Experiences II A DATE WITH FÊTE

Gal Reporters Get Into Their Groove

How It Started

Brunella Voelisa: When Tory King told me I was to go on a special date to fête: The Restaurant Experience, the famous inworld dining chain, as part of a feature for Attention SL, two thoughts raced through my mind.

Firstly, “Oh fuck, I’ve never been on a date in SL, how does that work?”

Then, “OMG, who am I going to ask?”

Tory helpfully resolved the second of these dilemmas, by suggesting I invite Sparkle (aka Sparklebottom Lasertits, aka the Cover Star for the November 2022 edition of Attention SL). Having previously interviewed Sparkle, I was incredibly happy with that – she’s hot, witty, and great company!

As it happened, I bumped into her later that very night in Warehouse (Nightclub).

When I asked her if she wanted to go, she jumped at it. So, all was good.

Over the ensuing days I found myself puzzling over how a date with virtual, rather than real food, would work, never mind my actual suitability to go on an actual date (a story for another day)!

The big occasion finally arrived, a beautiful summer Friday evening in late May, and I think it’s fair to say Sparkle and I were both looking forward to it.

The owners told us we would be dining at the recently opened fête: NYC locale in Wandering NY.

That seemed to call for a sleek metropolitan outfit, given its urban chic vibe. But this is exactly what my extensive collection of LBDs (Little Black Dresses) is for.

I rummaged through my inventory and chose a hot black cocktail dress from Binna accompanied by diamonds from Empire and a chain link clutch bag from Arnoud.

IT’S MAGIC

Sparklebottom Lasertits: I arrived on a busy street corner in Wandering New York via the landmark Brunella had shared.

People packed the place. I looked around and didn’t spot her until I saw someone in the crowd frantically waving at me. As I approached, her leggy dress instantly struck me as Bru bounced in excitement. She greeted me with her eyes and at once took my hand. “Come on, they’re waiting for us!”, she chirped.

She quickly led us to fête, where the owners and staff were already standing at attention.

Bru: It was 9pm when I met Sparkle near the restaurant. She looked great in a stunning ivory dress, her short pink hair glinting in the evening sun. We walked to the restaurant together, chatting expectantly about the evening ahead.

JeVon Nova-Parnes, one of fête’s co-owners, greeted us at the door and took us to our table. The smart urban feel, business-like, yet intimate, struck me right away.

It was obvious that JeVon and his partner Exeter had spent hours getting every detail right, from the chefs scurrying busily behind us in the kitchen to the images of New York city life on the walls.

After adjusting our lighting and music streams, our server for the evening, Mae (Grace Callen), joined us and handed us the menu. OMG! the food looked fabulous, eclectic with a Caribbean-American twist, just the kind of thing I would enjoy in RL.

I was beginning to slaver over the thought of Mami Nova’s Monfongo (a Puerto Rican dish of fried green plantain mashed with crispy pork skin and garlic - inspired by JeVon’s RL mum’s cooking), when I realized I’d better order a drink. Sparkle was already ahead of me, having ordered a Jet Setter cocktail.

As I sipped my virtual Fashionista (vodka, triple sec, honey, blueberry, pomegranate, and lime juice) I bit the bullet and ordered the

Monfongo, preceded by a City Island Shrimp cocktail, something I’ve loved since I was a child. Of course, Sparkle had ordered already (crab cakes followed by a rare five boroughs steak) and called for more drinks!

This may be the moment to explain that although the dining experience is virtual or role-play, the owners have lovingly recreated the items you order in-world to look exactly like the real thing. So, although you must imagine eating, your avi is sampling authentic looking food onscreen.

This is the real magic of fête: the sight of your avi, dressed in her hottest outfit, in a gorgeous setting, in great company, eating spectacular food, waited on by staff who want to ensure you enjoy every moment. It all adds up to such a happy, enjoyable, and relaxed experience and I’d have to say that’s what SL for me is all about!

It’s also fun, and I realised that a full explosion of endorphins was hitting me as Sparkle and I chatted. I found myself looking into her eyes and thinking how fab she looked and how much I was enjoying the company of an incredibly special person in a special place.

