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The Perfect Day
For Elise the day had begun normally but ended as one she would remember for years to come. Earlier in the afternoon Ben had dropped her off at a salon where he had arranged for "the works", as he explained to her without elaborating. The staff had taken her through a complete makeover, ending with a beautiful blue chiffon evening gown. When Ben returned to pick her up he was dressed in suit and tie. Even his ubiquitous running shoes were replaced with newly shined dress loafers.
She met him at the door of the salon. "Ben! What's the occasion? They've been working me over all afternoon; they tell me it's all on your say-so."
"The occasion is Just Because day. We're celebrating just because I can. Just because I can put you through the torment of a makeover so I can enjoy the results. I hope you've been good and didn't give them a hard time."
Elise carefully folded her hands in front and lowered her eyes. "I was a good girl, sir. The manager said you had left explicit instructions as to what you wanted, so I was properly obedient. There were at least three times I nearly kicked him but I held back."
"Then for your patience you shall be rewarded with a night on the town. C'mon, we'll start with dinner." Ben turned to one side and stuck out his elbow. Elise took the proffered arm, holding onto her escort as they went out to the car.
The evening began at an Italian restaurant at one of the better seaside hotels. Elegant didn't begin to describe the setting. Their table was secluded, next to a real stream that ran through the room. Once Elise was sure she saw a fish go by. The real surprise came when Ben handed her a menu and she opened it to discover that, although the descriptions were in both English and Italian, there were no prices.
"I thought about a French place," Ben offered by way of explanation, "but truth is I really don't like French cuisine. It seems like whatever they cook started out as something I wouldn't go near. Italian I can get by.
"Remember, no pork dishes, and no shellfish. You'll have to skip the marinara and calamari. We keep kosher now." Elise was halfway through reading the books Ben had given her on Kashrut , dietary laws. He had made it clear they would both eat kosher so she had to learn a whole new style of cooking. They even had a small, separate refrigerator for milk products. Elise still struggled trying to keep track of what went where, especially the two sets of pots and utensils.
After dinner a band set up in one corner and began playing slow dance tunes from the swing band era. Ben stood up and held out his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
Elise had no idea Ben could dance. "I'd love to," she answered as she took his hand. He held her close as they moved around the dance floor. The music was familiar but she couldn't remember the name. "Ben, do you know the name of this song?" she whispered in his ear.
"It's an old Glenn Miller standard, Perfidia . It's by a Mexican film composer, Alberto Dominguez. Late 1930's, I don't remember the name of the movie it was in. It's a sad ballad; his love is lost to perfidia , treachery in Spanish, when he finds her in another's arms."
Elise put her arms around Ben's neck and lifted her face to kiss him. "No perfidy here, master. I'm not interested in anyone's arms but yours."
She hadn't been dancing in years but it didn't take long for the two of them to fall into a natural rhythm. Ben wasn't the most accomplished dancer ever, and for her part Elise hadn't worn high heels in a while, but he managed to lead without running into anyone and not once did he step on her toes. When the song ended he put his hand on her back and led her back to their table. Crossing the floor she saw several of the men watching her. And why not, she told herself, I'm looking good tonight. Sorry guys, I belong to the one that brought me. Literally . The hairdresser had fixed her hair in a French braid, which left her neck uncovered. Her collar stood out prominently, framed by the cut of the gown. She took a perverse pride in knowing they envied Ben for being the one who put that collar around her neck.
There were two glasses of red wine waiting when they sat down. "Don't ask me what kind it is, I don't know anything about wine." Ben took a sip. "Tastes good. I asked the sommelier to pick out something appropriate. All I can tell you is it's definitely not Mogen David."
Elise picked up her glass, swirled it around and inhaled the aroma. She hadn't had a glass of wine for nearly as long as her absence from dancing. It had a slightly sweet taste, definitely from grapes ripe with sugar. She was surprised to see him drinking wine, since he never had anything with alcohol at home.
"It was nice of that woman to come by and apologize, but it really wasn't necessary. She was worried and afraid for her husband, its understandable she'd say things she'd regret later. We studied about it in nursing school, patient stress management. I'm glad her husband is doing well." Elise paused to take another sip of wine. "Did you notice how nervous she was?"
"Yeah, that struck me as odd too. She made it sound like you accepting her apology was a life or death situation. A bit too melodramatic."
"I guess it all worked out. She kept looking at her husband; there must have been some words there. Ben, can I ask you about something she said?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"That day she was yelling at me, she said I wasn't real, that I'd sold myself to the highest bidder. When she apologized she said she didn't mean it and it wasn't fair to compare our relationships, but is there some grain of truth in there? Am I getting some kind of special treatment because I went to the Facility?" Elise frowned. "It's been nagging in the back of my mind."
Ben reached across the table and held her hands in his. "The answer isn't a simple one. Yes it is true you got what might appear to be a special privilege since you went directly to a lifetime unlimited agreement with me, but that's offset by the fact you weren't allowed a choice in the matter. Even here on the Island not many people approve of the Facility's way of doing things."
"But I did have a choice!" Elise protested. "No one forced me to come here. I knew the conditions beforehand. It was no secret some man I'd never met would come along and pick me out. I trusted the Facility to do right by me, and they did. I never dreamed I'd wind up with someone like you, Ben. You can make me do anything you want. I'll be the last one to complain."
"Then how about I twist your arm and make you take a walk with me along the beach? The moon's already up, and there's nobody out there this time of night." The twinkle in his eyes guaranteed he had more in mind than a tour of the surf.
"Like I said, no complaints." She knew the wine was getting to her, but didn't care. "You don't have to twist my arm either."
"I'll be the judge of that," Ben replied, hiding an enigmatic grin she missed as he held her chair while she stood up. Hand in hand they walked out to the strand in front of the hotel.
"You can take off your shoes. I don't think high heels work so well in sand."
"Thank you, kind sir." She put one hand on his shoulder to steady herself while she took off her sandals. She curled her toes into the sand, still warm from the daytime sun.
He took her shoes and put them down next to the retaining wall. "Now then, about that arm twisting."
Elise stopped kicking up little clouds of sand and looked over her shoulder. "What?" She hadn't heard him clearly.
She saw something in his hand flash in the moonlight. "Hands behind your back, now."
She didn't hesitate. And he didn't either. She felt the handcuffs ratchet shut on her wrists. He hadn't been kidding about the arm twisting.
"Now then," he began, rubbing a hand up and down her arm as he held her close to his side, "let's go down to the surf see what's happening on the beach tonight."
Elise gave a quick tug on the cuffs to make sure they were secure. Satisfied he was in control she followed him across the beach, close by his side.
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