It's Valentines Day and we're sort of busy.
Sort of busy, because we stopped taking reservations several days ago, the more experienced waiters looked at the book and said "enough" and so we stopped taking reservations.
Sort of busy, because we're only half full. Someone dropped the ball. In every other restaurant in the city Valentines day is the busiest day of the year. Still, after all the hype and anticipation "sort of busy" is a bit of a relief.
There's an interesting mix of couples that made it. Couples that are in love. Older Women out with their mothers. Happily married couples, couples that aren't yet couples but the man is really trying, couples of three that are trying desperately to cheer up a jilted friend...
There's an attractive couple sitting together. Tall slender blond, handsome muscular man. She orders a Chai Tea.
"I'm sorry," I say to her "We stopped serving Chai when we stopped making Vindaloo Curries..."
"You stopped making Vindaloo Curries" she exclaims, astonished...
Her boyfriend, he doesn't say anything. I want to offer some conciliatory remarks, she is very pretty after all, but it's not my place. Instead I apologize.
"I was joking. We don't make Vindaloo Curries. We don't have Chai Tea or low-fat decaf lattes. But we do have...." and I give her a somewhat more reasonable, albeit limited menu to choose from.