At that moment a waiter walked by with a large bowl full of shaved ice and fruit, with sparklers stuck into it. Some bare-chested Polynesian waiters appeared out of nowhere and began singing “Happy Birthday” to an older lady at the table next to them.

Kathy smiled at the woman’s surprised reaction. It was the first time Juan had seen her smile; it lit up her entire face. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and he suddenly felt more awkward than he’d ever felt before.

Don’t hit on this girl. It’s wrong. Besides, you don’t stand a chance.

While the men sang, Juan noticed Kathy had a couple of circular pink scars peeking out from the neckline of her shirt. There was another on the back of her left hand, and one on the back of her right wrist.

His mind raced back to medical school and the classes he’d taken on immunology. For some reason, the scars reminded him of what he’d read about regarding smallpox vaccinations. They reminded him of the round, oftentimes pink scars that had once been common indications of a recent smallpox vaccination.

But smallpox had been eradicated in the late seventies.

Just as he was going to ask about the scars, a waiter arrived with their food.

The waiter laid a gorgeously arranged plate in front of Kathy and said, “For the lady, the teriyaki wagyu beef served with roasted mushrooms, asparagus, grilled pineapple, garlic confit, and sprinkled with sesame seeds.”

The waiter placed a steaming dish in front of Juan. “And for the gentleman, the twenty-ounce cowboy Delmonico ribeye, marinated and hung over oak coals, medium rare, served with wasabi horseradish and mashed potatoes.”

Juan’s mouth watered as he took in the succulent aroma coming off of his plate.

When the waiter left, Juan smiled at Kathy. “Don’t take this wrong, but I’m glad to see you’re not a vegan.”

Kathy snorted as she plunged her fork into a cube-like piece of meat on her plate. “Not hardly. I think my father would have disowned me. And besides, I’m slightly anemic, so I’m supposed to eat some red meat.”

Juan cut a piece from his steak and marveled at the pink juicy morsel at the end of his fork. “Well, as a physician, I wholly endorse your choice of treatment for the anemia. I think you’ll have a promising future in medicine.”

For the first time since they’d met, Kathy graced him with a smile.

###

Juan leaned back in his chair, patted his flat stomach and groaned. “I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this much.”

Kathy took a final sip of soda. “My roommate said that this place has a big trail with views of the Potomac. It’s supposed to be all lit up with torches at night so it’s just like being in Hawaii. You interested in walking some of this food off?”