Madison Awakening

Déjà’s décor is rustic yet trendy, consisting of dark wood, warm gold and burgundy. It is dimly lit by candles and antique chandeliers’ bathing the cozy space in a warm glow. A petite man with dark hair and shining blue eyes warmly greets us.  

        “Monsieur Cain, bonsoir. And bonsoir to you mademoiselle.” He says with a heavy French accent and gives me a polite but thorough look over.  I grip onto Jonathan’s hand a little tighter and smile at the Maître d.

        “Good to see you again Jacques.” Jonathan replies with a tone intertwining familiarity and authority.

        “Let me take you to your table, Monsieur.”   

As we follow behind Jacques, in natural synchronized movement, I can feel the eyes of the other patrons on us as we breeze towards the back. I was sure they were questioning who I was and why I was with such a prominent Hamptons figure. But instead of feeling anxious from all the looks, I felt powerful, like his energy elevated mine. 

 We enter a separate room segregated from the hushed noise of the main dining area. The lone table is set with beautiful crystal, white linen, ivory candles, white roses and hydrangea. Jonathan pulls out the plush armchair and I sit, thanking him for his chivalry. Once he is seated across from me, he holds my gaze and I break eye contact only to take the menu from Jacques.

“Bon appetit.” He says and then disappears to the main dining room closing the French doors behind him.

“Do you like French food, Madison?” He asks tentatively.  Is he nervous too?

“I love French food. It’s decadent and delicious.” I reply with a sly smile.  Jonathan raises his brow slightly, and laughs.

“I agree. I stole my chef from my favorite restaurant in Paris to work here. I wanted everything to be authentic.”

“Wow! Do you go to Paris often?”

“Not really, I go for business about once a year but I also went to prep school there. Have you been?”

“No. Unfortunately, I haven’t made it there yet.” I respond feeling somewhat subordinate to Mr. Worldly. Thankfully, our waiter comes to the table with his hands full and murmurs a greeting. He places a stand and ice bucket down to Jonathan’s right, and then sets up to open a bottle of champagne. With a flourish and without spilling a drop, he pours the pink bubbly generously into our glasses then places the bottle in the bucket and scurries away.

“I know you are a tequila girl, but I felt champagne was appropriate for the occasion.” He says.  

“Are we celebrating something?” I ask inquisitively. Lifting his glass, I follow him.

“Yes, we are celebrating making new friends.” He proclaims capturing my stare and making me feel nothing but sincerity in his words. We clink glasses and sip. The champagne is cool, crisp and delicious.  New friends? Interesting….

“Jonathan, you don’t strike me as a man interested in making friends with the women he meets.” I maintain a cool stare as I deliver my words looking him straight in the eye and take another sip of my champagne. If I’m going to do this, whatever this is, I need to cut through the bullshit early. Jonathan makes no sudden movements at my words but I think I see a glimmer of surprise.

“I have female friends, but you are half right. I don’t make it a habit of making new friends, female or otherwise. I keep a close circle.” He states with a serious tone. I nod and take another sip of champagne just as the waiter returns.

“Good evening. Are yous ready to awwder Mr. Cain?” He announces with a thick Long Island accent that is punctuated with an undertone of fear. Jonathan looks at the menu and then to me.

“Ladies first.” He says graciously.

“Actually, I didn’t even look at the menu. You said everything was good, so surprise me.” I say with a smile. 

I’ve never had anyone order for me, but I figure if you are with the owner, it’s a perfect time to do so. He responds with a wide grin then spouts off a list of items, to which I only recognized a few. The waiter gives him a nod, turns and disappears into the swinging doors. I take another sip of champagne and narrow my eyes at Jonathan.

“Do you make a habit of tracking down the name and number of potential ‘friends’?” I ask sweetly. Jonathan lets out a hearty laugh at my forwardness and then considers my question thoughtfully.

“No, Madison. I don’t. You are the exception. I was so caught up that night with business that I lost the opportunity to spend time with you. So, I actively worked to create another one and here we are. And I am really glad you said yes, despite my apparent stalkerness, because you look…beautiful tonight. Really…stunning.” He says with an intense stare that causes my body to warm. I feel somewhat light headed, from the rush of serotonin at his words. I try to recover my senses with a deep breath.