Her Lifelong Dream (11 page)

Deanna was bouncing from foot to foot, obviously in a
hurry to get into the car. "Bye, Uncle T," she said, giving
him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll see you Saturday
morning!"

"Saturday morning?" Terry asked. "I thought you'd be
coming home Friday night?"

"I have a date," Deanna said, bounding down the steps.
Leedy followed behind her.

"A date?" he frowned. "All right. But don't stay out too
late, Dee. And I'll see you on Saturday. Leedy ... thanks
again. I'll see you tomorrow in class. Maybe we can go out
afterwards for coffee?"

Leedy did not say anything, but instead headed for the
driveway. Deanna was already in the car with her seatbelt
on waiting expectantly for the ride to take her back to her
dorm. Leedy started the engine, gave one final wave to
Terry and headed into the night, with Deanna all but spinning in the passenger's seat next to her.

"Turn left at the stop sign," she said. "I know a shortcut."

Deanna chattered nervously the whole way back to the
college campus. She faked a yawn and smiled but every
few moments she would glance anxiously at her watch.

"What's his name?" Leedy asked, as they turned into the
University's entrance.

Deanna hesitated for a second. "Chris," she said. "Am I
that obvious?"

"Only to the trained eye," Leedy said. "Where are you
and Chris going?"

"We'll probably just watch television with some
friends," Deanna said. "I told him I would be home by nine
o'clock though. As usual, I'm late."

"Only by a half-hour," Leedy said, pulling up to the
building Deanna had led her to.

"Thanks," she said, climbing out of the car. "I had a lot
of fun today, Leedy. And I'm glad I got to know you
better."

"Me, too," Leedy said, and she meant it.

"Um ... Leedy?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell Uncle Terry about Chris, okay?"

"He already knows you date, doesn't he?"

"Well, yes," Deanna said, as she looked at the building
and then back at Leedy. "But. . ."

"But, what?"

"Nothing," she said, a sigh in her voice. "I just wish
Uncle Terry would go out more. Then he wouldn't worry
about me so much."

Leedy nodded in understanding. But she understood
Terry just as much, if not more. It certainly couldn't be
easy on him to send his pretty niece off to college. Leedy
watched Deanna dash up the steps into the dormitory building. She thought she saw a tall, blonde-haired boy in a
black jacket walk up and greet her at the door, but she was
not sure if it was an embrace or simply a welcome between fellow students. Leedy tilted her head to one side, watching
the couple. It was probably her imagination, but there was
something familiar about the boy.

She shrugged and pulled away from the curb. "Ah," she
sighed to the empty car. "Young love ..." She drove away,
thinking about romance. But more than Deanna and Chris,
she thought about a handsome blue-eyed man who was
watching a movie alone in his living room. "I wonder who
that phone call was from," Leedy said out loud. It was all
she could do to keep from driving back to his house.

Leedy had heard that the restaurant Antonio's was a
wonderful place to eat, but since most of her evenings were
devoted to Mr. Hobo's, she had not yet been there. She
arrived right on time to find Jo Anne already waiting for
her when she walked through the door. Jo Anne was wearing an attractive long, black silk dress with a coordinating
long, black floral jacket. She looked every bit the picture
of a poised and sophisticated woman about town.

"I'm over here," Jo Anne called, waving. Leedy walked
over and gave Jo Anne a warm hug. "Antonio's is usually
packed by this time, so I came a little early," Jo Anne
confided. "Our table is ready. It's in the back."

The hostess led the way as Jo Anne and Leedy followed
her through the restaurant. They could smell the wonderful aromas as they passed by the kitchen doors, which
reminded Leedy that she had not eaten anything since
breakfast.

"I'm starved," she confessed when they were seated in a corner table near a window. They had a nice view of the
courtyard behind Antonio's.

"I remember those days of working in a restaurant and
skipping lunch," Jo Anne said. "Ironic, isn't it? Always
being surrounded by delicious food, yet somehow you can
never find the time to eat."

