Moonlight Bay

I thank Randi for the edit, the patience, the hard work, the encouragement and for dreaming up these themed invitationals. She is the best among us.

*

Jessica Williams sighed in resignation as she entered the restaurant to meet her family and friends. The sigh was caused when she read her sister's text. It informed her James (not Jim) Calhoun would be in attendance at dinner. Jessica had hoped to enjoy a drama free vacation, her first since her freshman year in college, eight years prior. She really didn't feel up to dealing with the dominating personality of the man so intent on making her his wife.

"It could be a lot worse, Jess," pointed out her best friend and fellow MD, Willow Barkley. "Hell, we made it through four years of med school and we're still facing the joys of residency. You can handle it. Mr. James Calhoun's style may be a bit heavy handed, but he's very wealthy and he adores you. Everyone should have your problems."

"I'm not really complaining, Willow," responded Jessica. "I'll probably have a great time this week. It's just that he's a bit overbearing at times. He always wants to control everything, right down to what vegetables I eat. I'd like to be able to just relax for a few days."

"Now I think you're exaggerating a little." Willow chuckled. "Let's find your family's table and get something to eat. I'm starved!"

"Hello, ladies. Can I help you?" asked a male voice originating from Willow's left.

Jessica was unable to see the speaker since he was off to the left side of the doorway, but it was obvious that Willow was quite impressed. Her mouth hung open and her face flushed as she openly stared. Jessica had to nudge Willow gently so she would move ahead a step. She managed to gain access to the interior and soon discovered what had flummoxed Willow so thoroughly.

"We're here to meet my family," managed Jessica as she forced herself to not stare at the man standing in front of her. He was wearing the typical white shirt and dark vest she had seen on countless waiters and waitresses over the years. She had to admit to herself she had never before seen a man make the outfit look so sexy.

"That would be the Williams family?" the man stated more than asked. "They've already been seated and are waiting for your arrival. Please follow me."

By this time, Willow had regained her equilibrium and almost stepped on Jessica in her haste to remain close to the man directing them to their table. For her part, Jessica felt brief annoyance at her friend for cutting her off so effectively. Jessica felt a small smile on her face as she replayed her friend's reaction when she first saw the handsome waiter, or maitre d', or whatever he was. She and Willow had been friends since the first day of med school and Jessica had never before seen her tongue tied.

Jessica spotted her family sitting at a large table near the back of the restaurant and waved to them. She broke into an even bigger grin when she saw how her eighteen year old sister stared intently at the man leading Willow and her to their table.

James suddenly stood and hurried toward Jessica. In his haste and with his typical disdain, he bumped into the maitre d' rather roughly as he reached out to hug her. Jessica saw the surprise flash across James' face when he appeared to carom slightly to the side from the contact. James had played rugby in college and was accustomed to other men bouncing off his muscular frame.

The surprise on James' face quickly morphed to a big smile as he wrapped Jessica in his arms and kissed her on the lips. That was not the greeting Jessica had expected. It was a public setting and she felt her face turn red from embarrassment as James finally stepped back and held her at arm's length while slowly surveying her from head to toe.

"You're more beautiful every time I see you," declared James as he tightly gripped Jessica's arms. "We're going to have a great time in this quaint little one horse town this week. If we get too bored we can drive up the coast a few hours and go to some clubs, or maybe find a concert."

Even as Jessica listened to James speak, she noticed Willow placing a hand on the waiter's arm and warmly thanking him for showing her to the table. Jessica wondered to herself why Willow's actions irritated her. Her sister, Heather, didn't even try to hide her annoyance at Willow. As the handsome man helped Willow with her chair, Heather reached over and gently rubbed his arm to get his attention.

"Could you ask our server to bring another Coke for me? I'm eighteen and expect to talk Mom and Dad into allowing me wine with dinner before long. I'll be a freshman in college this fall," concluded Heather as she continued to gently slide her hand over the man's arm.

"You'll have to release his arm if you expect him to pass that request on to our waitress," suggested Jessica's mother as she looked meaningfully from her younger daughter to the arm she was caressing.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm not hurting him," laughed Heather before once again turning her attention to the good looking man. "When she brings my drink, tell her to ask for Heather. That's me."

