Episode Ten: Chivalry is Not Dead!

 When Katherine got home and was standing in her small entranceway, she closed the door and leaned against it, clutching her backpack in her arms. She closed her eyes. What had she just agreed to do? What had possessed her to agree to this ridiculous trip? She opened her eyes and glanced over where her desktop computer sat. The screen saver had a cycling set of images of snowcapped mountains and alpine meadows. It always reminded her of the first opening scenes of "The Sound of Music". She watched the scene cycle through then reached back and locked her door, dropped her keys in the basket. She slowly walked down the hallway to her bedroom. 

 She dropped her backpack on the bed and pulled open her closet door. She looked at the clothes hanging there. Then she heard her cell phone chime. A text message. She turned away from the clothes closet and plopped down on her bed, pulling her cell phone from the front pocket of her pack. She thumbed the text app open and saw that it was yet another confirmation of payment from her school union loan officer. She had forgotten about that loan! She looked at the amount and felt tears come unbidden to her eyes. This was a debt incurred by Taylor – he had asked her to help him pay for his lease on his office and she had foolishly gone deeper in debt to help him. 

 A mysterious stranger, in another country, had paid it off! The Dominus! Katherine closed the text app and fell back to gaze up at the ceiling of her bedroom. Who was this person? Why would he do this for her – someone he did not know? Why? She sighed and held up her phone, she needed to make the reservations for dinner. She found the number on her phone list and called, "Papa's BBQ". She made the reservation for two at 7 o'clock. She placed her phone on the charging mat and went back to her closet to look for a suitcase. She only had a black carry-on bag with a retractable handle and rolling caster wheels. She had used it once when she and Taylor had gone on vacation. She pulled it down from the top of her closet, cut all the flight tags off, and opened it to air out. It still smelled of plastic and dryer sheets. She had had the foresight to toss a couple of the sheets in after the last trip to Florida. She had no idea what kind of weather Switzerland was having in late August and early September. She stared at the suitcase.

 She was about to climb into a jet with strangers and go off into a country where she did not know anyone, or even if these people were legitimate! Just because they had lots of money to throw around did not mean they were aboveboard. Katherine pushed the carry-on to one side with her foot and looked into the mirror that hung on the back of her bedroom door. She frowned at the image of herself. What made her so special? Katherine stuck her tongue out at her reflection and turned away. 

 While she had it on her mind, she went back to her closet to look at what she would wear to dinner. It was casual – she had told him to dress casually. She did not see anything that caught her eye. She went to the back of the closet and looked at her dresses. A dark blue tiered maxi dress, it was a little bohemian and had a lace-up bodice that cinched up a bit at the waist. There were tiny sequins of iridescent blue sewn in swirling patterns all over the dress and caught the light when you walked. She had always felt good in the dress, so she decided to try it on. She stripped off her pants and top and pulled it on. The tiers fell over her hips, and she pulled at the strings of the bodice. She turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. 

 She still felt pretty in the dress! This was what she would wear. She wiggled out and decided to hang it up in the bathroom as she showered and got ready. The steam from the shower would relax any wrinkles. She found the shoes that went with the dress and frowned at her feet. She'd have to paint her toenails! Katherine stopped in the hallway -- she was not going on a date – she was only having dinner with a man who was at least four or five years her junior. "What in hell are you thinking?" Katherine stormed off down the hall, muttering to herself under her breath. 

 She entered the bathroom, reached in, and turned on the shower. She closed the door and looked at the dark blue tiered maxi dress. Katherine pulled off her underwear and stepped into the shower. As she took the bar of rosemary lavender soap and scrubbed it into the sponge the scent of both began to ease her sadness and she began to think about what had happened to her in the last 24 hours. She was about to embark on an adventure – one from which she might not return. It could be dangerous, it could be the most exciting thing she ever experienced, or it might be a vacation of relaxation. She just wasn't sure.

 Katherine was not one to jump quickly into anything, and yet here she was preparing to do just what her logical and sensible mind was screaming at her not to do! She turned the water off and stepped out onto the rug and she began to dry off. She pulled the band from her hair that she had used to pull her hair up from getting wet. Wear it up or wear it down? She liked the bohemian scarf that went with the dress, it had sequins too, she would wear her hair loose but let the scarf keep it tamed. She took the dress off the hook on the bathroom door and padded down the hall nude, her skin cooling off as she felt the central air conditioning. The last of the August heat was pushed back by the unit humming outside. It was a nice 68 degrees! She took her time with her makeup. Nothing was too overly done, a little translucent powder brushed over her face and across her collar bones making her skin have a faint sateen finish. She applied a deep rose lip stain and then a lighter pink over that. 

