Chapter 16 #2
“We’re sitting on the floor, like Persians did in the old timey movies,” she said as she poured steaming tea over the ice in his glass, then did the same for hers.
She hurried back into the kitchen to put the hot tea pot on a pot holder, then back into the living room to take a seat in front of her plate.
“Okay, now what should I try?” he asked.
“The tea,” she said, sipping her own and softly moaning as its flavor and the two temperatures crossed her tongue.
He picked up the tea and sampled it hesitantly at first, then smiled at her as he took a longer drink and held it on his tongue. He swallowed and shook his head in disbelief. “This is so good. I think I need to keep this in my house, too.”
She smiled and started serving him from all the bowls and platters that held different foods. She unfolded a foil pouch and placed a piece of manakish bread beside the rest of his food, then started serving herself. “Don’t wait for me, dig in,” she said excitedly.
Remi took his time trying all of the dishes she’d served him, marveling at each new taste and texture. “You know how some people have pizza night, or taco night?”
“Yes,” she said, waiting for him to finish his thought.
“I need to have Middle Eastern food night.”
“Yep, every week.”
“No, at least a couple of times each week,” Remi said.
Cristie laughed, but nodded her agreement as she stuffed her mouth with Moussaka.
“What is this?” Remi asked, taking an even bigger bite than she did.
“Moussaka. It’s kind of a shepherd’s pie.
But it’s got layers of sauteed eggplant and potatoes on the bottom, then a layer of spiced lamb and onions, then a thick and creamy bechamel sauce.
They bake it until it gets a kind of crust on top of the bechamel.
Oh, my God!” she said, taking another bite.
“Yeah, I’m going to need some of this for breakfast every day,” Remi said, finishing off the serving she’d put on his plate and serving himself some more.
Cristie laughed. “It’s addictive. I tell you, I go there all the time. But you can’t tell anybody! It’s my refuge, and my addiction.”
He mimed locking his lips and throwing away the key as he picked up a fried, football shaped thing. “What is this? Kind of reminds me of a dark weird shaped cornbread.”
She smiled teasingly at him. “Take a bite.”
Remi took a big bite from the end of it. He chewed slowly as he looked at it, then raised his eyes to hers. “What is this?”
“Kibbeh. It’s got ground beef and lamb with onions and cinnamon, allspice, pine nuts that are cooked to perfection.
They use bulgar wheat to seal the meat mixture inside and they deep fry it.
The outside gets crispy and the inside stays moist and soft.
It’s so good. But try it with that cucumber yogurt sauce. ”
Remi dipped it in the sauce she indicated and closed his eyes as he savored it. “Why have I never tried this kind of food before?”
“I know! Like I said, I’m addicted.”
“Me, too. I’m not even finished with my first meal yet, and I’m already thinking of when I can go get some more.”
Cristie laughed.
They ate until they were stuffed, took a break and watched a little T.V., then ate some more.
“You know we still have dessert,” Cristie said.
“We do?”
“We do. It’s called kunafa,” she said, getting up off her seat on the floor and heading into the kitchen.
“I’m game. Bring it on,” Remi said.
Cristie came out of the kitchen carrying a plate on which she’d placed six kunafa, and the rest of the tea to refill their glasses. She put two on each of their plates. “Bon’ Appetit!” she said.
Remi laughed. “We have to figure out how to say that in Arabian. It just feels wrong to say in French when we’re feasting on something that’s not French.”
“Yeah, we’ll have to ask Amir.”
“Alright, so tell me what this is,” Remi said.
“What you see is shredded phyllo dough. Inside is sweet cheese filling. They throw some ground pistachios on top and soak the whole thing in a sweet syrup made with rose or orange blossom water. I like both, but I prefer the orange blossom water.”
“What are these?”
“I don’t know. They smell like the orange blossom. Amir knows I prefer it, so if there was any left, I’m sure that’s what he packed for us.”
They each picked up one of the desserts and touched them together like they would champagne glasses, then took a bite.
“Oh! Mmmm, Mmhmm, that’s the stuff,” Remi said, taking another bite.
“Yeah, that’s the orange blossom one. The rose water is good, too, I just find I like the orange more.”
Remi nodded as he finished off his first one and reached for the second.
Cristie was right behind him, reaching for her second one.
Remi reached for his newly refilled glass of mint tea, and scooted back to lean against the sofa behind himself. “Been a while since I ate so heartily,” he said, resting the arm holding his glass of tea atop his bent knee, as he watched the show playing on the television behind Cristie.
“I wish I could say the same, but no, I eat like this often.”
“Every time you can sneak away to Amir’s?” Remi asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Cristie said, finishing off her dessert and grabbing her tea to sip on while she turned to see what Remi had decided to watch. “Oh, it’s Abbott Elementary. I started watching that a few months ago. It’s really funny. The writers have a dry sense of humor. I love it.”
“That makes sense,” Remi said.
“Why” Cristie asked.
“You. You have a dry sense of humor. One of the reasons I like it is it reminds me of you.”
Cristie smiled at him as he focused on the television screen, then she got up and started to clean up the remnants of their meal.
“What are you doing? Leave it. I’ll get it.”
“No, I’m going to at least help you get it into the kitchen.”
“Cristie, leave it. Seriously.”
“Why?”
“You’re all about the why’s tonight, you know?”
She chuckled. “No, I’m really not.”
Remi sensed there was more behind her comment but was in no mood to risk the nice evening they’d had by pushing deeper so he chose to answer her question instead of asking more of his own.
“Because you spent the whole evening making sure my house would be nice, then you introduced me to my new favorite food. Laid it all out for me and even served me, in my own home. You didn’t have to do that. I appreciate it. I’ll clean it up.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. It’s getting late and we both have to get some rest for tomorrow. Why don’t you go on home and I’ll clean it up.”
“If you’re sure,” Cristie said.
“Very.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast, then.”
“I’ll have it ready.”
Cristie nodded, then walked over and picked up her purse. She rested its strap on her shoulder, and hesitated by the door with her keys in her hand as she looked back at Remi. “I guess I’ll go ahead home.”
“Okay. Be safe crossing the road.”
She nodded, then opened the door and stepped outside. “Sleep well, Remi.”
“You, too, Cristie.”
She nodded, seemed like she was going to say something else, then changed her mind and quietly closed the door behind herself.
A minute or two later he heard her car start.
Remi got up off the floor and watched through the window as she backed up, then turned around and drove across the street to her house.
He stayed put while he watched her enter the code to cause the gate to open and drove in.
He continued to watch her until he saw the brake lights of her car when she parked in front of her house, then saw her open the front door and go inside.
He rested his head against his own door and closed his eyes.
Mate stay here.
Remi huffed a sad laugh at his Dragon’s words. “If only. Maybe one day soon. But not yet.”
His Dragon scowled at him and stalked to the back of his mind.
“Don’t blame you a bit,” Remi said, walking over to the coffee table and picking up a few of the dishes, before taking them into the kitchen.
It didn’t take long at all for him have it all cleaned up, and the left overs packed up for the fridge.
He closed the refrigerator door, then stopped and thought about it, opened it again and took out one of his apple drinks.
He unscrewed the top like you would on a beer, then went outside and sat on his front porch in the dark, thinking about the way his night might have ended had Cristie been spending the night with him.
But that night wasn’t tonight, and it most likely wouldn’t be tomorrow night either. There was no way to know how long it would be until he finally won her over — if he ever did.