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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

60 deadtime

. " pesce ? fish ?"
"great ."
"bene . there's place in grand central ."
after we ordered she took my zagat guide from my hand and circled a few  places  she liked in murray hill , in the neighborhood  near grand central all the way over  to times square , and  in the nearby garment district . she told me which deli was good and where to buy groceries . when she asked me  if i wanted  any recommedations  for clubs , i declined .
she found that amusing .i explained  vaguely about jonas in white plains .
she glanced at my left hand ." you are married ? si ?"
"yes . "
"your wife is .....?"
'travling .in holland ."
"ah si ...and .... non . i understand . and with you time here  when  jonas -si ? is away , you ....?"
you understand what ? i  thought ." i hope to get to know the city better . relax . kill some time ."
ottavia made a perplexed face ." you want dead time ? she said , struggling with the idiom .
i was tempted to explain that her interpretation  was more  apt than she could imagine . instead , i said ." something like that ."
"i am in town for one more night . then i leave ." she opened her hands as though she were releasing a dove ." you will be gone to colorado - boulder - before i get back ."
she pronopunced it " bowl-dave ."
"si " i said  , unconscoiusly  adopting the rudiments of her vocabulary .
" this will be the only time we ....meet "
she was describing an opportunity gained , not one lost . my next words could hardly have surprised me more . " i know almost no one in the city . would you have dinner with  me tonight , ottavia ?"

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