 She glanced at the clock on the bedside table it was 6:15. She slipped on her undergarments and decided a light slip would be appropriate. Katherine donned her dress and drew up the lacings of the bodice, so it cinched her at the waist just enough to show off her curves. The leather sandals were dyed to match, and she stuck her feet into the shoes and gave each toenail another touch of the rosy color nail polish. She was complete! Katherine took one last look at herself in the mirror that hung on the back of her bedroom door. "Not bad for an old spinster woman!"

 The doorbell chimed and Katherine felt suddenly nervous. But she shook her hands and arms vigorously and headed to the front door. She stopped looked through the peephole and grinned. Vincent Thys was dressed casually – expensively casual! He looked crisp and cool in a slim-fitting pair of navy chinos, saddle brown loafers, and no socks. Saddle brown belt with a narrow gold buckle and an untucked pale blue short-sleeve linen shirt that was open at the neck. He looked like he'd stepped off his yacht in Monaco – right down to the sunglasses and golden tan! He pressed the doorbell again and she braced herself and opened the door. "Right on time!" she announced, "I just have to find my purse – come on in." She stepped back to allow him into the hallway. 

 He snatched his sunglasses off and let his dark brown eyes take her in. "Why Ms. Van Dermeer – you look enchanting!"

 She smiled and turned away so he could not see her blushing like a high school girl. "I'll be right back. Have a seat!" She called over her shoulder. 

 Vincent smiled. She had been hiding away but was happy to see that she was a quiet beauty but had to admit she was far more lovely than he had guessed! She would turn heads everywhere she went. Rather than sit down, he looked at the books on her shelves, and the few photos on her mantlepiece. She was an eclectic collector of interesting things. In a China cabinet, there were antique dolls, an enameled and gold embellished glass decanter with small cups that had definite Russian origins, there was an incised dragon teapot, delicate cups and saucers, and a few pieces of folk-art carvings that were interesting. He turned away from the China cabinet and looked in the dining room. Occupying the entire room was a black Steinway baby grand piano!

 Katherine found her clutch and dropped the few essentials she had tossed on her bed. Wallet, powder compact, and her lip stain if she managed to eat it off at dinner. She stuffed it all in her clutch and took one last look at herself in the mirror. She drew a deep breath and strolled back up to the living room.

 She found Vincent standing in her dining room where she kept her piano. He ran a hand over the closed keyboard. He looked up at her. "Do you play often?"

 Katherine joined him in the room and ran a hand over the glossy black side of the piano. "As often as I can. When my cable TV had to go, I practiced, a lot."

 "Will you play for me?" Vincent asked. "Do we have time?"

 Katherine's eyes traveled to the clock on the wall. "I promise after dinner, okay?"

 Vincent nodded. "Shall we go?"

 "Sure," she said. "It's not far but be prepared for a crowd. The place is small, but the food is excellent!"

 Vincent followed her to the door, as she picked up her house keys, he opened the door for her. She smiled her thanks, and he locked it behind him. He took her elbow, and they walked over to his rental. He opened the passenger door and she sat and swung her legs in. He pulled the seat belt strap and handed it to her, so she did not have to reach around and find it. She clicked it in place, and he closed her door. Katherine was a bit nervous by all the courtly attention but just assumed it was the way he had been groomed to be by his family. It was refreshing to see chivalry was not dead!

 He got in, started the car engine up, the AC was going but he adjusted it and put his seatbelt on, and glanced over at her as he pressed the navigation button on the dashboard. "So where are we going?"

 "Papa's BBQ 8356 North Mills Street."

 The car's navigation chimed softly, and the woman's voice repeated Katherine's address and the dashboard screen lit up with the destination. Vincent backed out of her drive and proceeded on their route. He glanced over at her, "Your accent is not as pronounced as the natives here in Georgia, have you lived here your whole life?"

 "No, my parents traveled around a good bit," Katherine replied. "I was an Air Force brat. My father was commissioned all over the United States. When he retired, we moved here when I was sixteen."

