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 Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:47 pm
The man nodded as Madeline explained the differences between the sandwich ingrediants, and, after a few moments' deliberation, settled on a reuben with fries and cole slaw. French fries had become popular in Akram's home country, especially among people his age and younger, he explained to Madeline once their orders had been taken. And, since he was here in Gaia, he admitted that he was on a bit of an unofficial mission to sample as many different restaurant's fries as possible.
Both his sandwich and Madeline's salad were not long in arriving; Akram pushed his sleeves up a little to get them out of the way as the waiter set the plate down, but waited until the lady had received her food before he touched the french fries.
"Yours looks good," the merchant commented, gesturing towards her plate with the fry before eating it. "And my sandwich is bigger than I expected."
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:26 pm
"Their always doing that," she mumbled sourly as she raised a bit of interesting looking vegetable to her mouth. "I always feel their giving you much more than you can it, at least I've grown out of feeling wasteful with what I eat..." at this she paused, not only to take the next bite, chew and swallow...but also to ponder if she had ever felt bad about being wasteful. As a child? Certainly not, in fact...maybe she was told to be wasteful. "Still, I don't feel bad anymore...usually I'll take the leftovers home. Living on a budget has taught me to become more clever with saving everything, even the left overs.
She took a sip of her tea, smiling over the cup, "So...how do they compare to the others you've tasted?" Others of course meaning other french frys, "Have you ever had them home made?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:58 pm
"Always good to have extra to take along for the journey home," Akram commented with a small shrug. "It's good hospitality where I come from. Provide as much as you can, especially if someone has come a long way. Although our borders are much smaller than they used to be." He chuckled a little. "And the walk back to my apartment from here will not be as harsh as some trips I've taken."
One of the tails of his cloth hat threatened to slip over his shoulder and onto his plate, and Akram brushed it back out of his way again. "The fries are alright," he told her, eating another one before continuing. "I like the seasoning. I don't think I've ever had home-made, though. I guess I was getting into the habit of thinking they all came from restaurants, and they were not something you ate at home unless you brought them home. Why, do you make your own french fries?"
The Mercier patriarch could cook with reasonable skill - a trait not usually associated with men where he came from, but there was certainly no shame in it. If nothing else, he was expected to be able to kill his own meat and roast it over a fire so he would not starve on long trips, but being able to perform slightly more ambitious culinary feats, such as steaming vegetables or baking a cake, was certainly useful. Still, it certainly did not put him above wanting to try someone else's home cooking. If Madeline had a good french fry recipe, then perhaps he could bargain with her for it.
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:15 pm
Well, Madeline thought to herself, having someone over for dinner and eating out were two completely different things. If she had a guest over to her house it was granted she would make more food than needed...though the mood was light and it wasn't as if she was disagreeing with what Akram had said. She just nodded and laughed a little at the mention of long treks back to the apartment, "Well yes, you won't starve if you don't make it back there in a timely manner."
Enviously her eyes glanced over at the greasy plated mess Akram was eating. It wasn't when ordering food that Madeline would have second doubts about her choice, it was when the food someone else had ordered came that she just had to wonder. "Um...me? Make my own at home?" She had to laugh at that idea, "Oh heaven no, well, not all the time." Suddenly she felt rather embarrassed for bringing up the mention of it. French fries...they weren't the sort of thing you should make really...horrible...junk food.
"Ah, when I was in college, my roommate...well, she taught me. We'd stay up late talking about--" boys? No, she couldn't say that, "just rediculous things. And when we'd get hungry she'd get up and make us a monstrous plate of those darn things," she pointed over at Akram's meal. With a sigh she set her teacup down and placed her hand under her chin, as she remembered those times, "By the end of the year I had the recipe down by heart."
For a second she looked blank, as if there was something she had wanted to say but forgot. Quite on the contrary, however, she had just realized something that would be quite perfect for...Looking up at Akram she hesitated, should she? It would only be a simple suggestion and thus far he hadn't seemed to interject, "...If you should like," she pretend to go back to her food, "I'd be more than happy to have you over for fires and dinner."
"But only if you would like to."
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Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:51 pm
Akram lifted an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised at her invitation. He was not sure french fries were something you invited someone to have, necessarily, though he had to admit that he was not exactly the expert on that facet of Gaian culture. Still, regardless of whatever cultural norms existed surrounding fries, it sounded like it could be an enjoyable meal. As long as there were other courses beyond the junk food, of course.