"Yes," Leedy said. "When I was a chef in California, I
ate all the time. If only to make sure the food tasted good.
Now, all I can manage is a quick snack in the dish room.
I hardly ever sit down and eat a real meal."

"You're a chef too?" Jo Anne said. "Terry didn't mention that."

"Yes," Leedy said. "I attended the Cornwell Institute and
apprenticed in a few restaurants in Southern California."

"How exciting!"

"It was fun, in a crazy, exhausting way. But I only did
it for a few years. I also worked for a small catering company."

"What brought you to Mr. Hobo's?" Jo Anne asked.

"I wanted to come back home to Wisconsin. I grew up
just outside of Madison. I also wanted to learn the ropes
of running a restaurant. When the manager's job opened
up at Mr. Hobo's, I took it. I thought it would give me
some insight into the management side of the restaurant
business."

"Has it?" Jo Anne asked.

"Yes," Leedy said. "Managing a restaurant is a lot
tougher than I thought it would be. I always thought the
kitchen was the only part of the place that was in constant
chaos. Now I know better."

"Oh, yes," Jo Anne said. "The restaurant business is a
difficult industry."

"Tell me about it."

"What types of foods do you cook?" Jo Anne asked.

"Italian cuisine is my favorite," Leedy said, nodding at
the menu. "Particularly recipes with lots of garlic and tomatoes. My personal favorites are anything with seafood.
My grandmother was from Sicily and I have some wonderful old family recipes. How about you? What is your
background?"

"I never was formally trained," Jo Anne said, "but I grew
up in the restaurant business. My father had a deli in Philadelphia. I could make a cheesesteak before I could ride a
bike. My father retired years ago, but the deli is still in the
family. My youngest brother runs it now. It has become
even more popular than when my father owned it. Roger
is doing quite well. It was recently voted best cheap eats
in town by the local newspaper."

"It sounds like my favorite kind of deli," Leedy noted.
"I don't care much for the chains."

"I agree. I miss Philly sometimes, although I love Madison. I visit with my family a few times a year though, and
I always stop by the old place. It still has the best hot
pastrami on rye I've ever tasted."

"Do you cook?" Leedy asked.

"Yes," Jo Anne said. "I love to cook, and I'm a really
good baker, even if I do say so myself. Especially anything
to do with chocolate. Chocolate cheesecake, chocolate silk
pie, homemade chocolate-covered toffees ..."

"Mmm," Leedy said. "I think we should definitely get
dessert after dinner. Don't you?"

"I was hoping you would say that."

They picked up their menus and read the offerings with
keen interest, commenting on possible spices used to pre pare this or cooking techniques used to prepare that. They
chit-chatted about their lives, and Leedy felt instantly comfortable talking with the friendly, likeable woman she had
just met. As a matter of fact, by the time the waitress had
taken their dinner orders, she felt as if she and Jo Anne
were old friends.

"Tell me about your restaurant," she said.

"Which restaurant is that, dear?" Jo Anne asked.

"You know which restaurant. Your restaurant. The one
you would open tomorrow if you could."

"Oh, that restaurant," Jo Anne said and smiled wistfully.
"It has been an ambition I've had for many years, you
know. Even when I was a teenager working the counter of
my father's deli, I couldn't imagine ever doing any other
kind of work. I had already decided the restaurant business
was as natural to me as breathing, but I thought a young
lady of my sophistication was destined for a finer establishment."

