Lunch. Chief of Staff, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, First Lady, Vice President, UN Ambassador.
Potus greeted the chef in a rather surly manner. "I don't suppose you can make cheese sandwiches, not 'oh fromage' or whatever."
The chef looked a little worried. "What kind of cheese would you prefer?"
Potus made a shape with his hand like a square. "You know. In the box, with the tin foil?" He waved his hands ineffectively.
The chef wrinkled his nose and asked, "Velveeta?"
Prius snapped his fingers jubilantly. "That's the one."
"And I suppose you won't take the salmon au gratin?" the chef asked politely.
"Thank you, I will. Can you under-cook it a bit? I like it rare."
The chef nosed curtly. "I'll try my best. I'll see what I can do. Now if you'll excuse me..."
Potus stared. The chef waited politely, bowing his head slightly.
Potus continued to stare. The First Lady slapped his shoulder exciting a hurt "What?" from Potus.
The First Lady acknowledged the chef as politely as she could. "Thank you chef, that will be all."
Potus rubbed his shoulder, grumbling. He shifted focus by saying, "OK everyone, have some bread."
Everyone agreed and nodded pleasantly. Potus grabbed the bread tray and passed it to his wife first. She broke one piece of a roll and passed to the UN Ambassador, who took a piece of roll and passed it to her left, to the Secretary of Defense.
SoD was about to break it and pass it to the Vice President when Potus remarked, "Ha, I notice that the Secretary of Defense took the bread after the First Lady and the UN ambassador had already shared it. Is that normal for you, SoD?"
"How so?" asked the Secretary. He had passed it to the Vice President, who broke a piece and passed the tray across to the Secretary of State.
"Meaning, would you share your bread with two women after they had both shared it already?"
"Oh, Potus, stop," said the First Lady, giggling.
The Secretary of Defense looked confused. The UN ambassador was confused as well. The UN Ambassador said primly, "It is customary for the ladies to be served first as a courtesy, don't you think?"
"Well sure," allowed Potus. "But supposing that he had gone first, would you share the bread after him?" He winked at the First Lady.
The First Lady giggled into her napkin. "I think my husband is enquiring whether you would always insist on the bread first, or let some other men go first." Potus nodded gleefully. Confused looks went around the table.
The Secretary of State spoke up firmly, passing the bread tray to the Chief of Staff. "I'm of a certain age where I'd like to share my bread with a younger man, myself, not after several others had theirs first." She batted her long fake lashes at the Chief of Staff.
Chief of Staff coughed politely into his fist and put the tray down without taking any bread. "None for me," he said a bit shyly.
"Oh come on," Potus chided. "See, I think he'd rather share with the Secretary of Defense."
The SoD, catching on, added, "Well, it's up to the individual how they'll share, and with whom. There are no judgments either way. And certainly there is no undue pressure."
"Aha," said Potus. "That's it. But should one prefer to share with the women, if any present first, and in what order, as Mrs. Ambassador has stated?"
The UN Ambassador offered, "The order is not st in stone, but it is a recommendation. Our society had become more relaxed in terms of formality and rules, don't you think?"
"As it pertains to food and eating?" asked the First Lady.
"I think so. It's not the food, but the conversation, the atmosphere, the _joie de vivre_, if you will," she answered nervously.
"Precisely," said Potus hitting the table lightly, rattling his plate. "It's not the delivery of the bread, or the putting in the mouth, but the sharing, the communal partaking."
The Secretary of Defense chimed in, "Sometimes, it is the anticipation of the bread, and the sharing, that is more pleasant than the actual eating."
"Speak for yourself," said the Chief of Staff somewhat shortly. He tried to soften the curt reply with, "I like a little anticipation, but when I'm hungry, I want the food quickly."
"You don't savour it?" asked the Secretary of Defense slyly.
"I am polite, if that's what you mean," the Chief of Staff offered meekly.
"Especially with a lady present, or do you eat alone, mostly?" asked the First Lady. "Ladies prefer a leisurely meal at our own pace, even when we're hungry."
"That's true," offered a too eager Potus. "If you're hungry and rush it, you're likely to spill your food and it can ruin your clothes, or you could spill it on your eating partner."
The Chief of Staff allowed that was a possibility by nodding, slightly confused.
The head waiter appeared from a hidden door. "Soup is being served," he announced.
