“It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic,” Angela said. The rug that had been almost wall to wall in their apartment seemed little better than a doormat in the middle of the expansive room. Their threadbare couch, two armchairs, and coffee table looked like they had been rescued from a garage sale.
“Understated elegance,” David said. “Minimalist decor. If it were in Architectural Digest, everyone would be trying to imitate it.”
“What about Rusty?” Nikki asked.
“Let’s go get him,” David said. “You’ve been a good sport and a big help. You want to come, Angela?”
“No thanks,” Angela said. “I’ll stay and get more organized, especially in the kitchen.”
“I assumed we’d eat down at the inn tonight,” David said.
“No, I want to eat here in our new home,” Angela answered.
While David and Nikki went to town, Angela unpacked a few of the boxes in the kitchen including their pots, pans, dishes, and flatware. She also figured out how to work the stove and got the refrigerator running.
Nikki returned carrying the adorable puppy with its wrinkled face and floppy ears. She had the dog pressed against her chest. He’d grown considerably since they’d seen him last. His feet were the size of Nikki’s fists.
“He’s going to be a big dog,” David said.
While Nikki and David fashioned a pen for Rusty in the mud room, Angela made dinner for Nikki. Nikki wasn’t happy about eating before her parents, but she was too tired to complain. After she’d eaten and done some postural drainage, she and Rusty, both exhausted, were put to bed.
“Now I have a little surprise for you,” Angela said as she and David descended from Nikki’s room. She took him by the hand and led him into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she pulled out a bottle of Chardonnay.
“Wow,” David exclaimed, inspecting the label. “This isn’t our usual cheap stuff.”
“Hardly,” Angela said. Reaching back into the refrigerator, she took out a dish covered with a paper towel. Lifting the towel she exposed two thick veal chops.
“I have the feeling we’re in for a feast,” David said.
“You’d better believe it,” Angela said. “Salad, artichokes, wild rice, and veal chops. Plus the best Chardonnay I could buy.”
David cooked the meat on an outdoor barbecue built into the side of the terrace off the library. By the time he came in Angela had the rest of the food on the table in the dining room.
Night had descended softly, filling the house with shadow. In the darkness the glow from the two candles that formed the centerpiece on the table only illuminated the immediate area. The disarray of the rest of the house was hidden.
They sat at opposite ends of the table. They didn’t speak. Instead they merely gazed at each other as they ate. Both of them were moved by the romantic atmosphere, realizing that romance had been missing from their lives over the last years; the demands of their respective residencies and Nikki’s ongoing health problems had taken precedence.
Long after they’d finished eating they continued to sit and stare at each other while a symphony of sounds of a Vermont summer night drifted in through the open windows. The candle flames flickered sensuously as the clean, cool air wafted across the room and caressed their faces. It was a magical moment they both wanted to savor.
Mutual desire drove them from the dining room into the dark living room. They fell onto the couch, their lips meeting as they enveloped each other in a warm embrace. They removed their clothing, each eagerly aiding the other. With a chorus of crickets in the background, they made love in their new home.
Morning brought mass confusion. With the dog barking to be fed and Nikki whining that she couldn’t find her favorite jeans, Angela felt her patience was at an end. David was no help. He couldn’t find the list he’d made of what was in each of the dozens of boxes left to be unpacked.
“All right, that’s enough,” Angela shouted. “I don’t want to hear any more whining or barking.”
For the moment, even Rusty quieted down.