Spice of Life - Chapter 1

The piano played some lilting, innocuous melody in the background as people danced on the dime-sized dance floor in the restaurant. The clientele were elegantly dressed – men in suits and ties – the ladies in semiformal evening wear. Even approaching the entrance to Tuscany one could tell this was no paper napkin, catsup bottle on the table sort of place. The small, twinkling lights draped over the shrubbery at the entrance created a delicate, gentile ambiance for what lay beyond the front door. On a slightly raised tier inside the restaurant sat a young couple quietly dining. They looked at the surroundings but spent more time gazing at one another as appetizers, salad and main entrée were delivered one after another to their table over an hour’s time. They spoke in hushed conversational tones as did the other patrons. On occasion they offered one another a small forkful of some item from their individual plates. Only moments before a waiter had brought the four-paged dessert menu and left them to contemplate the wickedly sinful concoctions offered by the dessert chef.

"Is there anything in particular you want to have, Chloe?" Phillip asked his date for the evening.

It had been almost a month and a half since the bet was disclosed. Chloe had thought her budding relationship with Phillip Kiriakis through very thoroughly and felt comfortable about once again going out with him. He had given her all the time she wanted without pressuring her, though he’d silently agonized about what her answer would be regarding their future. She had ultimately based her decision on an argument they’d had on their second date – lunch at the Brady Pub. Phillip had stood before her perplexed about why she’d flown off the handle after he’d asked her to help with his calculus homework. As she stared directly into his eyes that afternoon, she felt he was lying to her about something. Chloe had told him she wanted only people who told her the truth in her life and until he grew up and did so, she wanted nothing to do with him, whereupon, she'd turned her back on Phillip and slammed the door leaving the pub.

When they had met to talk in the small courtyard by the school after the bet was known, Phillip had surprisingly made no excuses for his behavior. As she relived the conversation over and over, it wasn’t only his words but the look in his eyes she’d been unable to forget. The truth was there. Phillip had leveled with her about his participation in the bet. He had looked directly into Chloe’s eyes as he spoke from his heart. It was that image she kept returning to while making her decision. Belle, her best friend, had known Phillip her entire life as they attended grade, middle and now high school together. She had told Chloe of the visible change in Phillip from the once selfish, shallow jock he had been to the sensitive, thoughtful young man he’d become. Belle knew the reformation was in no small part due to Chloe’s influence on him. It had been no come-on line when he’d told her being with her made him want to be a better person – the one she saw when she looked at him. Spending hours alone contemplating others’ freely given character references of Phillip proved only to confuse her more. Ultimately Chloe realized she had to trust her own instincts, but most of all, her heart about him and what to do.

Chloe had almost decided to not date him again even though every cell of her body knew she didn’t want to give him up. After some honest soul searching she realized the reason for her hesitancy. Phillip had grown to mean so much to her, she was afraid of doing or saying something wrong and losing him - - only this time - forever. She wasn’t sure if she could take watching him walk away from her without once looking back if she proved to be unworthy of him. That old, deeply rooted insecurity - - the fear of losing someone she’d given her trust to had reared its ugly head. It was then her heart had stepped into the argument and convinced her to take a chance. The rewards for her investment of trust in Phillip might prove to be beyond anything she could imagine but she wouldn’t know if she didn’t give him a chance.

When she told Phillip of her decision as they met on the pier …their pier….at a prearranged time, she could see him visibly relax. She’d had no idea how much her final decision was affecting him as well. The night before their meeting, unable to sleep,. Phillip had lain on his back staring at the dark ceiling of his bedroom ready to make any deal with God if Chloe would give him a second chance. What would it matter if he were the captain of the baseball team, all county quarterback, king of any future dance if she wasn’t there to cheer him on or be in his arms during a slow dance and sharing it all with him?

After a tentative kiss and long hug Phillip had asked her if he could take her out for a celebration date at Tuscany. Chloe had accepted and a new chapter of their relationship had begun. Now, Chloe mulled over the dessert menu as Phillip patiently waited for an answer to his question.

"I don’t know, Phillip," Chloe said as she perused the various descriptions of the desserts. "I can’t make up my mind. What dish interests you?"

Phillip looked over the top of the menu at Chloe and turned on the dimples full power as he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.

"I meant on the menu."

"Oh……oh, the menu. Well, that’s a different story. I want to try the seven deadly sins. It’s different forms of chocolate with a whipped cream topping."

"That’s sounds so rich it’s making my fillings hurt. You know what? I think I’ll pass on the dessert and just have an espresso."

"You’re sure you don’t want anything? You’ll be sorry."

"I’m sure. As Nancy says, ‘Eat it today, wear it tomorrow.’ The lobster was pretty filling anyway."

