Queens and Kings

John Smith looked at himself in the mirror. He was clean shaven, having shaved off that five o’clock shadow that seemed to like to creep up at four, and removed a small piece of toilet tissue that he’d placed on a small nick on his chin. His shirt was clean, and ironed and he had pressed his pants. Jane, his wife, had called to say she was bringing her boss home for dinner, and could John please make sure the house was tidy and the children fed and ready for bed. He’d done just that. Tommy and Sally were both bathed, had eaten a somewhat early dinner of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs, their favourite, and were both ensconced in their bedrooms, reading quietly with firm instructions that lights were to be turned out at eight o’clock. Tommy had whined a bit at the time, being nine years old. He felt he was old enough to stay up later. Sally, just five years old, was already rubbing her eyes as John read her a bedtime story before tucking her in and handing her her favourite stuffed bear. Mr. Snuffles had been a constant companion since Sally was born.

John went into the kitchen to check on the dinner he’d had just a couple of hours to plan and prepare, to make sure that as soon as Jane and her boss came in, they could have a drink or two, and then sit down for dinner. Jane worked hard, and John knew she’d want to eat dinner and send her boss home as quickly, but as tactfully, as possible. She was up for a big promotion, John knew, and knew she needed to impress her boss. Although, based on the accounts she had been landing recently, a home cooked dinner at her home wasn’t going to be what tipped the scales in her favour. John was proud of his wife’s success, where other husbands seemed intimidated by how successful Jane was.

The roast John had managed to thaw in time to marinate for an hour and cook, was nearly done. He stuck a meat thermometer in and checked the temperature. It was just about ready, so John turned down the oven temperature so the meat would cook slower and stay juicy. He drained the potatoes that had been boiling on the stove and mixed them with milk, butter, a little garlic powder and his secret ingredient – a small dollop of sour cream, and whipped the spuds into the smoothest mashed potatoes one could hope for. He had green beans ready to steam, and he would give them a quick pan fry before serving dinner. The beans were already in the steamer and the water in the pot below.

John took the bottle of white wine that he’d stowed in the freezer for a quick cooling and opened the bottle so it could breathe before he served it. Jane had already called ahead and told him that her boss preferred white wine and the type she preferred. Luckily, they had a bottle of Pinot Grigio in the wine rack.

He’d already set the table, using the good china and crystal. John wanted Jane to know that he took her boss’s visit seriously, and also wanted her boss to know that the Smiths enjoyed the finer things in life, but still lived well within their means. The crystal goblets he’d placed carefully on the table had been John’s grandmother’s and the china had been his mother’s. The sets were missing a few pieces, but they always had enough for special occasions such as this.

Checking to make sure everything was ready, John checked the clock and saw that Jane should be arriving any minute. He took one more quick look in the mirror, fixed down a wisp of hair that had fallen out of place, and stood ready to greet his wife after a long day.

As if on cue, the door opened. Jane walked in laughing at something her boss had just said.

“Hi honey,” Jane said, giving John a peck on the cheek. “How was your day?”

“It was fine, dear,” John said, taking Jane’s coat and offering his hand to Jane’s boss.

“John, you remember Katherine,” Jane said, indicating the tall, red-headed woman who followed Jane into the living room.

“Of course I do,” John said. “Ms. Talbot, it is a pleasure to see you again. Can I take your coat?”

“Katherine, please,” Katherine said, handing John her coat and placing her briefcase down by the door.

“You have a very lovely home, Jane,” Katherine said, looking around the living room.

“Thank you,” Jane said. “John does a wonderful job of keeping the house, and taking care of the children.”

“You’re very lucky, John,” Katherine said. “You have a wonderful wife, a beautiful home, and you are lucky you are able to stay home with the children.”

“Yes,” John said, smiling. “I am lucky.”

“Would anyone like a glass of wine before we sit down for dinner?” John asked. “I’ve just opened a bottle of white wine. A Pinot Grigio.”

“Somebody’s been telling all my secrets,” Katherine said, her eyes twinkling as she smiled and looked over at Jane. “I’d love a glass.”

“Me too, please,” Jane said.

John went into the kitchen and poured three glasses of wine and carried them out on a tray with a small assortment of crackers and cheese.

“Thank you very much,” Katherine said, taking a glass of wine from the tray.

“This is beautiful crystal,” she remarked.

“Thank you,” Jane said. “It was John’s grandmother’s. It’s English crystal.”

“Nothing finer, if you ask me,” Katherine said.

“Dinner is nearly ready,” John said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go turn on the beans to steam. We can sit down to eat in about ten minutes.”

“Lovely,” Katherine said. Jane’s eyes flashed with what looked like annoyance.

John went into the kitchen and took a deep breath. Jane needed this dinner to go well. He wasn’t sure why she’d be annoyed at him needing to turn on the water for the beans, when she knew he didn’t like overcooking them.

John turned on the element to heat the water on the stove, checked the temperature of the roast and placed the bowl of mashed potatoes into the warming drawer under the oven. He quickly mixed a vinaigrette dressing for the salad he had already placed on the table, and took the dinner rolls he’d baked earlier and put them in a basket to put on the table. Once done, he made his way through to the living room again where Katherine was telling Jane about her lastest trip to Paris.

“Do you travel a lot?” John asked, when there was a lull in the conversation.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Katherine said. “Both for business and for pleasure. Paris was a pleasure trip last month. I took my husband for our anniversary. Dinner on the Champs-Elysees, an evening trip up the Eiffel Tower and an afternoon walking through the Louvre. Jane, you really must take John there someday.”