"I would like that very much," he told her. Then, after a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched a little in threat of a smile as the merchant went on to ask, "Would you like me to bring some junk food from where I come from, for you to try?" All he would have to do is send home to his mother and his grandmother and his aunt for a 'care package', and they would respond with a box large enough to contain a microwave, filled with prepackaged cookies, thick crackers, and enough homemade candies to choke a camel.
... Maybe they would be able to have a whole meal of snacks and junk.
"When would be a good day for you?" he asked, then took another bite of his sandwich as he watched Madeline for her response.
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:20 am
No, french fries were not something you invited someone over for. But, a date was a date and whatever made it interesting was a splendid idea, correct? Hmn, perhaps she should have thought twice before asking him over, she was suddenly ten times more nervous than she had been all of lunch. She especially felt a pin-p***k of guilt as asked if she should like to sample junk food from his own country.
Had she made it seem she at unhealthily all the time? Yes, she did want to try them, but would he think her gluttonous if she said yes? The phrase one could, 'never be too rich, nor too thin' came to mind, and it seemed more right to decline than to accept.
"Yes, I would love to sample goodies from your home country. Why don't we say Friday at five? An early dinner," and also tea-time, at least for Madeline, who would have to put off her daily habit until Akram's arrival. Digging down into her purse, Madeline removed a small card. It was white, crisp and engraved with beautiful black writing. "It's my business card, my telephone and address are on the back. If something comes up please feel free to give me a call. Otherwise I shall see you then?"
She sat back in her chair, hesitantly waiting for a yes or a no as their waiter brought the check.
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:54 pm
"Sure, that sounds just fine," Akram agreed. "Sounds like it'll be relaxing, just a small meal." He brushed his bangs out of his eyes and ate another french fry before adding, "Not that this is not enjoyable, also."
Really, though, Akram appreciated being able to just sit back and eat junk without having to worry so much about pretenses and appearances. He would be around Madeline, but even that would be far more comfortable than the meals at other homes he often had at home. It was a chance to actually socialize for the sake of socializing, not just because he was Patriarch.
He accepted her card, and made a mental note to have a set of cards made for himself sometime as it was not the first situation he had found himself in where he wished he had one. Still, Akram had to give her something in return. He looked through the collection of silver and wooden charms hanging at his side from his waist sash, selecting one after a moment and removing it from the tangle of others.
The charm was a small silver half-circle, except instead of a clean, straight cut down the middle, the edge was made up of a few angled cuts, as though a circle had been cut in half with a pair of fancy scrapbooking scissors. It was threaded on a black cord that was decorated with a few knots and beads in red and teal.
"I have no card to offer," he told her, handing over the charm. "But I can give you this at least. I'll be there on Friday to collect it again." It was a pretty strong guarantee of his presence, come hell or high water.
As the check came, Akram took it from the waiter. "I can take this for both of us," he told Madeline, checking the amount and then taking out the money to pay for it. The man handed the waiter his card, and, when the waiter returned with the recipt, Akram left what was easily a 50% tip for him before signing his name in elegant script at the bottom.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:51 am
Maddie did her best to keep the little smile on her face under raps, but, really, Akram was so strange. It wasn't a bad strange, just something she hadn't experienced before and it made her want to laugh a bit. You know, not to be mean but to say she found it enjoyable. She held out her hand for his unorthodox promise, "thank you". There was no need to remark or ask if this was some custom of his homeland she was sure it was, and if they stayed together long enough, well, maybe someday she would figure it out.
"Friday at five, I'll see you then, also thank you for the lovely lunch," Long ago had she secretly gracefully conceded to letting him take the check if he choose to do so. Manors and training as a young child, lectures by her mother, had always told her to let the gentleman take the check, she didn't like it though, not one bit. Oh well, next time she could argue with Akram about who got to pay, these things should be even, otherwise it ended up feeling like someone had put in more to the relationship and someone less.
"It was, as you said, very enjoyable, so thank you again," Madeline held out her soft hand giving Akram another shake before fetching her bag and hat. "See you later, goodbye". And this time she truly knew she would see 'him later', for he had given her a guarantee...it was a great feeling.
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:27 pm
"And thank you for your company," Akram replied. Exchange of money was a good thing where he came from, and though he was very young for a patriarch, he had already settled well into the habit of always taking the tab. Not that he would be offended if Madeline ever offered to pay, but he would likely do so himself every time unless she actually said something about it.
He stood and brushed his hands over his clothes to smooth out the wrinkles from sitting. "See you on Friday."
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