It was Suzy. Speaking of sleeping with women …

“Hi Suzy … having dinner…a date, yeah (I smiled at Harley and gripped her hand) … she’s special … I took her to Alphonse … I told you she was special (I pulled Harley’s hand to my lips and kissed it quickly) … oh, you have something else … had something else … I’m confused … let me check …”

I covered the mouthpiece even after I’d muted the call on my end, and asked Harley, “Suzy’s the one Alice asked me to ask a favor from. She’s apparently someone plugged into the inner circle of live performance venues and the gay nightclub/bar scene here in LA who can get acts into hot clubs, and get them noticed. She moves around fairly incognito, but Alice was tipped off about her … and I met her on my flight over so …”

She nodded at me to indicate she was listening as she set about fixing me a small plate of a selection of both the appetizers that the chef had sent over to our table and what we’d ordered that the waiter had brought earlier. It was a sweet, caring, and intimate gesture.

I fought the urge to kiss her again. Instead, I continued, “And she asked if she could drop by to give me something or tell me something … that ok with you?”

She gave me a quick smile, nodded, and then mouth, “Of course, honey!”

I unmated the call and told Suzy, “Was just checking with my date, Suzy. Yes .. I am close to becoming a kept woman (I winked at Harley, who shook her head but smiled) … anyway, do drop by our table since you’re just nearby. … what’s that? … oh! anytime you want to. We just started, so … ok, we’ll see you then.”

I clicked the call out, and picked up a fork. “She can’t wait to meet you,” I said, before slipping a fork-ful of the food that Harley had arranged in my small plate into my mouth. I noticed that she didn’t add a few of the selections in the broader appetizer sampling plate that the waiter brought to us. But the combination of what she put in my plate was amazing.