“The only thing worth looking at,” Kenneth replied easily. “I’m looking at you.”

  Nova’s smiled widened at the compliment. The waiter came over and delivered a bottle of red wine. The man quietly and deftly poured two glasses without letting the bottle burp. He softly placed both glasses in front of the guests, left the wine bottle and strode away after being dismissed by a wave of Kenneth’s hand.

  They lifted and softly clinked the glasses before sipping the wine. Kenneth had always been partial to Italian wines but he was not a purist. He enjoyed all types of wines. Though this seemed like an Italian sort of night and the wine did not disappoint.

  Kenneth set his glass down and raised his eyebrows in question, “Well, how do you like it?”

  Nova smiled and lowered her glass as well, “I do appreciate the quality of the wine. But I’m more of a Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Pinot Noir kind of girl.” Kenneth couldn’t stop his eyebrows from raising slowly up his brow at the matter of fact statement. Nova continued, “But yes, it is very good”

  Kenneth was a little stunned at the comment. They had just sampled an Italian made wine at almost eight hundred bucks a bottle, and she likes Pinot Noir? He wanted to laugh. He should have been insulted, and yet even this rebuff from this woman settled upon his psyche like the most respectable constructive criticism that was possible. Instead of insult and rage all he felt was, was that disappointment? He was a little disappointed that she hadn’t loved it as much as he did.

  He leaned back and chuckled softly, looking at this creature of the most complex waves of self-assurance and poise. “I can order the Pinot Noir if you’d like.” He said with a wide grin.

  Nova simply shook her head and sipped at the wine, “Kenneth it’s fine, really. I appreciate the quality, as I said. And partaking in a variety of things is what makes life worth living. Don’t you agree?” Kenneth nodded and sipped at his glass as well.

  The house lights dimmed noticeable and the stage lights came up, the dais lit up like a platform of light as a tall elegant woman in a black night gown stood behind an old-style microphone as she began singing. The orchestra behind her rose and moved with her voice. Neither overpowering the other, and her voice filled the night club without being over powering to the conversations of the dinner tables around the dais.

  Kenneth looked off to the side and watched the woman sing as Nova too was gazing at the woman behind the microphone. She was signing a song that Kenneth recognized actually. It was titled something about being a mystery? He didn’t know the actual title but the chorus was haunting. And the singers voice was amazingly powerful and soft hitting each note with a gorgeous rhythm. It was something to be admired.

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  When the song ended, the woman bowed deeply to the patrons. The band all kept their instruments up and a much softer music met the crowd. The singer moved back and took a seat next to the orchestra. The music was a little more upbeat from the song that just ended but smooth and soon faded into the background.

  Kenneth looked at Nova and watched how her human senses reacted to what was going on around her. Nova was just as statuesque now as she had been when he first entered the club.

  The waiter came by the table and offered menus to which Kenneth and Nova took one. Kenneth wasn’t sure if Nova knew that he could eat or not. It was just something that he chose not to do in most cases. Nova spent a few moments studying the menu before softly placing the leather bound menu off to the side of the table and sipping at her wine once more.

  Kenneth didn’t insult the woman with the obvious question. Instead, he waved the waiter over to their table. The waiter briskly walked over and nodded towards Nova. “I’ll have the Penne all’arrabbiata.”

  Kenneth nodded at the choice. Though with the red wine he had ordered he would have suggested a meat dish maybe a Rosticciana or Veal. But he admired the matter of factness that she had decided and ordered with confidence. She even got the pronunciation right, mostly right, the “bb” pronunciation had been a little off. Still, very close, he just smiled at her.

  The waiter nodded towards him and he smoothly answered, “Per me, Rosticciana.” It wasn’t until he had said it that he realized that he had reverted to Italian for a moment. Not that most people would have noticed. The waiter simply nodded and collected the menus before leaving.

  The house lights dimmed again and this time instead of the singer being in the middle of the dais, she was off to the side, close to the orchestra. Kenneth heard the first few notes and smiled. He stood up and offered Nova his hand, “would you care to dance?”

  Nova smiled winningly and took his hand before rising. She let him lead her onto the dais and began softly swaying in the classic one, two, three, ball room dance step. The music moved through them and they danced with each other. There were other couples on the large dais, but as far as the two of them were concerned, they were the only ones there.

  After the dance the two sat down at the table again. In moments the waiter served them their dinners with a small basket of Italian bread that complemented both of their meals. They ate in silence for the most part. Their eyes never leaving one another’s for long. They held a deep correspondence in their glances. Kenneth could read her expressions as easily as if they were written just for him. He was fairly sure that she could do the same with him. Kenneth should have been a bit unnerved by the grace and glances she gave him, and how she studied his body and gestures with as much rapt attention as he did with her, and yet he felt nothing but contentment and comfort with this woman.

  When the meal was over, Kenneth poured another glass of wine for the both of them. He was equally adept with the bottle and refused to let the bottle burp as he poured. Just as he was about to compliment her, the waiter came up and whispered something into his ear.

  Kenneth smoothly stood up, “Nova, would you excuse me for just a moment?”

  The darkly tanned woman smiled and nodded without a saying a word. Kenneth nodded his head deeply to her then turned and followed the waiter.