“I would love to,” Jane said. “Hopefully someday. Perhaps when the children are a little older.”

“If it’s the expense that you’re thinking of, I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about that,” Katherine said.

“Oh?” Jane said.

“Yes. We’ve shortlisted the candidates for the VP position and your name is top of our list. You know, this is completely between us, but, John, your wife just may be the youngest VP Masters and Talbot has seen in about twenty years.”

Jane’s eyes brightened. John lifted his glass.

“To Jane, my darling wife, who deserves all the good things life can offer.”

“To Jane,” Katherine echoed. They clinked glasses in a toast.

“Dinner is ready, if you’d like to come through to the dining room,” John said.

Jane and Katherine walked through to the dining room while John went into the kitchen and turned off the water for the beans, tossing a small bit of butter into the pan he had warmed, and a bit of seasoning. He tossed the beans into the melted butter, gave them a quick once over and then put them into a bowl he’d warmed with hot water. He then topped them off with some toasted almond slivers and put a pair of serving tongs into the bowl. He carried the potatoes and beans through to the dining room and then took the roast out of the oven and put it on a carving board to bring through to the dining room to carve tableside.

Katherine’s face fell when he walked in.

“What’s the matter?” John said.

“It’s just, I’m a vegetarian and allergic to almonds,” Katherine said. Jane’s face fell as well. John was flabbergasted. How could Jane not have told him her boss was a vegetarian? And allergic to nuts yet!

“I’m just kidding!” Katherine said. “You two should see your faces.”

John let out an audible sigh. Jane’s eyes flashed, but then she laughed along with her boss. John was pretty sure that joke had just taken a good ten years off of his life.

“Seriously, John, it looks delicious. You must have been cooking all day! Do you always cook such extravagant meals?”

“John is a fantastic cook. He must have gotten some of his father’s skills. It’s amazing what he can do with just a few hours’ notice.” Jane said, picking up the carving knife and fork. John offered Katherine the potatoes, which she took, while he served salad on the side plates he’d put out.

“You know,” Katherine said. “I heard supermarkets are starting to get pre-seasoned roasts and chickens. I can’t imagine them being anywhere near as good as this. John, did you make the marinade for this?”

“Yes, I did,” John said. “It’s one of our favourite recipes.”

“I cannot imagine those pre-seasoned roasts will ever be as succulent as this. Jane, you’re a lucky woman. I can’t figure out how neither of you are so slim. If my husband cooked half as well as this, and don’t get me wrong, he’s a good cook, as well, but this, I would expect to have something like this in a five-star Michelin restaurant!” Katherine exclaimed.

John blushed.

“Thank you, Katherine,” he said.

Once they had finished the main course, and Katherine sat back exclaiming she couldn’t eat another bite, John began clearing away the dishes.

“I hope you saved room for dessert,” John said. “I made an apple pie for dessert and we have fresh vanilla ice cream to go with it.”

“Oh my. Jane, you better not let this one get away, ever,” Katherine smiled. Jane smiled up at John.

“Coffee or tea?” John asked.

“Coffee for me,” Katherine said.

“Me as well,” Jane said.

“I’ll put on a pot, then. Cream? Milk? Sugar?”

“Just cream for me, thank you,” Katherine said. John nodded and carried the remaining dishes through to the kitchen, placing them by the sink. He measured out the coffee into the percolator, and put the apple pie into the warming drawer while the coffee brewed. He took down three coffee cups and saucers as well as the dessert plates and clean forks. Just as he was putting everything onto a tray to carry out to the dining room, Jane breezed into the kitchen and put her arms around him.

“Thank you so much, John. You’ve outdone yourself,” she beamed at him.

“Thank you, madame vice president,” John said.

“Not yet. Don’t jinx it. We won’t know until Friday,” Jane said, crossing her fingers. “But it sounds good, doesn’t it?”

“It does. I’m so proud of you, honey,” John said.

A small voice interrupted John and Jane.

“Daddy?” Sally said, rubbing her eyes against the light in the kitchen.

“What is it sweetheart? Why are you out of bed?”

“I had a bad dream,” Sally said. “And I heard Mommy, too.”

“Hello my sweet girl,” Jane said picking the small girl up and planting a kiss on her cheek. “Did you have a nightmare?” Sally nodded.

“That’s a shame,” Jane pouted. “Do you want Mommy or Daddy to come chase away the bad dream?”

“Daddy,” Sally said simply.

“Alright,” Jane said, handing the sleepy girl over to John. “You take her back up to bed, and I’ll take the coffee and pie out to the dining room. Please be quick.”

“The pie is in the warming drawer in the bottom of the oven. The cream is in the pitcher in the fridge,” John said, settling Sally on his hip, her head already drooping onto his shoulder.

John could hear Jane explaining to Katherine that he would be just a moment, and that their little one had had a nightmare. John smoothed his daughter’s hair down and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.

Sally had the typical little girl’s bedroom. Mr Snuffles was on the bed, covered in a blue blanket that had brought Sally home from the hospital. Her building set was in one corner and a baseball glove and ball sat in the corner. Sally was a Blue Jays fan, and had started collecting baseball cards as well. Those were on her desk under the window, along with “The Picture Book of Adventures for Girls”. The blue cover showed a young girl lighting a campfire and another young girl pitching a tent. Next year Sally would be old enough to join the Scouts, if she was interested. Tommy had joined the Guides when he was six. Three years later, he had more patches and badges on his sash than most of the boys in his troop.