Something about Elle Ch. 02

Back in his office he wondered about after dinner tonight; how hard should he push? Well, first ask how much of her did he want? That question answered itself: Yummy.

Actually the question was loaded. Did he just want to bed her, or was she worth more than that, and if so how much more.

Marriage?

He watched his thumbs in front of his locked fingers twirling one way, and then in reverse. Ohmigod: Marry her?

He unlocked his hands to scratch an imaginary itch behind his right ear. It was rare for him to think marriage. Occasions triggered the thought like watching parents playing with their kids, kids at parties, kids of friends at Christmas and the enormous fun some dads had with their kids camping. He lay back on a chair wondering what day it was, such was the over-indulgence the previous night.

One memorable moment came when walking to his mom's apartment just a couple of months ago - a dad assisting his son to ride a two-wheel bike without trainers. They both worked at it so determinedly. He stayed and watched, thinking of his father going through this process with him. It was one of those shiny moments one sometimes has in deep thought. He walked on around the corner and heard a scream of delight from the kid when the father called, "But I have let go. You are riding by yourself Mike!"

Marry Elle?

At least the concept didn't repel him; the fact was she was close to being the catch of the century er the day. More likely would she be repelled by the thought of saying 'I Do!' to him?

Well he was chasing his tail on this line of thought. Better to wait to see what happens, if anything.

Donovan thought that was the end of that. But her face drifted before him again. He swallowed, feeling a little uncertain; this was becoming serious and why was this happening - she'd given him no encouragement?

Then he remembered the once she'd touched him - an affectionate touch, perhaps. In the car, not yet an hour ago. They had been talking about dinner and her hand just fell across his thigh - not the touch of a woman on a mission but a care-free placement of a woman signaling she was pleased to be in his company. At least that's his interpretation.

Oh boy, this was something to think about. He failed to recall being caressed casually other than by a non-family female, at least not beyond five minutes on either side of having sex. But why had she rested her hand on his thigh; his shoulder was just as close to her and it was neutral territory?

Neutral territory - did she possess such a concept? She must have; mothers begin engraining it into daughter's soon after infancy, didn't they? He had no problem with that; there were some slimy male bastards around. Her gesture was so puzzling: he was damn sure had he'd asked her to place her hand on his thigh she would have recoiled in horror.

He paused on that thought. That was not true, she was not a woman who acted excessively. She would more likely have raised an eyebrow to lengthen her smile, saying, 'Okay, but give me two convincing reasons for doing that, not related to sex.' That sounded very much like her.

She was so different. Everything about her was so rounded and that's excluding her body. Almost everything was...er...soft and sunny. Yeah, that's about it. She would have a temper, everyone did, but she'd not shown it, keeping it under mind-bending control like a monk. Look at the way his mom had taken to her - splat! How extraordinary!

The phone went, releasing Donovan from this meditation raining thoughts bordering on romantic notions.

Donovan beset by romantic notions? Even his mom would be taken aback by such a disclosure. Then again, no-one really knows the true depths of anyone else's thoughts, which was a relief, totally.

Later walking through administration Donovan noticed Elle was in his mom's glass-walled office and as he watched Elle hugging his mom and patting her back in a caring manner.

What's up: is mom pleading Elle not to take her son from her? Alarmed by such an intrusive, ridiculous thought Donovan turned to retreat and only just missed colliding with the burly water cooler man carrying two full jars and in that evasive maneuver Donovan almost landed on the knee of a surprised accounts clerk doing her nails.

"Oh Mr Seymour, by-passing the usual flowers and chocolates preliminaries are we?" said Trisha, managing to push against him with her substantial chest, hands raised with the varnish in one hand, brush in the other and giggly almost insanely, setting off the women around her.

"Mr Seymour, my staff are not here to be your playthings," Hannah called in an exaggerated high-pitched censorious voice.

Donovan fled the erupting bedlam.

Ten minutes later he was chairing a taskforce.

Hannah arrived with Elle and they sat at the far end of the table, Hannah calling, "Are we safe if we sit here, Donovan?" and received a thin smile in response.

