The atmosphere of the restaurant was perfect. Candles were placed in the center of every table, and underneath them lay a delicate lace cloth that was pressed and draped over the edges.

A young gentleman sat there patiently waiting for his dinner companion. He stared at the empty seat and then straightened the silverware that sat across from his. He wanted everything to be perfect.

Tapping his finger on the table, he wanted so much to see her walking through the door. The more time that passed by only brought upon the harsh reality that she probably wouldn’t come.

Leaning over to the man next to him, he gently tapped his shoulder. “Excuse me, sir.”

The man stopped his conversation and turned to focus onto the ‘intruder’ that had disturbed him. “Yes?”

He motioned to the chain that was tucked into the stranger’s vest. “Could you please tell me the time?”

Shrugging, the man seemed relieved that it had been such an innocent question. Pulling out his pocket watch, he clicked it open and looked at the delicate hands. “It’s fifteen minutes after seven.”

“Thank you.”

Turning his attention back to the empty space across from him, he took another glance at the door, and then stood up to get his coat. She was over an hour late, so she apparently had no intention of showing. What was I thinking when I asked her out? I knew where her loyalties were, yet I tried to pull her away from them anyway. He thought to himself as he walked towards the door.

But as he stepped closer to the exit, she appeared before him. Her hair smoothly pulled back, and her face radiating excitement, apprehension, and fear all at once.

The man felt all words in the English language stick in his throat. Here he had been waiting for her, wanting to see her beautiful face basked in candle light, and her eyes full of care, love and compassion. Yet when she appeared in front of him, he was at a complete loss of any movement ability, or speech and could only muster a timid. “Hi.”

She moved swiftly to his side. “Hi,” she returned. “I’m sorry that I’m so late. I got back home, and then wasn’t able to leave for another half hour.”

He smiled. “It’s fine. I figured that it might be something like that. Besides, I haven’t minded waiting.” Jimmy would have waited for countless hours to see her like this, and would have flown to the moon and back just to have her standing beside him like she was now.

Extending his arm to her, she took it and they walked to the still perfectly decorated table. Her smile at the sight of it signified her extreme approval. He seated her and she took in all of the elegant settings. She found herself mesmerized by the firelight reflections in the crystal glass in front of her. “Jimmy, this is beautiful. Thank you.”

He smiled at the woman across from him. Glad that the chair was now filled, and that he was blessed by her presence. Everything about her was magical, graceful, and the epitome of all that was priceless and perfect. “You deserve it, Lou.”

She blushed and straightened the napkin that she had placed in her lap. “You know Jimmy, I’m not complaining, but why are you doing this for me?”

James Hickok stared at her for a moment. If only you knew, he thought. “A woman like you should get out more. Besides, consider this a late Christmas present from me.”

Seeming satisfied with the answer, she thanked him once again, and waited patiently for their meal to arrive. It soon did, and they both enjoyed pleasant conversation about their work, home, and the other riders. He proceeded to ask her about her earlier ride, and they laughed as she retold how the new young rider who was being trained landed himself on the ground a couple of times before she was able to hand over the mochila.

In all of this peacefulness, though, their had been something nagging at Jimmy since she arrived. Lou and Kid had broken up several weeks ago. They still talked and spent some time together, but Jimmy could see the loneliness in her eyes. She needed to get out more. “Ah, Lou?”

She took a sip of her water. “Yes, Jimmy?”

He shifted nervously in his seat. “I was wondering,” his hesitation caused her to lean forward. “I was wondering if you would like to take a ride with me tomorrow.”

Lou considered for a moment, and then her face turned into a soft smile. “Jimmy, I would like that, very much.”

Jimmy wasn’t sure that anything more could or would ever come of their relationship, but he did know one thing, her saying yes to his invitations was certainly a start, a start to something that could turn out to be a wonderful relationship.