American Tune (Josh)

[Dr. Sean Neville]

((OOC: This is backdated to Sean’s birthday weekend in June.))


Sean and Josh worked best as a unit. By working together and each man taking his own area of planning, they had managed to put together his birthday trip together on relatively short notice. It helped that both men had jobs where they either made their own hours (like Josh as one of the named, founding partners at his firm) or Sean (who was a member of the administration and had more sick leave and vacation days saved up than he could ever use). It helped that, as a family, they were solidly upper-middle class and so they could afford to rent a hotel room and buy plane tickets with only a few weeks’ notice.

They set out on Friday night, flying from Burlington International Airport down to Washington National Airport (and Sean insisted on calling it that because he considered it cruel irony that the government changed the name of an airport to honor a man whose major accomplishment was firing the air traffic controllers and breaking their union). Just as Sean remembered, there was a line of taxis waiting outside the airport, ready to take them to their hotel. This was something the telepath had always appreciated about their Nation’s Capital; it was so easy to get around without a car once a person or group arrived.

They arrived in the early evening and, after checking into their hotel room, went out to the nearest restaurant, which proved to be a pseudo-diner. That was fine; they didn’t need anything fancy after a plane ride, particularly in light of the next day’s meal.

Saturday morning, they woke up bright and early, walked around until they found a nice place for breakfast, and then they hit the sights.

They spent the entire morning at the International Spy Museum. Then they broke for a coffee and baked goods lunch – saving their appetites for supper that night. Then they found their way to some of the monuments, visiting and taking pictures for most of the afternoon.

After returning to their hotel room to shower together which led to distractions, shower again, and then change into somewhat more formal attire, they found their to the Brazilian steakhouse for their reservation.

[Joshua Bernstein]

Because of the summer heat Josh had opted for a lighter color combination for this meal - a khaki colored suit, a plaid tie in shades of blue, and oxford style shoes in ivory and tan. He'd combed his hair carefully, lightly applied a fruity cologne, and then arrived at the steakhouse hand in hand with his partner.

The maître d', after looking over the reservation rolls, quickly led them towards their table -- a private little booth that only seated two people comfortably. A candle flickered on the table, providing a nice romantic ambiance, particularly given the low lighting of the restaurant as a whole.

Josh scooted into one side of the booth, sinking into the comfortable leather bench, smiling across the table at Sean.

"Happy Birthday, Steve."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had followed a similar train of thought as his partner, although rather than khaki, he had opted for a light grey suit made of a light material. He wore a light blue shirt – one that bordered on white with its tone, and a pair of dark shoes. To add a bit more color to his outfit, he wore the “neurons” tie he had bought a few years ago and which he wore on occasion – a black silk tie with red and blue renditions of neurons all across it.

Once Josh was seated, the telepath sat beside him, and, almost immediately, reached out to take the other man’s hand in his.

“Thank you,” he replied, and returned the smile, before leaning in to press a kiss to his partner’s cheek. Not that he had looked forward to his birthday in almost a decade, but celebrating the weekend after the fact with his partner made the experience of having birthdays almost tolerable.

In addition to sharing a cozy, plush booth, the table was set with a dark table cloth, with a candle in the center and the lights dimmed low to look almost like stars above them. Immediately, he appreciated the atmosphere, and he unfurled his napkin but did not yet set it in his lap. “This was a great choice.”

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh laughed lightly at Sean's comment before humming to himself. "Mmmm, yes, whoever recommended this restaurant deserves a reward."

His eyes twinkled as he curled his fingers around Sean's, squeezing lightly.

"Whatever reward he might wish for."

But before that could be properly answered a server arrived with waters and a wine menu. He was elegantly appointed, and his inquiry into whether or not they'd ever been before and if they'd like him to explain how Brazilian Steakhouses worked was exceedingly polite.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean returned the squeeze to his hand, eyes lighting up at the implied promise. “I’ll hold you to that later, Slim,” he warned. Of course, should Josh change his mind, or if he balked at whatever the telepath tried to claim as his reward, then Sean wouldn’t argue with him. However, he believed he could think of a reward that would satisfy both of them, and they still had most of their long weekend ahead of them in order to take advantage.

The telepath reached for his water glass with his free hand, bringing it to his lips since he was slightly parched. They had done what they could to keep hydrated throughout the day, but the June heat in Washington DC was far more than they had in Vermont, with the same amount of oppressive humidity.

“We’ve never been to your establishment before,” he informed the server, returning the same level of politeness and courtesy. “But we’ve been to Brazilian steakhouses before.” Both alone and together.

Sean was fond of them since he could eat his fill, and he had an appetite, particularly at mealtimes, particularly when he had limited his caloric intake all day in anticipation of such a meal.

[Joshua Bernstein]

The server accepted this explanation with a tiny smile. "Then you don't need me to go over the procedure. Would either of you gentlemen care for any wine?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Yes, please,” Sean replied without asking Josh first. Typically, he would ask his partner before answering a question like that, but the telepath wanted wine, and he was sure that Josh either would join him in selecting a wine, or else he would opt for a South American beer, or a fruity alcoholic drink. They had both done well adapting their diets and drinking habits over the past three years, and this was a birthday celebration, which meant that they could let their hair down for tonight and this weekend.

“But we’ll need a couple of minutes,” he added. They had received the wine list only a moment ago, and they had not yet had the ability to peruse.