"Okay, but you still have time to change your mind before the waiter gets here."

Having said that Phillip caught the eye of the waiter and motioned him over.

"I’d like the seven deadly sins and she’ll have an espresso, please."

"Certainly, Sir. Perhaps you’d like two forks should you decide to share the dessert?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

The waiter departed taking the dessert menu with him and smiling as he turned away from the young couple. He could tell the young man was intent upon impressing the beautiful young lady he had brought to the restaurant.

Soon the espresso, whipped-cream covered dessert and two forks were brought to the table. Phillip gazed with delight at the richness of the chocolate dessert and began taking small bites of it.

"Mmm….this is so good, Chloe. Are you sure you don’t want some?"

As she watched Phillip indulging his weakness for chocolate she had to admit it was alluring.

"Well, maybe just a little bite to see what all the fuss is you’re making over a silly dessert."

She picked up the fork and chiseled away at the opposite side of the dessert Phillip was working on. It was heaven – not as rich as she’d thought, not so throat grabbing that you needed a gallon of water to wash it down with. She began to take a second, third and fourth fork full. Phillip stopped in mid-bite to watch her delicately, but steadily work her way to the middle of the dessert.

"Are you sure you wouldn’t like one of these, Chloe? I can call the waiter back."

Since her mouth was full, Chloe shook her head as a response. Phillip couldn’t help being amused at her intense look as she took her time eating another mouthful before sipping a small bit of the espresso. He could safely estimate Chloe had more than met him halfway across the slice of dessert. He also knew to remind her that she hadn’t wanted any dessert would probably cut his life expectancy by a goodly number of years. As he gazed at her bemusedly he noticed a small dollop of the whipped cream topping had taken up residence in the center of her upper lip. Chloe apparently was unaware of the white "beauty mark" as she gazed around the room looking at the other diners.

"Chloe? Come here."

"What?"

"Just lean toward me a little, okay?"

Confusion written on her face she never the less, leaned toward Phillip thinking he wanted to say something to her in a hushed tone. Phillip leaned across the right angle of the table where Chloe sat to his immediate left and at the last minute kissed her on the lips, running his tongue over the whipped cream and removing it in one swift movement. Chloe pulled back surprised but delighted until she saw the whipped cream on the end of Phillip’s tongue. She raised the antique white napkin to her mouth to remove any remaining whipped cream before rolling her eyes.

"Well, that was embarrassing."

"What, that I kissed you in public?"

"No, I’m talking about the reason you kissed me. I must have looked like a real dork with that on my lip."

"Actually, you looked adorable. I almost wasn’t going to tell you for awhile so I could enjoy it just a little longer."

"I’m glad you thought better of it. I guess I proved I don’t belong in a swanky restaurant like this, didn’t I."

"You did no such thing. It could have happened to anyone….even me."

Having said that Phillip took the fork and smeared whipped cream on his upper lip before sitting back in the chair with his arms folded across his chest.

"Phillip! What are you doing?"

"Just making the point that these things can happen to anyone. It has nothing to do with whether you belong here or not."

"Well, stop it. You look silly. Someone’s going to think you’ve got rabies. Here, take your napkin…."

"No, I like the other method of removal….you know…..the other method?."

Chloe looked at the grin on Phillip’s face and understood what he was implying. Smiling at him, Chloe looked around before she leaned across the table and kissed the whipped cream off Phillip’s upper lip – though it took three tries to complete the clean up. Phillip kissed her once more before he released her face from his hand.

"I knew I was gonna like this dessert when I order it. I just didn’t know how much."

"Very funny, Phillip Kiriakis. How many girls have you tried that maneuver on before?"

Immediately Phillip’s face turned serious. Chloe had only been teasing but it had struck a nerve in Phillip.

"I’ve never done that with another girl, Chloe. In fact, I’ve never brought another girl here to Tuscany. I wanted this to be

some place special for us to celebrate being back together."

"I’m sorry, Phillip, I was only teasing. I guess I still have a lot to learn about being your girlfriend. I haven’t had much practice."

"You don’t have to practice, Chloe, just be yourself. That’s all I want."

Chloe smiled demurely at Phillip and took his hand in hers.

"It is beautiful here, Phillip. I’ve never been here before but I remember you mentioning it that day in the Pub when you, Shawn, Mimi and I went in for a bite to eat after working on building Mimi’s house. You told me you’d bring me here sometime for a steak dinner."

"Yeah, well, I had the steak and you changed your mind and went for the lobster."

"I guess I’m still not ready to munch on a steer. The lobster was wonderful."

"It was good. That bite you gave me made me think I’ll order it next time we come here."

"Next time? Are you planning to do this often?"