 "And your mother, did she work?" he asked.

 "No, she was headed to Julliard when she met my father. Her parents were very upset that she didn't pursue her musical career." Katherine replied. "That's how I inherited the baby grand."

 "Did she teach you to play?" 

 "No! My mom didn't have the patience to teach me," Katherine replied. "But she made sure I took lessons from the best teachers wherever we lived. When I entered college, I minored in music but got my degree in education."

 "No family anywhere near you?" Vincent asked, he looked over at her as they stopped at a traffic light. 

 "Not anymore," She replied. "I might have some distant cousins out in Kansas. An aunt raised my father. Both his parents died when he was just a boy. My mother was an only child. By the time I graduated college everyone was gone. My parents died within months of each other, so I've been on my own since then."

 He negotiated a turn and she pointed to the diner on the left just as the navigation voice announced, "Your destination is on the left."

 They found a parking spot about a block away and Vincent expertly steered the car into the spot and turned the engine off. Katherine grinned at him, "I never did get the knack of parallel parking."

 He laughed. "Many years of navigating busy cities and streets." He got out and was at the passenger door when Katherine unclipped the seatbelt. He opened the door and extended a hand to her. She swung her legs out and took his hand. Once she was standing next to him, she realized he was much taller than she had realized. She felt a bit out of sync with things. She had not been out with a man in more than a year! Vincent crooked an arm, "Shall we cross here or walk back up the street and cross?"

 "Might be better to stay on this side of the street," Katherine replied as she slipped her hand under his crooked arm. "More streetlights." It was twilight, with just a flush of daylight still lingering across the tops of buildings. They strolled up the brick street, past several boutiques and other shops that were still open for business. Vincent kept her toward the store side and was constantly scanning the area around them and the people they passed. They crossed the street with other people heading to the diner. Young couples laughed and talked about what they were going to order. Katherine was not used to having a man be so protective! Taylor usually was in such a hurry to get places, and Katherine had to always hurry to catch up. She could never tell if he was just inconsiderate or did not want to be seen with her. Vincent, on the other hand, adjusted his long stride to her shorter gait, shielded her from the passing pedestrians, and held the door of the diner open for her as they stopped at the entrance. "Two for Van Dermeer" Katherine said. 

 The woman nodded as she found the name, checked it off, and grabbed two menus, "Follow me, would you like a booth or a table?"

 "Booth," Katherine responded. "Away from the bar, please."

 The young woman nodded and altered her trail through the islands of tables and people toward the wall where the bank of red leather booths was located. She smiled up at Vincent as he stepped into the press of people and cleared a way for her. He sheltered her with his arm, politely excusing themselves as they passed. When they reached the booth, Vincent waited until Katherine was tucked in on her side before he slid in on the other side.

 The woman handed them their menus and a young man came over with utensils wrapped in cloth napkins. "I'm Andrew, I'll be serving you this evening. What can I get you to drink?"

 Vincent looked at Katherine. She glanced up from her menu, "I'd like lemon tea, lots of ice, please."

 "And you sir?" Andrew asked.

 "I'll have the same," Vincent replied.

 "Coming up," Andrew said and went off on his errand.

 Vincent glanced at the menu, but he was not sure what he would like so he sat back and watched as Katherine scanned the menu. When she felt his eyes on her she looked up. "Not sure what to try?"

 "I will leave that up to you, Ms. Van Dermeer."

 She closed the menu, "You don't have to be so formal, it makes me feel like an old lady."

 "No one could infer you were an old lady!" he said, his dark brown eyes studying her face. "What do your friends call you?" Vincent asked with a slow smile that was just short of flirtatious. 

 "Most everyone calls me Katherine." She replied, sending him an admonishing look. But smiled back as he chuckled at the faint blush that crept into her cheeks. "What about you?" 

 "And I am Vincent," Thys replied. "No nickname?"

 She shook her head and then reopened the menu. "Not now. When I was a little girl, my father called me Kat. Do you have a nickname?"

 Vincent shook his head. "Vincent to everyone." 

 Katherine opened the menu again to glance at the entrees, "Well, Vincent I think unless you have any dietary or religious restrictions, we should go for the barbeque sampler-- it's for two. You get a little of everything that is barbequed and a couple of sides and sauces."