"Right guys," said Bill Codington, director of research and analysis. "Hannah and I have been looking at project profitability and the results are interesting. The point at where we treble our income over expenditure on individual contracts cuts off at a point which leaves forty percent of project above that revenue-earning line, that as you all know is our target."

"That leaves a second line at a point below which projects either break even or our efforts result in a loss. This is not good enough people."

"What do you suggest Bill?" Donovan asked.

"Try to turn away projects likely to produce poor returns and hike up our fees on those other projects below the treble earning line."

"Hannah?"

"Some of our clients produce repeat business if our work is done on a divisional basis. We'd have to consider that and also avoid pricing ourselves to become too expensive."

The debate continued, really going nowhere until Bill said, "Come on, Elle. The answer is probably lurking in your brain. This problem is all about vision plus creative accounting."

Everyone looked at Elle who, without thinking, put her hands behind her head. The women smiled while the men attempted to look stony-faced. She happened to be wearing a push-up bra.

"You've given the answer, Bill which is creative accounting. I suggest you try to produce a formula whereby the client agrees to pay us as a bonus up to a maximum of say thirty percent of gross profit above an agreed benchmark - which could be gross profit for the previous twelve months for our client company, or the division we've restructured, and we keep our scale of fees unchanged."

There were murmurs of interest.

"Why thirty percent of gross, why not fifty percent of net profit above the agreed mark?"

All eyes swung back on Elle, now sitting normally.

"Because - excuse my language ladies - it's a difference of being financially milked and financially raped. I believe a hard-strapped business owner praying for business salvation would wear a thirty percent slice off a bigger profit that perhaps truthfully he or she was not expecting."

"Yes, I would agree," Bill said. "But what if he or she doesn't exceed the benchmark?"

"We go without our bonus, not having earned it."

"Jesus that's tough."

"But she's right Bill," Donovan said. "Our goal is to substantially reinvigorate ailing businesses, not to lift them in tiny increments. Any further business, or have we done here?

"Right, Bill and Hannah you have some ideas. Should you not favor Elle's proposal I still want it analyzed."

"Meaning?"

"Read between the lines Bill - but at this stage it's your baby."

As the meeting broke up Donovan pulled his mom aside.

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"I was wondering about going to San Diego for the night and showing Elle around."

"Could you go the next weekend, taking my car?"

"I wouldn't feel comfortable driving that beast."

"Elle will drive."

"Do you know if she can handle our driving conditions? She told me in her country they drive on the other side of the highway."

"She'll cope admirably. Elle can do anything."

Hannah looked at him intently. "Oh my, someone's gotten a deep respect for our pretty and sexy New Zealander?"

"You seem impressed by her."

"Yes, but not the way you've just expressed yourself so emotively."

"Your hearing is faulty, old age I suspect."

"Don't be rude. She's a lovely young woman Donovan."

"Must go mom, I have an urgent call to make."

Heading back to his office Donovan asked Pam to search out the restaurant they worked on about two years ago with the Austrian chef-owner named Daniel something.

She phoned him two minutes later with the name, Daniel Geiringer and wife Henrietta and produced the phone number.

"Hi Dan, I'm Donovan of...

"I remember you well because you guys gave a big uplift to my business that continues to this day. Are you looking for my endorsement of your company's effectiveness?"

"No Dan. I'd like a counter top special this evening for two - sorry I'm late calling but the thought occurred to me when I was watching this lady in action at a meeting today."

"You can eat here but late."

"That's fine."

"Say 10:30?"

Donovan winced but said that was fine, they'd go to a movie first. Ah her name is Elle. Love to Henny."

Donovan called Elle.

"I was taking you to a normal restaurant tonight but after your extraordinary performance at the meeting this afternoon I thought I should give you an extraordinary dining out experience. But we have to eat late because they're booked out at earlier times."

