A dinner date!

She was dressed in a carefully pressed business formal - a black trouser and pure white shirt that accentuated her figure to more than perfect. As the head of her team, she was addressing her team of the new strategies to employ. It was when she was pointing to some of the statistics that her mobile buzzed. She excused herself, and it was him. She listened to short, crisp message from his manly voice. "The dinner tonight is at our beach house." He had kept the phone down. It was his way. – Spontaneous and random, unpredictable. A sudden surge of adrenalin rushed through her. What has he planned? He was known for his surprises and the very thought of the evening with her man in the beach house made her feel sexy. It had been long time since they had caught up with special moments of romance. The vagaries of the responsible jobs had not given them much time for togetherness. He was an Engineering Head of a top notch company. Yet, he somehow seemed to manage to find more time than her and she had always wondered how?.
"The evening can wait, let me complete things fast so that I can curl up with him" She thought.
She parked her car outside their house. His car was already there. She smiled to herself. The pathway was dimly lit. That’s how they liked it always. She walked through the pathway to the main door. She was about to open the door when he opened it for her. He was dressed in his white cotton pants and half sleeved white shirt. The top buttons of his shirt were open - his typical style. She flung herself into his arms and they hugged for what seemed eternity. He pulled her apart and perked a soft kiss on her lips and asked her "How was the day?”
She said, "Went very well. The quarterly review meeting took most of my time in the morning and then...." He put his index fingers on her lips and silenced her.
"Just say Good/Bad. No office talks here. Remember our promise." She remembered
He had got her promise after they fought one night. It was work pressure that had taken a toll on them both that day. They had survived through those difficult times.
She nodded and a smile emerged as she remembered how silly a fight it was and how it finally got over as they both did not want to waste the night.
"Have a warm bath and change yourself. I'll get the dinner ready by then." he said.
"Let’s make the dinner together."
"Do we really have to go hungry?" he was naughty
She gave a false stare and went in.
She opened their glamorous bath and took a deep breath. The tub was filled with warm water and her favorite aroma salt. The scented candles they had bought from their trip to South East earlier was glowing. She put on the music and sank into the tub. After a relaxing bath, she came out. She wondered what to wear contemplating on his choices. She changed into a flowing sarong skirt and a crimson spaghetti top.
She came out to the living room. Soft country music was playing behind. He was nowhere to be found. She walked towards the player. Suddenly, he came behind her and blew behind her ears. She turned around and threw her arms round his neck, his hand held her waist and they kissed each other. He was trying to hide something behind him and that’s when she noticed a huge gift there. He gave it to her with a smile. He had signed "To my woman" - "your man"
She carefully parted the wrapper and found her child self staring back at her. It was the portrait of her when she was 3 years old.
"Oh my gosh. It’s beautiful. I never saw you working on this at home"
"I did it in the office" he smiled.
"Look at the Engg Head. Since when did they start paying for your sketches? Oh, this is the pressure that has kept you away from me for a couple of dinners, huh?" in her typical false authoritative tone.
He smiled back. She placed it carefully on the table and ran and hugged him tight and showered kisses. They sat down on the sofa and talked for a while. She wanted to catch up with some Tom & Jerry. They watched it together for the nth time.
"Time for some sumptuous dinner.” He announced.
"What are we making today?"
"Hmm.....fettuccini on Alfredo, garlic bread, a garden side salad, and red wine. Is that enough for my girl or does she wants more?"
They worked on the vegetables. She was amazed at his efficiency and his speed. He had always wanted to be a chef, he used to say. The best Chef in the town is mine, she thought.
She arranged the cut vegetables on the table and cleaned the plates as he lit the stove and placed the pan to make the pasta. She felt mischievous.
“I don’t feel like having pasta today” She said.
“Hmmm….so what does her highness want today?”
“Anything else will do. “
“Give it up and do the table my dear. Doesn’t work.” He said with a glint in his eyes.
She flexed all her facial muscles to chide him and started arranging the table. She made the salad and the bread and placed the plates on the small dining table. She read the label of the new wine bottle for the evening. “Ah, it would be nothing less than perfect wine.” She thought as she smiled at his taste of his wine.
She went near him and watched his carelessly neat style of cooking and the way he tossed the pasta. He finished cooking and gently placed them on the plates she held. She always liked the way he arranged the food on the plate. He was meticulously neat.
“It’s as much about the presentation as the taste itself” he said reading her thoughts.
“Ah, you and your presentation. 100th time you are telling me this.” She said poking his ego.
“Well, then why do you stick around hearing to the same crap again and again” he looked at her, his eyes gleaming.
“Tch tch .No one makes better food” she said.
“Is that it?” he asked throwing up his hands in false despair.
“No one serves me better too” she laughed and went behind and hugged him. She kissed his neck and said “No one can love me better than you do.”
He took her hands and pulled her to the front and kissed her on the cheek and said, “Now time for food. And please do the honors.”
She popped open the wine bottle and filled their glasses.
“Why do you always make me open the wine bottle” Once she had asked when they dated and he had responded with mushy mushy answer. “Wine is the best companion to dine and the touch of your hand makes it divine.”
“To love and good health” they raised a toast to each other.
They finished their dinner with the slow music in the background and amidst a lot of talking and feeding each other occasionally. They put the dishes in the dishwasher and came out to the patio. She lit the patio with the candles. She always loved them and the moon light on that clear summer sky spread its radiance. “Perfect. It can’t be better than this”, she thought.
He brought his guitar and sat next to her.
“I make the choices” she smiled.
“After I play one for you” and he started playing Richard Marx - Now and Forever for her.
He played his guitar while she watched him mesmerized, his fingers bringing the music of their soul together. She soon started singing while he played the guitar for her. The sweetness of her voice and the music from the strings flowed through the sea breeze with the mild sound of the distant waves lashing at the shore providing the background. They continued enjoying the music. They had finished all their favorite songs. He kept the guitar down and they went for a walk on the sand.
They were holding each other as they walked and talked and laughed on the lonely beach– like two crazy kids who believed there is no tomorrow. Soon, they started running towards the water and played.
To him, she looked like an angel. Her ruffled flowing soft hair fell across her face in the breeze making her look like a mermaid out of the water in that lone beach. The wetness aroused his desire even more. He stopped, turned her around and kissed her hard. She responded with the same intensity.
“Take me home right now” she shouted. He lifted her in his arms and ran home. She was kissing him crazily all the way. It was a long night waiting.

P.S
This post - a recurring dream that I have been envisioning and working towards (Dude, now I understand whats with the guitar) is dedicated to that "SHE" who by now must be walking this planet somewhere! *smiles*