"I'd like a nice rum and coke," stated Willow as she briefly glanced at Heather. "Tell your wait staff it's for Willow, the woman who just graduated from medical school."

"Of course," replied the maitre d' as he smiled to the two women. "Heather, the college freshman, would like another Coke. Willow, the newly minted doctor, would like a rum and Coke.

"What can I get for you, Miss?" asked the man when he turned his attention to Jessica. She was about to sit so he quickly stepped behind her chair and guided it under the table.

"Thank you," smiled Jessica. "I'd like a margarita , please."

Once the maitre d' left, Jessica's mother spoke to Heather. "Sweetheart, he's a delightful looking man, but he's a bit old for you. You'll be meeting quite a few boys closer to your age this week, and in college."

"The key word being 'boys', not men," retorted Heather. "I've never seen a guy as handsome as that waiter. He's tanned, rugged and confident. Boys don't compare to guys like that."

"Are you kidding me?" laughed James. "He's a loser! He's pushing thirty and working as a waiter. That's okay for a boy your age, but by the time you hit thirty, you should have something to show for your life."

"You mean like your father's business?" retorted Heather before her mother managed to silence her.

"Heather! Snide remarks like that are beneath you," chastised Mrs. Williams. "James has done very well. I'm sure he would have been successful regardless of where his career took him. There's certainly no shame in taking over the family business."

"I apologize," relented Heather immediately, which caused Jessica to wonder about the sincerity of the apology. Her sister was not one to back down on any issue.

"So, Dave, that was a very attractive woman you just escorted to a table," teased Diane to her brother when he returned to the front of the restaurant. "Did you manage to get her number?"

"She was too busy trying to swallow her boyfriend's tonsils to give it to me," chuckled Dave. "Both her friend and her sister seemed a lot more willing to share their information. The friend is actually a doctor. She told me she just finished medical school."

"You work pretty fast," observed Diane. "She told you that while you were taking her to her table?"

"Yeah. She and the other woman's sister, who's a freshman in college and eighteen, by the way, were a little overenthusiastic in their interactions with the hired help."

"I don't have to tell you that eighteen is still too young for you, do I? You'll be thirty in a year. A girl ten years younger than you would kill you within a month," asserted Diane.

"Possibly, but what a way to go!" responded Dave with an exaggerated sigh.

"It looks like the young man is very friendly with that beautiful woman next to him," observed Mrs. Williams as Jessica and Willow studied the menu. "Men that good looking are seldom on the open market very long."

"So you admit he's handsome?" quizzed Heather. "That woman's probably his sister or something. She won't be any competition."

As Heather finished speaking, their waitress arrived at the table with the drink orders and a big smile. "Rum and Coke for Willow, the doctor. A Coke for Heather, eighteen and a freshman in college, and a margarita for the pretty woman with the boyfriend."

"I'm not sure I care for your attitude," declared James as he glared at the waitress. "We're substantial people and expect to be treated with respect. We certainly don't want to be part of the kitchen help's little fantasy world."

"I'm very sorry, Sir," apologized the suddenly nervous waitress. "Can I take your orders now?"

Jessica noticed her father's face had darkened at James' treatment of their server, but he said nothing as the ladies placed their orders. James interrupted Jessica before she finished placing hers. "I think the broccoli would be a better selection this time of year. There's no telling how old the corn is, or how far it traveled to get here."

"Holy crap!" gasped Willow before breaking into gales of laughter. "That was too funny!"

"Why would suggesting broccoli rather than corn cause so much mirth?" asked a confused James.

"As we were coming in the door, Jessica said you'd try to tell her what vegetable to eat and you just did! Talk about controlling," laughed Willow as a very embarrassed Jessica squirmed in her seat.

James' face went dark for a second as he studied Willow. He weighed the wisdom of verbally berating her in front of Jessica's family and decided it would not help his cause. Then he noticed the waitress was unsuccessfully trying to maintain a straight face!

"You're laughing at us again!" declared James to the suddenly sober faced woman. "I want to speak to the manager immediately. We're not going to put up with this kind of behavior from the help."

"Yes, Sir!" sobbed the young woman as she hurried away.

