Chapter 4

Friday, January 7th, 2022
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Meghan turned to Jan and asked, “Where do you think we should start?”

Jan said, “Let’s list a few things out first. He’s practically wearing an entire casual outfit right now. Sure he could use new sneakers, but he looks great as is. I say we do an assortment of outfit combos from right here and just go with the top two sets to check off both casual items in one shot. We’re going to have to hit another place for the nice outfit.”

Meghan added, “Agreed. We’re definitely going to have to hit a shoe store, but we should do that after we pick our outfits, just so we can match our shoes to them at the same time. For his nicer outfit, I was thinking we could always fall back to H&M if none of the men’s stores along the way meet our needs.”

I said, “Remember, I know nothing of the local options, but shouldn’t we decide on where we are going in case reservations need to be made? We might want to get that done first.”

Meghan said, “You’re right. What do you think Jan?”

She said, “Well if we’re talking about fine dining I think we need to look at The Peppertree.”

Meghan smiled, “That would be amazing. I’ve never been but I’ve heard great things.”

I told them, “That sounds perfect then. Can one of you handle making the reservations?”

Jan said, “I’ll handle that. Meghan why don’t you get a few shirt options together for him to try out. I’ll work on the jeans and make the reservations.”

Meghan quickly found two new choices for me to try on and instructed me to bring the red one back out with me when I came out to show them the next one.

When I returned wearing the blue polo shirt Meghan held onto the red T-shirt. She shooed me back to try on the next and told me to bring the polo shirt out with me next time. The girls kept handing me new items and sending me back for the next round. They would keep the top contenders and then refolded or rehang the items and put them back where they were found to begin with.

After the better part of an hour of constant clothing changes, the girls eventually agreed on two pairs of jeans and three shirts. One was a plain black T-shirt, and the second was a gray designer T-shirt with a stylized dragon logo that was offset to the right side and wrapped around the back. The final one was a long sleeve denim shirt that fit really well. Not too tight, and I put the money belt back on under it. I wore that shirt and one of the new pairs of jeans out of the store, and we headed out to find the next place. The loose cash went into my front pocket and the sweats into the large clothing bag with our other purchases. We actually spent less than I was expecting at that store.

We had a good time visiting stores and I thoroughly enjoyed the fashion show the girls put on when trying out dresses. They settled on a nice dark gray sports coat and white dress shirt to go with a black pair of dress pants for my “nice” outfit. Plain white t-shirts, dark socks, a belt, and a vest-pocket wallet got added to the purchases along the way. The wallet was the type where the cash lays flat and is designed to be carried in a coat. My lack of a regular wallet went un-questioned to my surprise. I was prepared to simply act like I just lost it if the topic came up, but neither of them ever asked.

It was nearing 6 pm when we got to the shoe store and we quickly made selections. I got some black leather dress shoes and newer sneakers. The girls each found shoes that matched their dress choices much more quickly than I believe women were capable of shoe shopping. We made it to Jan’s car with our haul just after 6:30.

Meghan said, “I can get ready at your place if that’s cool Jan. No need for dropping me off at my place.”

Jan replied, “Sure, that works. Paul, do you need to stop by the hotel?”

“Nope, everything I own that isn’t either in Atlanta or on its way to Tahiti is in this car already.”

Jan laughed and said, “Well hopefully you’ll get them back someday. Paul can get ready in the guest bath while we get ready in my bedroom Meghan. I think we have enough time to make it without messing with the reservation. I’m not sure they would let us change it anyway, so that’s a good thing.”

I asked, “Are they known for being strict with clientele?”

“I hear that the staff all wear tuxedos if that gives you a clue.”

“Oh, in that case, I’ll try not to pick my nose at the table.”

Meghan grinned and replied, “I’m sure they will appreciate your restraint.”

Jan shook her head and said, “Okay. We need a plan. I’ve driven past The Peppertree a few times while driving around the area. I think we need to leave my place no later than 7:30 if we want to be on time. We can’t afford to dawdle. I want to hit the shower real fast. How about you Meghan?”

She said, “I think I can get by with just the sink. Can I borrow your hairdryer? I should be done before you need it.”

Jan said, “Sure. Paul, we’re going to run for the door. Would you mind taking the time to gather the bags, and get them into the living room?” as she pulled into the driveway of a nice-looking ranch-style home. She popped the trunk as soon as the car stopped and was headed for the front door before I could reply. I let Meghan out of the back seat and started getting all the bags together.

The girls were nowhere in sight as I dropped the bags off on the coffee table in the living room. I could hear them talking through one of the doors and I set their bags in front of it. I gathered my clothes and made my way to the guest bath. It wasn’t hard to find. I was dressed in no time and I spent a little effort consolidating all of my purchases into one bag. I folded the others and located her trash can in the kitchen.

The kitchen had a breakfast bar with a couple of stools on the outside. After taking care of the trash, I settled in to wait on one of the stools. I noticed the bags had disappeared from the front of the bedroom door, so at least some progress was being made. The wait was well worth it. Jan made it out first and she looked great.