 He nodded. As he was studying her, she flipped the menu over and then glanced up. Her deep blue eyes flickered a sudden storm of anger and hurt. Vincent felt the flash of anger down his spine, and he sat up straight his hands curling into fists and coming to rest on the table.

 Katherine felt the sudden shift in Vincent, and she glanced at his fists as his knuckles turned white. He fought to control the rage. She reached out and laid a hand on his hand closest to her. Vincent's blazing gaze locked with hers and the fury was snuffed out! She fought for calm and lowered her eyes briefly, "It's all right!"

 "Katherine?"

 When she looked up the frosty smile she gave the man, gave even Vincent pause at the sudden change in her demeanor. "Hello, Taylor."

 The ex-boyfriend! Vincent leaned back on his side of the booth and angled a look first at Katherine to gauge how he should react, then looked at Taylor, who stuck out a hand, "Taylor Ballard, Mental Health Professional at Piedmont Health Services." 

 Vincent met Taylor's gaze full-on and ignored the extended hand. "Vincent Thys, International Consul to the Vanderau Corporation, of Amsterdam, Geneva, Germany, Paris, and London."

 Taylor pulled his hand back and slid the palm down his hip to his pants pocket. He looked back to Katherine, "Wow, well, you're looking well, Katherine. Feeling okay?"

 "Katherine is looking exceedingly well, Mr. Ballard," Vincent responded softly and with just a hint of a suggestion that stunned Katherine for a moment then smiled warmly at Vincent. 

 "Yes, I feel quite good!" She said and looked back to Taylor, "You coming or going?"

 "We're going," Taylor said slowly looking between the two of them. "Kim's freshening up. I thought I'd come over and say hello. You know, Doctor Prichard has asked about you --,"

 "Violating HIPPA laws and practices is always dangerous ground to be walking on as a therapist!" Vincent said sharply. "A lapse of judgment on your part!"

 Andrew took that moment to arrive to take their order. He placed the tall glasses of lemon iced tea in front of Katherine and Vincent and placed paper-wrapped drinking straws next to the tea glasses. He looked between Taylor and Vincent and waited to see what was going to happen. Katherine handed the menus to Andrew and ordered. "The number seven, Barbee for two, coming up!" He cheered and as he sailed off, gave a sour look in Taylor's direction.

 Looking out of place and out of ammunition, Taylor nodded stiffly in Vincent's direction, turned on his heel, and walked out collecting the confused and slightly miffed-looking Kim who waited at the cashier's counter. Vincent kept his eyes on the pair until they had gone then looked over at Katherine. Her lopsided grin did not hide the hurt and the bright tears that welled in her eyes told Vincent everything he needed to know about the amazing woman sitting across from him. "Thank you, Vincent."

 He reached out and took her hand in his. He looked down at the hand he held, it was cold and trembled slightly. "Let it go, Katherine. Think about your upcoming adventure."

 She laughed and she daubed at the corners of her eyes with her napkin. She saw the large platter coming. "Are you ready for a smoky barbeque adventure?"

 Andrew wielded the tray table like a pro. He set the tray with the platter of smoked and grilled meats and the sauces down. "Enjoy!" Andrew said as he set everything on their table between them. Katherine introduced Vincent to Papa's barbeque, and they chatted on a wide variety of subjects. She found Vincent incredibly knowledgeable about history, people, and places.

 Finally, he sat back and waved off eating any more. "I am stuffed to the gills! You are correct, this was the best meal I have had in a long time!" 

 Katherine had finished a long time ago but watched as Vincent enjoyed his meal. Andrew came and cleared away the dishes and slipped the padded folder containing the bill on the table. Katherine reached over to take the folder. Vincent laid a hand over hers, "You do not have to do this, Katherine. I do have an expense account."

 "I want to," she replied. "For the first time in a long time, I can do this without the fear of having my card declined or having to rely on someone else to do the paying."

 Vincent lifted his hand, and she slipped her bank card into the slot. Andrew breezed by, scooped the folder up, and headed to the cashier. "As I recall you promised me musical entertainment."

 "I did, didn't I," She replied. "Well, we can head on back to the house and I'll keep my promise."

 They got to their feet and made their way to the cashier who printed the receipt for Katherine to sign. She added a nice tip for Andrew and walked out with Vincent into the warm evening.