish both of them well,” he said. “What about the design?” Tasha asked about the project he was currently working on. “Is it coming through?”
“Yeah, it is?” He chewed the food in his mouth. “I have moved past the hurdles now. I should finish up tomorrow.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
They spend the rest of the meal discussing their planned visit to Grant’s mom the week after the next. And how they would go from Ashwood to Sandville for Phoebe’s wedding.
“We are coming back with Tyson, right?” Grant asked. “I miss my buddy so much.”
“Sure,” Tasha nodded.
Before they knew it, two hours had passed, and it was after nine. Grant paid, and they walked hand in hand upstairs to the theater.
It was just fifteen minutes before the next movie. They bought ice cream in freshly made waffles after they paid for their tickets and went inside.
The two lovers sat entwined to enjoy the movie, their hands and body occasionally touching. Their hearts beating in sync. The laughter of the characters on the screen echoed through the theater, and for Grant and Tasha, it was the perfect way to celebrate their love on this magical evening.
*********
When they returned home a few minutes before midnight, Maggie, Jasmine, her best friend and Jasmine’s two brothers were just walking up to the cul-de-sac from the other end.
“Hi Miss Tasha, hi Grant,” they all greeted.
“Hi everyone,” Grant answered for the two of them.
“Where are you all coming from?” Tasha asked.
“Next street from the bonfire party,” Justin, one of Jasmine’s brothers, said.
“Oh yeah,” Grant said. “My neighbor’s son told me about it.”
“Did you guys enjoy yourselves?” Tasha asked them.
“We did,” they chorused. And told Grant and Tasha about the event that was organized for the youths in the community for a few minutes before everyone went their different ways.
Maggie walked back into their apartment after she had bid her friend and her brothers a good night.
She was about to undress when she spotted her cell phone blinking the signature green light of a new message on her reading table. Thinking it was Jasmine who was messaging her, she went to pick the phone off the table and checked. But it was Kevin’s message.