Her little black dress highlighted her soft curves enticingly, and the 3-inch heels she was wearing did lovely things for her calves. Meghan followed her in a very similar cut dress, but hers was emerald green in color and went fabulously with her curly red hair.

I stood and said, “Wow, you both look amazing. I’m feeling like a very lucky guy tonight. We are sure to make heads turn and incite jealousy in everyone we meet.”

Both girls blushed but they were obviously pleased by my words. I looked at my watch and saw that we were running out of time, so I pointed to my wrist and cleared my throat. “Um, we better head out.”

Jan said, “Right, let’s get this show on the road.”

We got to the restaurant on time, without even having to do any speeding. The Host took our names and confirmed our reservation, then led us to a table for four. I helped Jan to her seat as the Host offered the same to Meghan. We thanked him and had barely settled before our waiter arrived.

Jeophry introduced himself as our server. He welcomed us to the place and handed out menus then briefly went over the specials before asking if we had any pressing questions. We didn’t so he said, “In that case, I’ll leave you to look things over. I’ll be looking for your signal whenever you are ready.” Then he moved over to the side of the room and waited unobtrusively.

Jan looked a tad uncomfortable and I raised an eyebrow in her direction. She said, “I expected things to be pricey, but damn, not this pricey. I feel bad for suggesting this place now.” Meghan’s eyes grew as she took her gaze away from the room and started looking at the menu too.

I told them both, “No, please don’t worry about that. This is exactly the sort of place I was hoping you would recommend. I’m truly glad you did, and I’m not worried about the prices at all. Don’t miss out on a chance to enjoy anything that you want. I will be seriously disappointed if either of you chooses your meal based on prices alone. Get whatever you think looks good. I know I’m certainly going to. Would you like me to make some suggestions for you?”

They looked at each other and nodded, so I continued, “Assuming you aren’t vegetarians, I think it’s safe to recommend the Steak and Lobster offering. If you’re feeling more exotic you might enjoy the New Zealand Rack of Lamb. I personally am going to go for the Beef Wellington, as I haven’t had one in ages.”

Meghan spoke first, “I am down with the Lamb, it looks divine.”

Jan said, “Actually Surf & Turf sounds great to me. Maybe we can all share a bite or two.”

I said, “That sounds like a plan. Do you mind if I order for you ladies?” They both agreed.

I caught Jeophry’s eye and he came back to our table.

“Jeophry, I think we will start with an appetizer of the Maryland Crab Cakes. If it doesn’t normally come in three servings, please make it so. My guests will have the Rack of Lamb, and the Steak and Lobster respectively.” I gestured to first Meghan, then Jan. “I would like the Beef Wellington, and if you could choose something from the mid-tier champagnes that suits your liking for us, I would appreciate it.”

Jeophry nodded and said, “Very good sir. And to what doneness would you like those prepared?”

I answered, “For the Beef Wellington, Medium rare. I would guess the same for the filet?” I looked at Jan and she nodded. I turned to Meghan, “For the lamb, I would recommend a medium, but it’s entirely up to you dear.”

She replied, “That sounds lovely.”

Jeophry said, “Excellent. I will return with your drinks shortly.” He left to place our order.

Meghan giggled. Jan, using an extra snooty accent, said, “That sounds lovely,” and laughed heartily. Meghan and I both joined her. We settled into a pleasant, effortless conversation about how each of us grew up. We were all single kids, but we all had close cousins that we grew up around. Jan and Meghan were pretty local. Meghan was from right here in Colorado Springs. Jan grew up in Pueblo. I told them I grew up in Atlanta, just to help my story out. The truth is I grew up in Connecticut, but I felt it was easier to just stay with what they already knew.

Our meals came and we each carved out an appropriate portion to share with the others. Everything was fabulous, and the easy conversation continued, even as it slowed down due to our taking time to eat.

Jeophry stopped by to check on us a couple of times. When we were mostly finished he asked us if we would be interested in dessert. I was largely full, but I had seen Bananas Foster on the dessert list, and I knew it would be a worthy show and a perfect way to end the evening. Both girls said they couldn’t possibly find room for it, but I said, “How about a coffee for me, and if you could give us a short break, I think Bananas Foster would be fun.”

Jeophry said, “Very Good sir. I’ll be right back with your coffee.”

Jan asked me what was so fun about Bananas Foster. I grinned and said, “Oh, you’ll see soon enough.” She squinted her eyes at me like she was debating poking me with her fork. I slowly raised my hands and said, “Let’s not do anything hasty here Ma’am. I’ll come along peaceful like.”

Meghan laughed at our antics and we were all finished eating in short order. The coffee hit the spot for me, I’ve always liked having some after a good meal. Before too long, Jeophry rolled a special cart over to the tableside. If you’ve never had them in a restaurant, it’s a show you shouldn’t miss.

When he lit the rum in the pan on fire both girls jumped and had a good laugh. It was quite delicious too. I paid the bill and left a generous tip for the staff. It really was a pleasant evening with good food and better company. But then, spending time with a couple of cute women dressed up nicely and in a good mood isn’t supposed to be a hardship.