Madison Awakening

I start to feel somewhat like myself dressed in my DVF multi-colored maxi dress, gold hoops and favorite wedges once we reach Bagatelle, with its trendy garden party atmosphere for brunch. The former blue-blood estate was transformed into a lush hideaway with modern tables for a cool garden vibe. The hostess seats us at a bistro table enveloped within the magenta rose bushes and flurry of hushed banter of the various high-class patrons. I feel lighter in mind and body and pray silently that I will enjoy my time here. As I absorb the sensation of the sun on my skin while evaluating the space, my eyes halt on the beautiful man across the sprawling lawn.

Under the shade of the pussy willow canopy, he is sitting alone, reading the Sunday edition of The  New York Times intently. I study every inch of his long, lean, jean-clad frame. A white linen button-down veils the mystery god’s olive skin with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his strong forearms. He has dark, wavy hair pushed back by his sunglasses, and a strong jaw and nose. His lips are full and form a slight pout, possibly from the article he’s reading. As he moves the page, he lifts his head and looks out into the crowd and directly into me. His hazel eyes meet mine, and he stills. His pout transforms into a polite smile, and I smile back, reveling in the warmth rushing through my body from the silent exchange. As he goes back to reading his paper, I am left dazed. 

Ashely redirects my attention to the most important question of the day. “Should we get sangria or mimosas?” Ashely asks brightly under her Dior shades while looking over the menu.

“Sangria…definitely,” I answer back with a grin.

“Sounds good to me. I’m glad you seem to be coming out of your funk. You were starting to worry me. If you didn’t get up today, I was going to pull you out by your hair!”

“Thanks for dragging me out here. I definitely needed to get out of Brooklyn. I’m starting to feel a little more like myself already. Feels good to be out in nature.” 

Our server returns, and while Ashely is ordering, I look back to where the mystery god was seated, but he has vanished. It leaves a feeling of disappointment that surprises me. I haven’t thought about men in months, so I guess I’m already making progress. 

“So what do you want to do while we are out here?” Ashely asks.

“I’m really game for anything. This is kind of my last bit of peace because once I get back to the city. I have to finalize prepping for the Lavender Ball in a couple of weeks.”

“Well, I hope that includes drinking cocktails tonight at Dore with fabulous people. We haven’t gone out dancing in forever.” 

Our server returns with our pitcher of sangria and two very large goblets, and we beam at our cocktails. Simultaneously, we lift our glasses. 

Ashely pushes her sunnies up on her head and looks me straight in the eyes. “To our Hamptons hideaway and the shenanigans to come!” 

We clink glasses. 

I sip from my glass and look over to the empty seat left by the beautiful stranger. Part of me wonders if I imagined him. As the warm summer breeze moves across my skin, I smile with anticipation of what this Hamptons adventure has in store.