Maisele Jaan, one of the most luxurious and expensive restaurants in all of New York. It was owned by an Indian billionaire hence the name "Maisele Jaan" but over the years it has caught attention of non Indian customers who adored it's unique setting and cousine which couldn't be found anywhere in New York downtown. Marcus's special "Baked Salmon" was made an hour before his arrival after Martin called and ordered for it.
Apart from it's nice furniture inside the restaurant, the top space was mainly like a booth and way more expensive than the ground floor. It was darkish and way more private with red and blue lights - that's where Marcus reserved and he was so excited to have that brunch with Diana. The last time Diana was inside this restaurant, she and her friends stayed at the ground floor while Marcus was upstairs looking down at her but she didn't notice that Marcus was listening to everything that was going on.
Diana looked so beautiful in a mini red dress with a diamond pendant attached to her necklace. Her skin was soft, glowing and radiating all the energy in the room. Her long white legs carried her firmly and her head sat preetily on her neck. She was confident, sexy, and Marcus was speechless looking down at her as she walked inside the restaurant - it was as if everything stopped at Maisele Jaan just to give her all the attention she deserved. Diana was a beauty words won't even do her justice.
"Demi... Lemme call you back" said Diana talking on the phone.
"But I need to talk now, I really can't find my passport"
"Have you looked at your closet? Or one of your expensive handbags I'm sure it's right there somewhere..."
Demi wept hysterically "It's not... what am I gonna do I have to fly to Paris tomorrow. My life is ruined"
Diana sighed and then she hang up the phone, it was always the same story with her friends and she was exhausted already by that time. If it's not Demi, then it's Jared breaking up with his boyfriend. Amongst all her close friends, these two seem to always want her when they are stressed or going through something. She exhaled, adjusted her dress and wondered around.
"Mrs Miller" Diana heard a voice behind her back, she knew exactly whose voice that was, a smile escaped her lips and she turned back.
"Marcus"
"Diana" said Marcus exhaling an grinning from ear to ear.
"You look... casual. And handsome"
"Well if I only knew you would pull up like that I would have wore my ten thousand dollars suit" Marcus made a joke and Diana smiled, then he held her hand and they slowly walked the stairs.
Marcus led while Diana followed, but yet still their hands were tied to each other.
"You have a ten thousand dollars suit?" asked Diana.
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Seems like a lot... you could donate only a suit and feed over thousands of hungry kids in Yemen or Iraq"
They reached the table reserved for them and Marcus pulled a chair for Diana, this was new experience to Diana and she wasn't aware of how to react. She was shy and nervous. "Thank you Marcus"
"You are welcome" Marcus smiled at her and then pulled his own chair and sat down looking at Diana.
They were all smiling and possibly waiting for the other person to start a conversation. A female servers embraced their table and served them with a bottle of Moet, she poured the drink into two glasses and then she left.
Marcus raised his glass "Should we make a toast?" he asked.
"To what?"
"Our friendship..."
Diana raised her glass and their eyes locked "To our friendship" she said and they clicked their glasses. Each of them took a sip of the drink and then they continued to talk - it was six past ten in the evening. Diana was looking at her watch and Marcus thought she was distracted.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes, all good"
"Are you worried about your husband?"
"No" said Diana but her face expression betrayed her. "Yes, I am..."
"He is still at the gym Diana, I will have you at your apartment before he gets back. No need to worry"
Diana was intrigued "How do you know all of this Marcus" she asked.
Marcus was saved by two servers who brought dinner in dishes, and from there the conversation shifted from talking about Jacob, to actually immersing themselves into the aroma of the platter which was present infront of them. It was all seafood as per Marcus's liking as he loved to be healthy - and of course a baked salmon was also present as a side dish to the main platter.
A plateau de fruits de mer (French for 'plate of the fruits of the sea') was a seafood dish of raw and cooked shellfish served cold on a platter, usually on a bed of ice. The shellfish was served with condiments such as mignonette sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon. It contained shrimps, prawns, lobsters and crabs.
Diana's eyes were aroused by just seeing the platter and she confessed "I am starving..." she said.
"Let's dive in. Please, after you..." Marcus was being a gentleman.
Diana had a piece of a cooked lobster and she moaned while eating it, Marcus had that look on his face which savored that moan and wished he was fucking her right then and there. "You are staring at me, you should do that to the food, for it's so delicious"
Marcus shrugged it off and had a piece of a prawn, then he ate his salmon and showered it all with a glass of Moet. He exhaled "I couldn't help but notice that you talked about Iraq? You ever been to the Middle East?" he asked just to keep the brunch entertaining.
"Yes, to support my friend's charity event"
"Mmh-hmm interesting, what friend? Lemme guess, Demi?" asked Marcus even though he knew everything concerning Diana's friends.
Diana laughed and then she took a sip of the drink "Who else would it be? That bitch will have you fly across the globe for some cause. There is literally a saving cause after every month. Save Venice, save Uganda, Save Baghdad, and any country she feels like saving... Mother Theresa of our modern days" she said and continued laughing.
It may have seemed like a normal conversation that she could have had with anyone, but to Marcus it was more than that. He saw Diana being herself, being happy and it didn't take that much for her to be that happy and fully expressing herself. They laughed, ate all the plateau de fruits de mer and ordered another Moet which they finished it all too.
At 7:30pm, Diana was drunk as so was Marcus, all they did was laugh and make jokes about people, cities they've been to, food they've ate and then Marcus talked about Maisele Jaan. "Rumors are that, Cristiano Ronaldo was once here with his girlfriend, I forgot her name... but he was sitting right here. On this same chair whispering his romantic words in Portugese..." Marcus bursted out laughing then he mimicked how Portugese say I love you "Eu amo Você" he said deepening his voice and Diana bursted out laughing.
"No way... I don't think that's how Portugese people say I love you"
"I swear it is. I took some Portuguese classes when I was in Portugal. Or we can Google it..."
"Let's Google it"
Marcus took his iPhone 13 and opened it, the moment he wanted to type something, Diana snatched it then she raced with it downstairs. Marcus chased her while laughing and calling out "Stop her, she stole my phone..." and when they were downstairs everyone looked at them. It was like they were playing games but they looked way old and smart to be playing hide and seek - especially at Maisele Jaan.
"Come get me Mr Orlando..." said Diana and she opened the door, but suddenly she bumped into Martin.
"Martin?"
"Good evening Mrs Miller"
Marcus came outside of the restaurant and his smile faded when he saw Martin standing between their fun - he wanted more, he could have chased Diana all over New York if that's what she wanted.
"Time to leave sir, it's thirty past seven. You said to notify you before eight"
"Oh fuck! Yes, I did"
Diana returned the phone to Marcus then she smiled at him "I had way more fun than I anticipated, we should do this more often, best friend" Diana kissed Marcus on his left cheek then she walked to her car which was packed outside and drove away.
Marcus looked at that car until it dissapeared from view, his heart lingered for a while and then he grabbed his attention towards Martin. These two didn't talk, Martin opened the door and Marcus walked inside the car all smiling and happy, Martin then realized his boss and best friend was really in love and he wasn't lying when he said so - yet this was still a married woman.