Gemotions

The newspaper headline screamed the news: "Chez Pierre, Closing Doors." Beatrice tapped the paper lightly with her finger, then let out a surprised little snort, a sound she hadn’t made since she was a little girl. “Oh, fiddlesticks!” she declared to her cat, Mr. Whiskers, who was perched on the windowsill.

She decided right then and there. She would have the most extravagant meal of her life. She dressed in her finest floral dress and vintage hat, an outfit usually reserved for special occasions. She picked up a bouquet of sunflowers. As she entered Chez Pierre, she placed the sunflowers on the empty host stand and curtsied toward the open dining room.

She ordered everything she could possibly manage, from the escargots to the crème brûlée. She even asked the waiter to bring her three separate plates of bread, just to see what would happen. She made faces and gave her compliments to the chef. She ate with delight, laughing as she spilled a little gravy on her hat.