Left to his own devices, Sean wanted something red – although there was chicken listed under the meat list, the vast majority of meets were beef and pork cuts, which meant that red paired better than white or rose. However, if Josh wanted something lighter, the telepath would defer to his partner’s desires, as he so often did regarding smaller things like wine choices and daily plans.

To that end, he opened the wine menu and propped it between them so that Josh could see it as well.

[Joshua Bernstein]

The server inclined his head. "I'll give you a moment to consider that, then," He promised, retreating towards the back of the restaurant.

Josh leaned over to look at the menu along with Sean. "What were you thinking about getting, birthday boy?" He asked in a low voice. "Do you want to share a bottle of something, or would you rather have your wine all to yourself?"

He predicted the answer would be share, but it was Sean's birthday, after all. He could be a little selfish if he wanted.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean thanked the server and sipped his water again, before setting the glass down; he didn’t need the condensation to wet his fingers and cause him to drop the glass. Not now during his birthday supper, not ever at a restaurant since it would become the server’s responsibility.

Left alone with his partner, the telepath lightly stroked Josh’s palm with his thumb while they reviewed the menu. “You know I like sharing,” he replied in a mock-chiding tone. It might be his birthday celebration, but he was out with Josh, and, moreover, he liked sharing wine with his partner, as long as the other man was interested in doing so. Besides, Sean didn’t need to drink an entire bottle of wine himself.

He could, or, at least, he could before they had cut back – three years was a long time in terms of alcohol tolerance. Still, he had no particular desire to try; half a bottle each was far more reasonable, and it left room for coffee or dessert wine for the end of their meal. “The Belle Glos looks interesting,” he remarked after taking a moment to fully read the menu. That had some sweeter undertones but he thought it would go nice with the array of spicy and smoky flavors they would enjoy with their supper.

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh scanned the menu for the wine mentioned, quickly reading the description. "I'll give that a try. Do you want to ask for a taste, first?"

He'd never been to a restaurant that wouldn't allow patrons to taste wine before ordering, particularly one this fancy.

"Do you want to go for the salad bar after we order our wine? Or go straight for the meat?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Yes, if they don’t give tastes standard.” Sean didn’t often go to restaurants this fancy, given that no such restaurants existed in Pilot Ridge. On vacations, for celebrations, they went out to Burlington or Boston or back to New York, or here in Washington for the weekend, and they ate at their fair share of high-end restaurants. At every single restaurant, they were given the opportunity to taste the wine before drinking a full amount. The telepath couldn’t imagine that this restaurant was any different, not with the size and options on their wine list.

Confident that they had made their selection, Sean squeezed Josh’s hand again.

“Let’s hit the salad bar after we order. That way we can settle in for whatever rounds of meat they bring out.” They had more than a dozen options, and there was no strict order – instead the servers brought out whatever the kitchen provided them with, going table-to-table to allow the patrons to make their selections. The bit of mystery made it exciting, and it also made pacing a bit of a challenge, as they had to hedge their bets for each subsequent offering. Fortunately, the telepath ate just about everything on the menu, so he felt up to that challenge.

[Joshua Bernstein]

After they'd had a moment to discuss the wine selections the server returned. After sampling the selection they'd chosen they ordered a bottle, and then made their way over towards the salad bar while the waiter went to fetch it.

Josh eyed the salad options with some interest. Salad was not his first choice of food, but he could enjoy a fresh salad, and some of the options looked unique.

"I can hardly decide!" He laughed, turning to Sean. "Everything looks so good."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had tasted the wine, and, finding that it lived up to the description, he and Josh had ordered a full bottle. Yet, before they could settle in to enjoy their selection, they rose from their booth and ambled over to the salad bar, which the restaurant called a “market table.” The telepath grabbed two plates, handing one over to his partner before he began to survey the available options. The aromas of fresh vegetables, spices, vinegars, and cheeses wafted towards him, causing his stomach to rumble in anticipation.

“Have some of everything,” he replied, chuckling lightly. “That’s what I plan to do.”

Emphasizing that point, he approached the bar and picked up one of the spoons to begin filling his plate with grilled and roasted corn and assorted green vegetables. When he finished with those two dishes, he handed the spoon to Josh so that his partner could partake as well; the telepath made his way down the line, grabbing some beans and different types of rice, before he found himself in front of the cheese plate.

So many options.

Saving his appetite for supper was about to pay off, since he would have room to try everything, just as he’d declared.

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh took Sean's advice to heat, piling on everything as they made their way down the line. Beans, rice, spinach, corn, cheese, everything went onto his plate, albeit in small quantities; he wanted to have room for everything, which meant he couldn't go overboard with any one item.

After they were seated again he reached for the bottle of wine. "May I pour you a glass?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had been of the same mind as Josh, exercising portion control if not moderation in his sample size as a whole. His selections began to bleed into one another, with the sauces from the mozzarella and tomato salad spilling over into the rice and beans, and then into the spinach, and into the kale and orange slices, and then into the fruit salad that contained apple, pineapple, grapes, and mango.

The telepath didn’t mind. While he enjoyed savoring flavors, he didn’t have any aversion to foods touching each other; after all, everything would blend together in his stomach, or blend together in his mouth if he didn’t cleanse his palette between courses. His stomached growled again, telling him that it looked forward to being full as much as his taste buds looked forward to sampling the array of flavors.

He settled in the booth beside his partner and finally placed his napkin his lap to begin to eat. As soon as Josh asked the question, Sean nodded and lifted his wine glass, handing it over to his partner so that the other man could fill it. “Please.”

It wouldn’t do to begin eating before they had their wine squared away.