Jessica was beyond mortified at James' treatment of their server. She glanced at her father and realized he was upset as well. Heather was staring down at her plate while Willow as looking at James in shock.

"What bug crawled up your ass? I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Williams," apologized Willow to Jessica's parents before continuing, "but that girl was just doing her job. There was no reason to go off on her because you're afraid to try it with me. I don't think I've ever been this embarrassed in a restaurant in my life!"

"Is there a problem?" asked a well dressed woman in her fifties. "Sarah said that you wanted to speak to the manager. This is my restaurant, so feel free to speak to me."

Jessica admired the control the woman exhibited. She was obviously an experienced business woman and was comfortable handling the situation. Something about the woman looked familiar, but Jessica was too upset to dwell on what that might be.

"Your waitress lacks proper respect for superiors. She was trying to laugh at these ladies and make them feel foolish," replied James before anyone else could comment. "You need to fire her immediately or we'll take our business elsewhere."

"I see," replied the owner calmly. "In that case, your drinks are on the house. Now I have to ask you to leave the premises once you have finished them. No one dictates personnel decisions to me. Sarah has been with us for over two years and she's one of our best waitresses."

"You're asking us to leave?" repeated an incredulous James. "Have you lost your mind? I spent more on my clothes last year than that little bitch will ever make. I demand an apology!"

"And I'm asking you to leave this restaurant," repeated the owner firmly.

"I've had enough! Come on, Jess, let's get the hell out of this shithole," seethed James as he reached for Jessica's hand.

"I won't be leaving with you, James. I don't know what I ever saw in you, but I was mistaken," stated Jessica with emotion. "Please leave and do me the courtesy of never contacting me again."

Jessica's pronouncement pushed James completely over the edge. "You miserable slut! You're turning me down? Maybe I should tell 'mommy' what a lousy cock sucker you are. I've fucked..."

"I think you've managed to make a complete ass of yourself," interrupted the infuriatingly calm maitre d' as he placed himself between James and Jessica. "We don't want to hear another word out of your lying mouth. Just get the hell out."

Perhaps if James had given it some thought, he might have realized the scene he had created, or the mistake he was about to make. Being unaccustomed to rejection, James was far from rational as he stood and took a roundhouse swing the damn 'hired help'.

Dave easily avoided the punch. As the fist went past his head, he simply grabbed James by the wrist of his other hand, jammed it behind his back and then pushed it up. James had to bend forward to prevent his opponent from breaking his arm or dislocating his shoulder. Dave proceeded to frog walk James across the dining room and toward the door. Diane gave her brother a big smile as she held the door open for him.

Jessica's father was concerned about how the situation would develop once James was released in the parking lot, so he followed the two men to the door. Dave gave James a little shove as soon as they left the confines of the restaurant and he went sprawling face first in the parking lot. Once he got his feet back under him, James turned and shouted in Dave's direction.

"Your daughter's still a damn slut! She couldn't get enough of my cock!"

"That's an indication you have a small cock," retorted Dave as he stood on the sidewalk watching to see if James intended to re-enter the restaurant.

Hearing guffaws, Dave turned to see Mr. Williams flinch while several other people who had gathered to watch the scene chuckled softly. Dave then noticed Jessica standing in the doorway behind her father. Her face was ashen and she trembled as she leaned against the doorjamb.

Sensing James lacked the heart to continue the fight, Dave turned his back on the defeated man, walked past the father and wrapped an arm around the distraught woman. He spoke quietly to her as he led her back to her family's table. Jessica could no longer contain her tears as she took in the expressions of pity from her mother and sister. Ashamed and embarrassed, she began to sob heavily. Dave simply pulled her into his arms and stroked her back as she cried into his chest.

The restaurant owner, Dave's mother, signaled for Diane to join them as Jessica's crying began to subside. "Take this girl upstairs and help her out. Take as long as you need.

"My daughter will look after the young lady. You folks now have a choice to make. Do you wish to dine here with Sarah as your server, or would you prefer to leave?"

"We'll stay if you'll allow us, Ma'am," answered Jessica's father as he returned to the table. "We owe both you and Sarah a heartfelt apology. Is this young man your son?"

