Interrupted Romance (22 page)

Adam felt her stop at the table and felt for the chair.
 
He gently moved in front of the waiter to be the one to push Dafna's chair in for her.
 
She smiled her lovely smile, which he hadn't seen properly as yet, and watched him walk around the little table to find his own chair.
 
Once seated, he reached across the table to take her hands in his.
 
He lifted one hand to his lips and softly kissed her fingers.
 
Dafna tingled all over as he did that.
 
She watched his warm lips touching her fingers, one by one.
 
She wished they were somewhere alone, away from watching eyes, somewhere they could be more intimate yet.

A hovering drinks waiter interrupted Adam's caresses by placing a wine list on the table for them.
 
Dafna squeezed Adam's hand to signal him that someone was there with them.
 
Adam took the hint and lowered her hand, looking up to Dafna with a quizzical expression.

"What wine would you like, darling?" she asked him.
 
"Anything you specially want?"

He shook his head.
 
"No, I'd like you to choose if you don't mind."

Dafna took her time, but finally pointed to a favourite Chardonnay.
 
The waiter nodded in agreement with her choice and left them, whisking the list away as he went.

"Adam, do you want anything in particular to eat?
 
Beef?
 
Chicken?
 
Fish?
 
I'll help you choose if you can give me an idea of what you'd like to eat."

"OK.
 
We're having Chardonnay?
 
Then, I'd like a chicken dish to go with it.
 
No entrée for me, just the main meal, please.
 
If you would like an entrée, please have one, and don't worry about me.
 
The medication has blunted my appetite a bit.
 
I can't eat as much as I used to.
 
I'll probably only have one glass of wine, too.
 
Would you order me some water, please?"

"There's water on the table. I'll pour some for you."
 
Dafna poured water for both of them and moved his glass close to his hand.
 

When a waiter came for their order, Dafna chose a dish she thought Adam would enjoy (and could manage to cut up for himself) - the chicken schnitzel.
 
For herself, she chose a steamed fish.
 
Her initial hunger had left her, following the caresses from Adam.
 
Now, food didn't interest her.
 
All she wanted was for Adam to touch her again, to be away from prying eyes.
 
What she really wanted was to be alone with him.

Music, played by a live band, was heard starting up in an adjacent room.
 
The beat was Latin American, toe-tapping and inviting.
 
Adam drummed his fingers on the table in time to the music and cocked his head to hear what they were playing.
 
They were, in fact, rehearsing for the evening dinner/dance session to begin after nine o'clock.

He said, "This may sound a bit silly, in the middle of the day, but would you like to dance, Dafna?
 
Are there many people here today?"

"No, there aren't many people here, maybe half a dozen so far.
 
And yes, I'd love to dance with you.
 
We'll have to go into the other room though, as there isn't enough room between the tables here."

"Right.
 
Let's go," he said to her.
 
He stood quickly and held out his hand to her, guiding her toward the sounds.
 
She managed to make sure he wouldn't walk into any table or chairs and they stopped just inside the door of the auditorium where the band was playing.
 
He turned and took her into his strong arms, holding her firmly and very capably.
 
Dafna realised that he must have been professionally taught at some time, the way he led her about the floor.
 
She could see that there were no obstacles to fall over and let him take her through the steps of the exciting tango - a dance of passion.
 
Her whole body seemed to mould into his shape momentarily before he would push her away into another position.

Dafna glanced up at him and saw the smile of enjoyment and satisfaction on his face.
 
This was something he could do, blind or otherwise.
 
This was something he did very well and took great pleasure in doing.
 
As the tango came to an end and they stopped moving, there was a round of enthusiastic applause behind them.
 
The other diners had come to watch!
 
Adam grinned, but Dafna blushed.
 
She wondered what she had looked like to those people while she was being held so provocatively by Adam.
 
Her mind hadn't been exactly on the dance movements.

The band swung into a bouncy tune and Adam, in turn, swung Dafna along with him in a fast-paced round of the floor.
 
By now, some of the braver diners were joining in.
 
Three other couples came onto the floor to join Adam and Dafna.
 
The head waiter came in swiftly to call them away from the auditorium, but nobody took any notice.
 
It was too much fun and a bonus to just dining at the table.
 
The band didn't bother about having real live dancers to play to, and they gave a good performance.

However, a waiter came to call the couples back to their meals, which had arrived at the tables and were rapidly cooling.
 
Regretfully, Dafna pulled Adam off the dance floor and back into the dining room.
 
He was laughing, mainly about the fact that he could do something without help, but also because he felt he'd broken some rules in a nice way, by dancing at lunch instead of being out at night.

Dafna used subtle finger pressure on his hand to guide him back to the table without alerting anyone to his blindness.
 
He felt for, and found, his knife and fork, and was able to make a good show of cutting up his meal into bite-sized mouthfuls.
 
They talked over the wine, in voices that were low and soft, so no one else would hear them.

Adam said, "Help me with the last bits, I can't find them, darling."

Dafna was able to reach over and feed him some last morsels.
 
It looked as though she was an adoring girlfriend or lover who was enjoying 'spoon-feeding' her beloved.
 
No one took any notice, or realised that she was doing it because Adam couldn't see.

"Open," she said as she held the fork near his mouth.
 
Obediently, he would open and close his mouth at the right time, in the right way, so that his plate emptied in an orderly fashion, without food sliding off it.
 
He was feeling hungry now after the short burst of activity on the dance floor.
 