"Sure, if you want."

Chloe sat up straight in her chair and looked away from Phillip.

"What? Chloe? Is something wrong?"

"No, not exactly."

"Well, what is it then,…..exactly?

"Phillip, if I tell you….promise me you won’t be upset?"

She looked at Phillip and saw she had his undivided attention as he tried to anticipate where this conversation was going.

"I love the restaurant…..the limo ride getting here…the lobster…..the dessert and, especially the company…but…"

"But….what….just tell me.."

"See, I was afraid you’d get upset."

"I’m not upset," Phillip said in a higher-toned voice than he’d planned. "I’m just confused about what you DON’T like."

Chloe took a deep breath and faced Phillip.

"All right, here goes. I love that you went to all this trouble for me but you don’t have to spend so much money every time we go somewhere to impress me. The Brady Pub would have been just fine this evening. I think, sometimes, you’ve believed in the past you had to impress a girl by taking her to a fancy place like this. You don’t have to do that with me, Phillip. I don’t care where we go as long as we’re together. You make any place special for me just by being with me."

"I don’t spend that much money."

"Yes, you do. I saw the prices on the menu. Do you know how many Brady burgers and chili fries you could have had for the same money at the Pub?"

"Chloe, I like spending money on you. Guys are supposed to spend money on their girls."

"Not as much as you do. You know, I don’t think you’d know how to take me out without spending lots of money."

"That is so not true. I could spend less money……."

"…..prove it."

"What?"

"Tell you what Phillip…….I’ll make you a bet."

"Chloe, don’t even kid around about making a bet. I’ll never do that again about anything involving you or anyone else, for that matter."

"I’m sorry, that was thoughtless of me. ……but since this one is between you and me, hear me out, okay?"

Phillip leaned back in his chair and waited to hear Chloe’s proposal still stinging slightly from the use of the word "bet" as he did so.

"I think that you would find it impossible to go for one date spending twenty dollars or less."

"That’s so ridicu….

"Let alone one date each month for a year."

"A year? One every month? That means we’d be going together for a whole year, right? I mean that’s a part of the wager?"

"Yes, Phillip. That ‘s an inherent part of the bet. It doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing each other besides that. It just means that one date a month has to come in for twenty dollars or under in total spending for both of us. I, would, of course, have to ask for receipts for anything you spend not only during but prior to the start of the date that’s relevant to it. Do we have a deal? "

Phillip sat looking at Chloe’s face and soon realized she was completely serious. At first, he wasn’t sure if she was giving him some kind of test to see whether if the opportunity presented itself, he wouldn’t once again make a bet about something. If he accepted would he find himself wearing the remainder of the chocolate dessert and looking at Chloe’s back as she left the restaurant proving to herself beyond a doubt that Phillip really hadn’t learned his lesson? Chloe looked at him as though she suddenly knew what was going on behind his blue eyes.

"Phillip, this would be a fun bet between us and only us. We can tell our friends but they can’t bet. They can help you if you need them to….with anything except money. What do you say?"

Phillip looked at Chloe with a steady, contemplative gaze before he opened him mouth.

"Okay, but in the terms you have to agree to go along with whatever I plan for the date. No backing out because you think it’s silly or foolish. You have to try things or do things you may never have done before and you have to do them willingly. No complaining, all right?"

Phillip held out his hand to shake Chloe’s as a way to cinch the deal knowing now she’d back out of the whole thing. She sat there looking at his hand for nearly a half minute and then quickly reached across to shake it.

"You’ve got yourself a deal."

A little astonished, Phillip continued to hold her hand.

"What do I get if I win?"

"What do you want…..and before you say anything….behave, Phillip."

"I want YOU to take ME on a date to somewhere I’ve never been before but it can’t be outside of Salem."

"Fair enough."

"And if you win?"

"Well, you have to go to the opera with me to see it in person."

"The opera? Oh, I don’ t know…."

"I thought you were so sure you could do this."

"I am, but, Chloe, the opera? I mean it’s one thing to listen to you but three hours?"

"Are you forfeiting already, Phillip?"

"No, I…..just want to make all the terms clear.

"Okay, so the first challenge at the twenty- dollar date is set in January, right, Phillip?"

"Right. That’ll give me time to plan the first date."

They smiled each knowing that though it was in fun, there was a curiosity about what Phillip would come up with for the year’s worth of dates. They finished the dessert and danced a few times before leaving the restaurant. Each was secretly anticipating what the imagination of Phillip Kiriakis would lead to over the next twelve months.

Another of Nancy’s clichés came to Chloe’s mind – "variety is the spice of life" and Chloe had no doubt Phillip would be supplying plenty of variety to the date challenges as he attempted to win.