Chapter 6

What Landon and Grace saw when they entered the restaurant took their breath away. They stood at the entrance absorbing the whole scene. It looked like a picture taken from a fairy tale. The restaurant was empty except for just one table. A string quartet was playing soft romantic music.

The room was decorated with Christmas bells and wreaths. There was a large Christmas tree in the corner. Dozens of holiday figurines and blinking lights were strategically placed along the walls.

The Jammed had never looked so romantic and dreamier.

Landon heart sank when he saw all this. This wasn’t the cheapest plan. Just the opposite.

“Landon! What’s going on here?” Grace whispered afraid of breaking the spell.

“Surprise?” he whispered back with embarrassment.

“Oh, my God, I love this...” Grace exclaimed in a voice choked with emotion.

A waitress wearing a Santa hat came to them.

“Good evening, welcome to The Jammed. My name is Kat and I’ll be your waitress, please follow me to your table.”

As they walked to their table, Landon placed a guiding hand against the small of his girlfriend’s back. It was a gentlemanly gesture, an almost protective one, but it still set her skin on fire.

Grace looked in amazement at the table they had prepared for them. Centered between the candles in a low white vase there were flowers, white jasmines, and pink sweetheart roses.

Landon pulled out a chair for his girlfriend. Grace’s pulse skittered in a crazy tempo when her boyfriend seated himself right beside her.

A menu, unlike any they had ever seen, lay on the table in front of the centerpiece. It had been hand-painted in watercolor. It had their names on the top and a description of every plate.

There was a quote at the bottom, “Se l’amore rechiede solo baci, a cosa serve la fama del capocuoco? (If love requires only kisses, what is the use of the fame of the chef?)”

“I’ll put your roses in water,” said Kat taking the bouquet from Grace’s hands.

Before leaving the waitress said, “I have just one question to ask you...”

” ... Can you pay for all of this?” Landon completed the sentence in his head.

“Would you like a drink?”

That was the only question they were asked all evening.

The dinner began. Silver sparkled and crystal glistened in the candlelight. The string quartet played in the background. Service was constant, attentive, and unobtrusive.

They never felt the waitress near them. Everything simply happened as if by sorcery.

The food was splendid. Each course was more exquisite than the one that came before it, and every taste and flavor would have thrilled the most meticulous gourmet.

They kept the conversation light, though their minds were working overtime.

Grace had no idea what was going on. It seemed as if she living one of her more romantic dreams. If so, she never wanted to wake up.

Landon was thinking how to pay for all this. Most importantly, he wanted to discuss the matter in private with the owners to avoid Grace the most humiliating moment of her life.

From time to time, Grace dared to glance up into Landon’s bright eyes. They looked more beautiful than usual because of the candlelight.

About halfway through their dinner, Tony approached their table wearing a red chef’s hat. He smiled and greeted them, “Landon ... Grace..., I hope you’re enjoying your dinner.”

They both replied in unison, “It was superb!” And they laughed.

Tony drew up a chair and sat down and talked with them, delighting them with anecdotes of his childhood when he learned to cook from his nonna, and how Kat and he prepared a Lady-and-the-Tramp-themed surprise dinner for Red.

After Tony left their table, the director of the string quartet left his seat and came to their table to greet them. He asked them if they were enjoying the music and wished them a Merry Christmas.

When Grace’s attention was distracted for a moment, the violinist leaned over to Landon and whispered, “‘A Thousand Years’ at midnight. Good luck!” He rose, grinning, and walked back to his seat.

Dessert was brought to their table and it was as delicious as the rest of the meal.