Ben is slowly, clumsily, hesitatingly walking through a dense, wooded area, like a forest or a jungle, finding it difficult to maintain his balance. He's searching for someone or something. His eyes dart rapidly in many directions, examining the terrain. He's dressed as a hunter, but he has no gun.
He shouts, "Frank...Frank...Frank." There is no response.
Ben's eyes open wide as he sits up quickly from a prone position, very startled. He slowly realizes that he's back in his room at the Commodore Hotel. Ben cups his sweaty face with his hands. He's breathing deeply. Then he begins to relax, knowing it was just a dream, but one he's had too often.
A short time later, Ben leaves his hotel room and slowly walks to his right toward the elevators, oblivious to the world around him. He's better groomed than the previous night and seems more positive and self-confident. Ben arrives at the elevator bank and presses the button requesting a down elevator.
A voice from behind him says, "I hope you don't think I'm following you."
Ben turns around and sees Rita. He had not realized she had been walking behind him. Rita's hair, makeup, and clothes aren't as glamorous as they were the previous night, but Ben is still quite pleased to see her. He smiles, as does she.
"Good morning. Sleep well?" says Ben.
"Like a baby, as you say. Where are you going, to watch more baseball?"
"Not yet. I'm meeting my friends in the coffee shop for breakfast."
"I'm going there, too, to meet my brother."
The elevator arrives and the door opens. Ben lets Rita enter first. There are a few other people inside. Ben and Rita stand near each other, awkwardly, not talking. All are silently descending to the lobby. The elevator makes several more stops as more people get on making the space more crowded. Ben and Rita are pushed closer together, making them slightly uncomfortable. Finally, the elevator reaches the lobby and the door opens. Ben and Rita step out together. They turn and walk toward the hotel's coffee shop. After entering, they each look around for their respective breakfast partners among the throng of hungry patrons. Bob, Billy, and Miguel are not to be found.
"See your brother?"
"No. But, I'm not surprised. He was out very late last night. I may have to go wake him. Do you see your friends?"
"No. They're probably still sleeping. Say, I'm hungry and I don't want to wait for them. Would you join me...at least until your brother arrives?"
Rita is pleasantly surprised and after a moment's hesitation, accepts. Ben is beaming. He asks the hostess for a table for two. Ben and Rita follow her to their table. He politely helps Rita with her chair. They examine their menus. After a moment, Ben puts his menu down and studies Rita who still looks at hers.
"You said you've visited New York many times. Where are you from?"
"Mexico City. I come here on business. I manage my late husband's hat shop. We sell both men's and women's hats."
"You're Mexican. Wow! You're the first I've met. And your English. It's perfect."
"I've studied English since I was a child. When we used to visit our cousins in Houston I got to practice a lot."
"Sorry about your husband."
"That happened about five years ago. Heart attack! A great pity! And you, are you married? Any children?"
Ben hesitates giving an answer. He looks down.
"I'm...ah...divorced. No children."
"I'm sorry. What work do you do?"
Ben responds with renewed vigor. "I'm a teacher. High school. American history. I love trying to reach the kids, to motivate them to understand history's relevance to their lives. It's not bunk like Ford said. If you don't understand the past, you can't figure out the present, nor can you have any chance to predict the future."
"I agree. I've always been interested in the history of my country. We've had a difficult past. And where are you from?"
"A small town upstate. My friends and I come here every year to see the Yankees play. I should really study more about your country's history. After all, we're neighbors."
Their waitress finally arrives and asks for their orders.
Rita said, "I'll have pancakes and coffee, please."
"The same."
The waitress takes their menus and leaves them alone.
Ben, feeling more and more confident, says, "Pardon me for saying this but, you intrigue me. You're so different from the women I know back home."
"Perhaps it's just that I come from a different world than you do. And you're not like any of the Mexican men I know, nor like many of the American men I've met either. You're open to differences, while many are not."
"I don't get it. We're just two people who met on the twelfth floor and we're sharing a little."
"That's beautiful, Ben. Please call me Rita."
"OK, Rita,"
Soon, their waitress returns with their food and beverages. Rita and Ben start eating as two hungry people do. Bob and Billy enter the coffee shop and notice Ben with a strange woman. They are curious, but want to give their friend some space. They sit at a table behind Rita, but far enough away so they can't hear any of their conversation. Ben notices his friends, but tries to ignore them.
"Do you like your pancakes, Rita?"
"Yes, especially because they are so different from what we eat at home."
"I'd like to try some Mexican food."
"I could recommend a good Mexican restaurant here in New York."
"That would be great."
Rita puts down her knife and fork and takes one more gulp of coffee.
"Please excuse me. I really must go and wake my brother, Miguel, and get ready for our flight home. It's been a pleasure talking to you, Ben. I hope I'll see you again one day."
"I hope so, too. Perhaps I could write you sometime...to see how you're doing."
"That would be wonderful..Let me write down my address."
Rita takes out a piece of paper and a pen, writes down the name of a Mexican restaurant in New York and her address in Mexico City, and gives it to Ben. She stands up, as does he, and takes her check. Rita steps towards him, places her left hand on his right shoulder, kisses him gently on his left cheek, and heads toward the coffee shop cashier. Almost immediately, Bob and Billy join Ben at his table.
"What gives?" asks Bob.
"Who was that babe?" said Billy.
"Just a woman I met here in the coffee shop while waiting for you bums. It was so crowded when I arrived that we agreed to share a table."
"What was on that paper she gave you?" asked Bob.
"And why did she kiss you?" said Billy.
Ben responded, "She wrote down the name of a Mexican restaurant she recommended. The kiss? Oh, I guess she was just being nice. No big deal."
"It was good seeing you with a woman, Ben. It's been a long time." said Bob.
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