Potus greeted the chef in a rather surly manner. "I don't suppose you can make cheese sandwiches, not 'oh fromage' or whatever."
The chef looked a little worried. "What kind of cheese would you prefer?"
Potus made a shape with his hand like a square. "You know. In the box, with the tin foil?" He waved his hands ineffectively.
The chef wrinkled his nose and asked, "Velveeta?"
Prius snapped his fingers jubilantly. "That's the one."
"And I suppose you won't take the salmon au gratin?" the chef asked politely.
"Thank you, I will. Can you under-cook it a bit? I like it rare."
The chef nosed curtly. "I'll try my best. I'll see what I can do. Now if you'll excuse me..."
Potus stared. The chef waited politely, bowing his head slightly.
Potus continued to stare. The First Lady slapped his shoulder exciting a hurt "What?" from Potus.
The First Lady acknowledged the chef as politely as she could. "Thank you chef, that will be all."
Potus rubbed his shoulder, grumbling. He shifted focus by saying, "OK everyone, have some bread."
Everyone agreed and nodded pleasantly. Potus grabbed the bread tray and passed it to his wife first. She broke one piece of a roll and passed to the UN Ambassador, who took a piece of roll and passed it to her left, to the Secretary of Defense.
SoD was about to break it and pass it to the Vice President when Potus remarked, "Ha, I notice that the Secretary of Defense took the bread after the First Lady and the UN ambassador had already shared it. Is that normal for you, SoD?"
"How so?" asked the Secretary. He had passed it to the Vice President, who broke a piece and passed the tray across to the Secretary of State.
"Meaning, would you share your bread with two women after they had both shared it already?"
"Oh, Potus, stop," said the First Lady, giggling.
The Secretary of Defense looked confused. The UN ambassador was confused as well. The UN Ambassador said primly, "It is customary for the ladies to be served first as a courtesy, don't you think?"
"Well sure," allowed Potus. "But supposing that he had gone first, would you share the bread after him?" He winked at the First Lady.
The First Lady giggled into her napkin. "I think my husband is enquiring whether you would always insist on the bread first, or let some other men go first." Potus nodded gleefully. Confused looks went around the table.
The Secretary of State spoke up firmly, passing the bread tray to the Chief of Staff. "I'm of a certain age where I'd like to share my bread with a younger man, myself, not after several others had theirs first." She batted her long fake lashes at the Chief of Staff.
Chief of Staff coughed politely into his fist and put the tray down without taking any bread. "None for me," he said a bit shyly.
"Oh come on," Potus chided. "See, I think he'd rather share with the Secretary of Defense."
The SoD, catching on, added, "Well, it's up to the individual how they'll share, and with whom. There are no judgments either way. And certainly there is no undue pressure."
"Aha," said Potus. "That's it. But should one prefer to share with the women, if any present first, and in what order, as Mrs. Ambassador has stated?"
The UN Ambassador offered, "The order is not st in stone, but it is a recommendation. Our society had become more relaxed in terms of formality and rules, don't you think?"
"As it pertains to food and eating?" asked the First Lady.
"I think so. It's not the food, but the conversation, the atmosphere, the _joie de vivre_, if you will," she answered nervously.
"Precisely," said Potus hitting the table lightly, rattling his plate. "It's not the delivery of the bread, or the putting in the mouth, but the sharing, the communal partaking."
The Secretary of Defense chimed in, "Sometimes, it is the anticipation of the bread, and the sharing, that is more pleasant than the actual eating."
"Speak for yourself," said the Chief of Staff somewhat shortly. He tried to soften the curt reply with, "I like a little anticipation, but when I'm hungry, I want the food quickly."
"You don't savour it?" asked the Secretary of Defense slyly.
"I am polite, if that's what you mean," the Chief of Staff offered meekly.
"Especially with a lady present, or do you eat alone, mostly?" asked the First Lady. "Ladies prefer a leisurely meal at our own pace, even when we're hungry."
"That's true," offered a too eager Potus. "If you're hungry and rush it, you're likely to spill your food and it can ruin your clothes, or you could spill it on your eating partner."
The Chief of Staff allowed that was a possibility by nodding, slightly confused.
The head waiter appeared from a hidden door. "Soup is being served," he announced.
No comments:
Post a Comment