"Dave is my son. I'm Gail Sanders, the owner of this establishment," offered the woman as she beamed at the young man standing at her side. "His twin sister, Diane, just went upstairs with your daughter. She'll take good care of her."

"I knew she was his sister!" proclaimed Heather. "Did you see how easily he handled James? I wish I had a video of that to show my friends!"

"I can help you with that," announced a young man from a nearby table. "I knew Dave wasn't going to let that guy get away with yelling insults at a lady, so I had my phone out and recorded it all. Give me your number and I'll send it to you."

Heather quickly moved to the next table to exchange phone numbers with the boy who had recorded the video. Soon the two were sharing contact information.

"Son, have you been in the military?" asked Jessica's father, Ben, as he closely studied Dave.

Seeing her son simply nod to the older man in response to his question, Gail expanded on her son's answer with obvious pride. "Dave was in the Marines and served two tours in Iraq. He was highly decorated and..."

"Mother! These people don't want to hear my life history. I'll tell Sarah to come back to take your orders, everyone. Thanks for dining at The Moonlight Bay House," concluded Dave before heading toward the kitchen to find Sarah.

Above the dining area, Jessica was surprised at how large and well decorated Diane's apartment was. She immediately noticed several photos of Diane with the handsome maitre d' and asked about him.

"Is this man your boyfriend, or husband? He's certainly good looking. These photographs are lovely," managed Jessica as she looked over the pictures on Diane's wall.

"I've been asked that my entire life," laughed Diane. "Dave's my twin brother. Mom and Dad own the restaurant and we help out when we can. I share the apartment with Dave. There are three bedrooms, so there's even room for company."

"Oh! He's your brother?" repeated Jessica as she mulled over the information Diane had just given her. "I have to thank him for being so kind to me when that jackass ex-boyfriend of mine made that embarrassing scene. He must think I'm a total slut."

"My name's Diane, by the way. I'm sure Dave thinks you're a beautiful woman that made a bad choice. He'd never think poorly of you."

"Even when he heard my boyfriend announced to my parents that I was a lousy cock sucker that couldn't get enough of his cock?" asked Jessica with tears once again running down her cheeks.

"Well my brother might be disappointed that you're not a good cock sucker, but he'd never make you feel badly about it. Just don't expect a second date," stated Diane with a straight face.

"Don't expect a second date?" gasped Jessica before she realized Diane was teasing her. "It would take a lot more than one date to find out what a lousy cock sucker I am, although he really is good looking!"

"That's what I call playing hard to get. Make him wait till the second date!" laughed Diane. "Seriously, you don't have to worry about anything your ex told your family, or Dave. No one expects a woman your age to be a virgin."

"I almost qualify as one," replied Jessica ruefully. "I just completed medical school and I've seen a lot of naked men. My impression of James is he's pretty much on the low end of the spectrum, if you get my meaning. He told my father I couldn't get enough of his cock. Your brother told him it must be small if that was the case. James is the only man I ever slept with, but I'm under the opinion he's really not a very good lover. I really didn't enjoy the sex very much."

"That speaks volumes about your former boyfriend!" observed Diane. "With the right man, it's something you very much enjoy, and you'll be eagerly looking forward to the next time. I bet James was a selfish lover, and wasn't much at eating pussy either."

"He never actually did that," admitted Jessica. "I asked a time or two, but he wasn't interested. Do most men do that?"

"They do if they want to jump into bed with me!" laughed Diane. "I never had a guy refuse and usually they'd do it without being asked."

"I guess you've had a lot more experience than I have. I was always studying to get the marks for medical school. Then I met James and he sort of swept me off my feet. He's a very strong personality," stated Jessica.

"Yeah, he's a controlling prick. I've had a half-dozen lovers over the years and I never had one yell insults at me or my parents when we broke up," admitted Diane. "Of course, the guys all knew my brother would kick their ass if they tried something like that. I think your ex even figured that out."

"You seem to be very fond of your brother," pointed out Jessica. "It's nice to see siblings get along so well."

"Dave's a really good brother," responded Diane. "We've always had each other's backs. Every girl he ever met hated me until they discovered I was his sister and not his girlfriend. We still spend a lot of time doing things together, so strangers naturally assume we're dating. I guess most brothers and sisters don't hang out as much as we do."