"My operation will be next week, Dafna," he said quietly.
 
"Will you come to the hospital with me?
 
I'm a bit scared.
 
If this doesn't work I don't know what I'll do.
 
I don't want to be like this forever.
 
I want to be able to work, to drive my car, to look at you and see your face properly.
 
All I saw, before this happened, was a blur with a hint of what you look like.
 
Now I want to see all of you, all the time."

"I'll come, of course.
 
I'm glad that you asked me.
 
I didn't think you were ever going to speak to me again.
 
I was scared, too.
 
Of not seeing you again."

Adam had trapped one of her hands in his and was gently moving his thumb over the back of her hand.
 
It gave her goosebumps.

"Adam, you know it won't matter to me if this operation doesn't go quite how you want it.
 
I want you whether you can see me or not."

If he could have seen her expression, he would have thrown his arms around her.
 
As it was, he murmured, leaning close to her, "I love you, Dafna.
 
I don't want to lose you, no matter what."

"And I love you, Adam.
 
I think I have loved you from our first meeting after the bombing."

"Would you like anything else to eat or drink?
 
Could we go, do you think?"
 
Adam was feeling restless, and wanted to take her home, away from curious faces.
 
Besides, he knew his parents were away visiting his sister in the hospital and he had already planned to have time alone with Dafna today.

"I've had enough to eat.
 
Yes, let's go."

Adam heard the waiter talking to people at the next table and called him.

"Could we have the bill now, please?"

"Of course, sir.
 
Was the meal to your liking, madam?" he asked, turning to her.

Dafna nodded and smiled at him.
 
He seemed to be new in the job and was anxious to make a good impression.
 
Probably wanted a good tip!
 
He left them briefly, returning with the account on a small plate.
 
Adam took his Visa card from his wallet and held it out towards Dafna, who dropped it on the plate for the young man.

"Take the usual," she said to him.
 
In Israel, it was the done thing to add a 10% tip to the payment.

"Thank you, madam," the young man said hurrying away.
 
He came back to the table in a few short minutes, handed the card and a voucher to Adam to be signed.
 
Adam felt where he had to write, asking Dafna if he was in the right place and she told him 'yes'.
 
The waiter was astonished to realise that this active, wonderful dancer couldn’t see a thing.
 
Nevertheless, the signature was verified as OK and he wished them a lovely afternoon before leaving them to find their way to the door.

Adam was walking with a spring in his step, that hadn't been there before.
 
She held tightly to his hand as they headed to the elevator.
 
The door slid closed behind them and Adam immediately used his body to shuffle Dafna back against the wall, pinning her there while his mouth found hers.
 
She slid her arms up around his neck and held him as he kissed her warmly, hotly.
 
He pushed his body at her and she loved it.
 
His hands were on the wall behind her, blocking any escape - not that she even considered that!
 
Too soon, the elevator stopped at the car park floor and the door opened.
 
Adam stepped back from Dafna, breathing heavily.
 
She moved towards him, gasping a little herself, her bosom rising and falling rapidly.
 
She pressed the button to close the door again.
 
Drawing Adam back into her arms this time, she kissed him passionately, feeling his body respond immediately.

Suddenly, the lift started going back up.
 
Adam lifted his head from hers.
 
"Damn!" he said.

"I second that!" Dafna said.

They broke apart just as the doors opened again to allow two couples to enter the lift.
 
The newcomers barely glanced in their direction as the elevator started going back down again.

Everyone got out at the car park level, including Dafna and Adam, and they followed the small group of people towards the many cars parked there.
 
They threaded their way towards Dafna's car.
 
By the time they reached it, they were stifling giggles like a pair of schoolgirls.

"If we'd stayed in the elevator any longer we'd nearly be 'caught in the act'," Adam said when they were in the car.
 
Dafna threw her handbag onto the rear seat and leaned towards Adam, sliding her hand up behind his head and pulling his face down to hers.
 
Again she was kissing him in such a way that he was immediately aroused.
 
His arms went around her, crushing her to him.
 
They were oblivious to anything around them until voices came very close to the car as hotel guests prepared to enter their cars.
 
Dafna pulled back from Adam, her lips moist from his kisses, her arms trembling with passion.
 
Adam was in no state to be seen in public and bent down, supposedly to tie his shoelaces, in case people outside the car were able to see him.

Dafna started the car with shaking fingers, hardly able to turn the key.
 
She drove slowly through the turns to the exit and up onto the road.

The wind gusted against the car forcefully.
 
While they had been inside the hotel, they'd totally forgotten what was happening outside.
 
It surprised them both.
 
For Dafna, it was the steadier she needed to concentrate on driving and not on Adam.
 
Those last few minutes inside the hotel were getting out of hand before they'd left.
 
Now, the wind was howling along the streets and she had to tear her mind back from the elevator to the road.

Adam was silent all the way home.
 
He realised that they'd reached, and passed, a milestone in their relationship.
 
He also realised just how passionate Dafna could be.
 
His composure was returning, with difficulty, as thoughts of her warm body crushed against him kept returning to taunt him.
 
Keeping his hands off her, in future, would be no easy feat.
 
He considered how she would react if he asked her to marry him.
 
Surely, after today, there would be no need to fear a rejection… but he was still hesitant.
 
After all, for her, it would mean having to take care of him if his operation didn't solve his present problem.
 
Had she really thought long and hard about that?
 
Should he do that to her?
 
Could he do that to her?
 
Would it be fair to do it to her?