"Call this number I'll give you and ask for Henny, saying you're booked in with me for 10:30 - we'll be dining with Henny and her super-chef husband Dan. They are Austrians and were clients of ours two years ago. Give Henny your preferences of main content for entrée, main course and desert. Just the pivotal item of each dish - Dan will ignore anything else you attempt to add. I'll eat what you order."

"Why do this?

"Because you'll try to surprise me as Henny will ask you to match the wines with each course. It's your chance to show me some flare. We'll go to a movie - you may choose."

"Well you surprise me but no blood and guts please."

"It's not a peculiar way to organize a first date. Where is your vision?

"That's better, and I'm looking forward to it too. Let's go to a movie that ends soon after10:00 and we'll have a drink so I can play with your knees when on the bar stools at the counter where the owner/executive chef will cook exclusively for us."

"Donovan I hadn't realized I was committing to a restaurant meal that was that intimate."

"Elle give a guy a break, will you. Bye."

At 6.30 Donovan took a cab home. There wasn't much point driving between home and work and he kept the car in the basement of the office building because it was superior with better security that his apartment parking space.

After mixing a banana smoothie he drank that flicking through some news channels and checking the stock market. He then had a bath, soaking while making some social calls. His mom had been delighted that he wanted to host a rooftop barbeque during the weekend for her, Elle his two sisters.

Both girls were available on Sunday lunchtime and were excited at being asked.

"Kate said she'd heard Donovan had a new girlfriend - the foreign lady who's staying with their mom. She sounded awesome."

"Awesome?"

"I said she's beautiful with a figure to die for and was about the same age as you."

"Are those necessary attributes for a potential spouse?"

He was told not be pathetic.

"Noon Sunday and no matchmaking and tell that to Annie."

He took a call from Elle. She was in the bath with a smoothie.

"I'm also in the bath with a smoothie. Banana, what's yours?"

"Peach."

"Ah peach."

"Please don't make my choice of drink sound obscene," she giggled.

"Are you breasts above or below the water?"

"Why ask that?"

I was just wondering to develop a vision. If you don't tell me I'll only guess."

"Oh really; have you chosen the movie?"

"Yes 'Danger in the Alps'."

"Oh god."

"The promo says very scenic high level adventure action and high level romancing."

"Oooh Donovan. That sounds like an acceptable kind of adventure; well done. I'll call for you as I approach your apartment building in a cab around 7:15. And you have a lovely bath too."

They arrived opposite The Gourmet's Select Restaurant, looking at it across the street.

The entire exterior was a mix of vertical and horizontally curved stainless steel and flat darkened glass with a very bright red doorway, the name 'Gourmet's Select' in red and green neon placed high up the exterior.

"It looks stunning - did the project include the new façade?"

"Yep, a complete reconstruction actually, right down to a name change and the restaurant offering a unique dining experience."

Elle wondered about that and asked, "Hasn't it all been done before?"

"Bit and pieces perhaps but here you have a total dining experience.

There is a bar inside the entrance, and guests are taken into the restaurant two at a time. It serves only couples, beginning at 8:00 when a maximum of ten couples have the restaurant for just under two hours. If they wish to stay longer they are escorted to the bar and lounge where their desert will be served. At 10:30 the second sitting commences."

"What? Only a maximum of forty meals being served?"

"Yes, beer, wine and sodas are inclusive and the cost per guest is $330 irrespective of the nature of their three courses."

Elle raised an eyebrow.

"I find restaurant meals are very attractively priced here - $330 per person sound exorbitant."

"Have you heard of silver service?"

"Yes."

"Well think of this as gold plated silver service. The restaurant is open evenings only Tuesday thru to Saturday for 48 weeks of the year, and is always full. The waiting list often extends out three months or more."

Six couples were still in the bar/lounge area. The hostess enquired, 'Mr Seymour?' and excused herself, returning moments later with a tubby smiling chef aged around forty.

"Donovan good evening."

"Hi Dan. Elle Jamieson, this is super-chef Daniel Geiringer."

"Hi Elle," he said, stepping forward and folding her arm under his. Please come with me - you two are our guests tonight, our non-paying guests. It is an honor to have the distinguished Donovan Seymour in our restaurant and accompanied by such a beautiful woman."