Jo Anne gave the impression that she was teasing, but
Leedy knew better. She knew that Jo Anne's restaurant was
as real to her as Leedy's restaurant was to her. And both
places were as real as the restaurant they were sitting in.
"It will be elegant," Jo Anne began. "But not in the snooty,
intimidating way some places I've been to have been. My
restaurant will be classy, but in a warm, inviting way. I'll
furnish it in a traditional decor. You know, lots of cherry
wood and starched linens. It will also serve the finest gourmet menu in Wisconsin. In fact, if you didn't already have
other ambitions, I'd want someone like you to be the chef.
Someone with formal training and a diverse background.
My restaurant would be located inside the city, or, alternatively, just barely outside the city limits. But not too far away as to make it inconvenient to my customers. Oh, and
there would be a huge room for private banquets. I love
planning big parties, especially wedding receptions. I'm
good at it, too. I've helped a few of my friends plan their
children's weddings. Now I'm the first person anyone calls
when someone gets engaged."

"I would love to have seen the receptions," Leedy said,
nodding.

"I have lots of pictures. I'll show you them one day ...
if you'd like to see them. They were beautiful affairs. But,
at the same time, I'm very budget-conscious. I consider it
a challenge to create the nicest reception with the least
amount of money. It's difficult sometimes, but I enjoy doing it. Now, tell me about your restaurant?"

"My restaurant?" Leedy said, thoughtfully. "It's funny,
Jo Anne. To tell you the truth, my restaurant sounds quite
similar to yours, although I had not given as much thought
to a banquet room. But my place has the same feel to it. I
want a state-of-the-art menu in a classic but comfortable
setting. I want elegance and gourmet food in a friendly
place, just like you."

"Have you thought about what you would call your
place?" Jo Anne asked.

"I don't know," Leedy confided. "I thought of Leedy's
House but that sounds a little bit too big-headed when I
say it out loud. It needs some more work. I've also thought
of naming it after something that speaks of the history of
the area. How about you?"

"I would name it after my boys," Jo Anne said, decisively. "They're almost grown now, but they're still my
babies. Ryan is seventeen and Riley just turned fifteen. What do you think of the Ryan-Riley Inn? Do you think
people will assume it is an Irish pub?"

"I like it," Leedy said, nodding. "And you can change
the pub image through your advertising."

"That's true," Jo Anne said. "My husband is willing to
dig into our savings to get this thing off the ground. But
the money we've saved wouldn't be nearly enough. Especially with sending two boys off to college soon."

"I know what you mean," Leedy said. "Except for the
added stress of saving for college, of course. It seems as
though I've been saving for this forever, but I can barely
keep up with the cost of inflation. I'm not making much
progress."

The two women talked for the rest of the dinner as if
they were old, dear friends. In fact, other than her shopping
trip with Deanna, Leedy couldn't remember when she had
enjoyed someone's company as much as Jo Anne's. They
talked through dinner, then dessert, and then lingered over
coffee.

"Oh, my heavens!" Jo Anne gasped, looking at her
watch. "It is almost ten-thirty! I can't believe we've stayed
here this late!"

"Don't you hate it when people hog a table all night?"
Leedy said, just as surprised that the time had passed so
quickly.

"Oh, I remember those people!" Jo Anne said, scornfully. "Now look, I've become one of them! We better
leave a good tip."

"Let's double it," Leedy added, digging in her purse for
her wallet.

The two women paid the check and walked out into the parking lot. They strolled through the cold night, still deep
in conversation.

"This was a wonderful evening," Jo Anne said. "I'm so
glad I took Terry's suggestion and introduced myself."

"I am too," Leedy said, her ears perking up at the sound
of Terry's name. "Urn ... do you know him ... personally?"

"Oh, yes," Jo Anne said. "Terry Foster is an excellent
loan officer and a wonderful friend. He helped my husband,
Ted, get his dental practice off the ground years ago. As a
matter of fact, he was the one who gave us the best advice
of anyone we talked to, including our lawyer."

"He seems nice," Leedy said, hoping Jo Anne would tell
her more.

"He's a great guy," Jo Anne said. "Smart as can be, and
a wonderful father-figure to Deanna."

"I met Deanna," Leedy said and told Jo Anne about her
shopping trip at the mall with the teenager. "She's a beautiful young woman. I'm deeply sorry for Deanna and
Terry's loss."