fridey night

"What's Friday night?" asked Annaleise, inquisitive as always.

Franz felt a great deal of affection for Anna, and put his impatience aside for a moment, wishing to impress the young woman. "Well, 'Friday night' is simply this evening; 'Friday night' is a walk along the Ringstraße, or a visit to the symphony; but I suppose you wish to know about fridey night. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a moment longer though, as I have little faith in my ability to accurately convey in simple words what fridey night truly is." He led Annaleise across the bridge, feeling rather self-conscious among the opulent city-goers. Here he was, a simple clerk in his shabby waistcoat, walking with such an elegantly dressed debutante. He had no place among this throng of wealth and gentility, and must have stuck out like half-eaten food spat out onto a napkin.

Annaleise was patient, however, and quietly admired Franz's awkward attempts at sophisticated speech. She strode with him through an arcade, eager to avoid the oncoming snow.

Now when they had gotten to a rather quiet area, Franz stopped at an old wooden door. Though its red paint was peeling, its frame was carved quite elegantly. "My lady," announced Franz, opening the door with a bow, "this is #frideynight."

They entered onto a narrow balcony, which overlooked a small, sumptuously decorated chamber. Old wooden tables stood atop a chequerboard floor; palm trees lined the edges of the room; a modest chandelier cast light onto the scene. It smelt of garlic and fresh bread and innumerable other delightful foods, and a faint hint of cigar smoke suffused everything. Franz and Annaleise proceeded down a set of stairs to enter this chamber, joining a small group of smartly dressed regulars.

"Albert Einstein, is it?" Franz addressed one of the older men nearby, and proceeded to enter into deep conversation with him. The man had a clever gleam in his eye, and was dining on a dainty soufflé. "Albert likes to take his dessert first——so don't worry; we've still got time before the main course."

Annaleise had never expected a man like Franz to frequent such an élite club; and while she admired him for his roguish simplicity, this new side of him only served to deepen her nascent feelings of love.