"Thank you, Daniel," Elle said, fluttering her eye-lashes.

"Elle you look as beautiful as your voice," cooed a plump Germanic blonde about Elle's age."

Dan let go of Elle and the two women kissed gently and Elle said how lovely it was to meet Henny.

"See we have these six gourmet stations as we call them," explained Henny. "The couple at each of them can choose to sit either at a conventional dining table for two or watch their food being prepared and cooked at the bar and even eat at the bar. It's their choice."

"We'll sit at the bar," said Donovan. Squeeze in here with us, Henny, while we watch Dan in action."

It was a tight fit - as Elle, in the middle, pressed up against him to make room for Henny

Donovan pressed his knee against Elle' and she pressed right back; they had been drinking after the action-packed movie which featured some love scenes with heavy touches of erotica.

"I also cook and serve in tandem and we have a waitress bringing food out from the preparation area and clearing. Our hostess out front also pours and serves the drinks, so we are a very lean operation."

"Lean but not mean," Dan laughed.

They chatted, laughed, drank and ate, Dan also eating at the bar facing them.

"You must enjoy your food," he said to Elle. "I compliment you on your excellent choices."

Donovan had the idea that finding out Elle's choice of menu would be like looking at what books she read; it would tell him something about her, but at the end of the evening he decided if he'd found out something about her through he didn't know what it was.

For entrée, Elle had chosen buffalo risotto and the three of them sipped her choice of a very dry French wine they watched Dan prepare crab and leek risotto for four.

"You menu is so tempting we're having it too," Henny said. "Are you sure you two are not too cramped for room."

"No," chorused the guests, exchanging another knee press.

Dan used only the white part of the leeks and the Arborio rice was already well under way. He stirred in crabmeat, mascarpone and a selection of herbs including dill, basil and coriander and Henny switched everyone to a lightly-oaked Chardonnay - "the crabmeat is naturally a little sweet."

Their main dish was quail which had already been marinating. Dan char-grilled it and served it with marinade mushrooms, cornbread, roasted red capsicums and a mixed salad. The wine was a Californian Pinot Noir.

The last guests had left the bar and after cleaning up the hostess, who lectured at university part-time, joined them for a drink then left when they were about to have desert.

"You said some sort of chocolate desert Elle. Well I decided on rich chocolate cake with roasted walnuts.

He returned from the baking area with the warm chocolate cake still on the cooling rack and poured over prepared ganache made with dark couverture chocolate and then added the walnuts. With that was served a young Muscat liqueur.

Under questioning from Elle, Dan said the restaurant attracted well-heeled foodies who tended to question them about the components of sauces, their preferences with herb-dish combinations and preparation and cooking techniques.

"Take what has been served this evening. Perhaps the number one question I get is whether there are short-cuts to making risotto - the answer is yes, but there is compromise on flavor and texture. Questioning people find the reason why their quail burn so readily is they take short-cuts with the marinade."

Elle added her bit: "And why your chocolate cake tastes so much better than usual is the care you take but above all your choice of chocolate."

"Exactly. You are a foodie for sure Elle,"

* * *

Despite the alcohol, Elle remained true to herself. They entered Hannah's apartment and smooched on the sofa. She didn't open her mouth to him and resisted his attempts to unzip the back of her dress but allowed him to slip a hand down the front of her dress and on to her breasts where he found the nipples already aroused.

"Is it time for you to be in bed - by yourself?" she enquired diplomatically after allowing him thirty seconds of groping.

Donovan sighed, withdrawing his hand.

"You should be awarded a medal for being willing to treat me with restraint, considering how you feel obligated. I thank you lovely lady."

"I managed to get through it by imaging my hands were in iron gloves attached to the back of the sofa by heavy chains. You felt tempted to allow me hands to wander farther?"

Donovan watched her bite her lip and nod.

"I better go home," he said huskily.

"Yes," she sighed, looking ready to sob.

More Coming