The dishes arrived one by one, and as we tucked into them, we undoubtedly paid less heed than we should have to Jevon and Exeter’s incredible attention to detail. But then that’s the point – our conversation engrossed us, and isn’t that what you want from a restaurant? OK, great food too!

More drinks arrived, courtesy of Sparkle (Peach cocktails) and, growing a little tipsy, I needed a little extra something. What selfrespecting-wannabe IT girl does not? Call it YOLO, call it what you want, and no doubt Sparkle will have more to say, but tottering slightly, and trying not to overbalance in front of the server, I headed to the powder room.

THE RP MADE ME DO IT!

Sparkle: Bru pointed to her nose and mentioned something about powder before heading off to the ladies’ room.

A minute later I got a text from her about how incredible the marblework was and that I MUST check it out. I headed back, swung open the door and at once saw what Brunella meant; the marblework WAS stunning! The tiling had a laser-perfect cut, and its polish was so immaculate I could see my reflection on every surface.

It took me a moment to catch Bru leaning against the sink, heavily rolling her eyes at me as her intentions whooshed over my head. She sniffed and tugged down the top of her dress just enough to reveal a white powered line disappearing into her cleavage. “Ready to party?”, she asked, winking.

I slid toward her, trapping her as I placed my hands on the sink on either side of her. I dipped my nose into her cleavage and dragged it up as she cupped her breasts, squeezing them against my cheeks. She smelled of strawberries and vanilla and sweet chemical candy.

My eyes rolled back as I sniffed and so did hers. I noticed I’d missed a spot and gave her a bonus lick as she bit her lip. She grabbed me and spun me around, pinning me against the sink aggressively. “My turn!”, she said with a smirk as she flicked my straps off and tugged the top of my dress down, completely exposing my breasts.She sprinkled a vial messily all over them, then dove in. She licked as much as she sniffed, her lust clearly driven by more than just the cocaine. She looked up at me with a silly, intense smile, half of her face dusty with white powder. She pressed her body very firmly to mine by this point. She licked her lips and tugged the top of her dress down further to match mine, her skin pressed to mine. She sprinkled a dab on each nipple, whispering “Your turn again.”

Suddenly, after we’d explored a few more creative ways of snorting cocaine from each other, Bru’s purse fell over and its contents spilled out, revealing, amongst all the interesting things she keeps in there, a few baggies of brightly coloured pills. Brunella giggled and... well, she’s a pro and remembers the rest of the night a little better than me...

Bru: We reappeared holding hands and giggling giddily minutes later, to the bemusement (or amusement) of our server. I forgot to ask her later if she noticed. I did tip her though!

From then on, the evening sped by – I have no idea what we talked about. It just felt magical and timeless, which it kinda was, because before long the staff encouraged us head to the rooftop for desserts and coffee. These were self-service and as much as you wanted to eat. As JeVon put it: “Please stay if you like. Drink, desserts, sample it all. Coffee... ice cream... cakes...dig in!” So, we did!

Who knows how long we stayed - I think around three hours. The staff at fête do know when the time is right to leave their guests alone, but finally and regrettably, it was time to leave. This magical evening was over.

As it turned out, it was not – we hit a club and, as usual, the following morning I was walking home, barefoot and sore, avoiding the stares of commuters and ready to get my long overdue beauty sleep!

How It Ended

Sparkle: The owners told us that we were so polite, friendly, and fun and that we ordered countless cocktails, had fantastic meals, and sampled many desserts up on the rooftop. However, my memory ended in the ladies’ room. I really couldn’t remember anything to give a proper account of the rest of the night. But Bru is a professional, certified (no, really, she showed me the certificate she keeps in her purse!) party girl, so I am grateful for her...professionalism. Despite my lack of coherence, I very very much know I had an absolutely amazing time!

Bru: So, that’s it – the Date with Fête. One of my happiest days in SL! Did I enjoy it, given it was my first ever date? OMG yes. Would I go on another one? ‘Course I would. Would it be at fête? Yes. I’d be insisting. Does virtual dining work? Definitely!

Even if it initially sounds counter-intuitive, I would recommend readers visit fête and try it. It’s ideal for a date, business lunch or an occasion when you want to chat, look, and feel great.

But next time when I visit, I might have to have something delish on hand to eat in RL to avoid the hunger pangs! g