started so itâs not at its best,â Brice apologized as he seated them, then excused himself to bring dinner in from the kitchen. Kate noticed they were using Briceâs good glassware and Havilland china and she was really touched. Elliot brought in a wine cooler and set it on the oak credenza. âA coaster! A coaster,â Brice exclaimed, and slipped one under the crystal cooler. Kate repressed a smile.
In a few moments dishes were being passed around. Elliot, standing, began to pour wine in the waiting goblets. Michael picked up his glass and almost ostentatiously set it upside down.
âNone for me,â he said.
Kate winced. She should have seen this one coming. Michael didnât drink at all. He just said he didnât like it. Given her fatherâs bad habits, it seemed a good trait to Kate but she knew it wouldnât go down well with Elliot. He prided himself on his wine cellar â even though it was actually in the linen closet â and must have taken pains selecting this Pinot Grigio. Elliot raised his eyebrows.
âDonât you drink?â Brice asked, his voice, rather than his eyebrows, slightly raised. Kate could imagine the talk afterward â âIs he an alcoholic, is he in AA? No? Then heâs a control freak or a born-again Christian.â Oh, it would be endless.
âI prefer to keep a clear head,â Michael answered.
âYeah. You never know when someone might need to see through it,â Elliot muttered beside Kateâs ear as he filled her glass.
Once they all had their plates and the drinking crisis was past, they began on Briceâs famous appetizer: a beautiful, multicolored vegetable terrine. There was some cursory conversation but the tension seemed thick in the air, especially between Elliot and Michael. Of course Elliot was always very protective of Kate. And he had already made his dislike of this accomplished and nice-lookingnew boyfriend clear. The fact that Michael was a bit priggish and overly fastidious wasnât lost on Kate, but he did have other, compensatory traits. He was clever, he was generous in bed, and he seemed very, very stable.
âThereâs a good chance Iâm going to get that Sagerman grant,â Michael said to Kate as they finished the first course. âI saw Professor Hopkins and Charles told me that the committee discussions seemed to be very, well, promising.â Kate saw Elliot and Brice exchange a look. It was rude of Michael to ignore them, even briefly, but he was a single-minded academic.
Kate held back a sigh. Even when she and Michael were alone it was sometimes difficult to remember all the cards in his academic deck. Now, to make the conversation general, it would be necessary to explain to the others about the Sagerman Foundation, Michaelâs interest in a postdoctorate appointment, and his complicated relationship with his mentor Charles Hopkins. It was the kind of thing that made a difference to a couple, but didnât make for good dinner talk.
âGreat,â Kate said. No one else spoke. Elliot refilled their glasses and Brice passed around the second course. Kate looked at it and knew that her friends had spared no expense to impress Michael. This was Briceâs risotto with truffles and she knew what the price of truffles was. They all took a bite of the steaming rice. As the awkward silence stretched out, Kate turned to Brice in an attemptat light conversation. âBrice. This risotto is really delicious.â
âVery good,â Michael agreed.
Brice beamed at the compliments. He was proud of his cooking, his design sense, and his extensive collection of pristine Beanie Babies. Those were arranged meticulously on a series of long floating shelves over the credenza. Kate had watched Michael notice them and avert his eyes. He was not, she had to admit, very playful in his attitude to décor or dining chat.
âSo, what happened at the salon this
In a few moments dishes were being passed around. Elliot, standing, began to pour wine in the waiting goblets. Michael picked up his glass and almost ostentatiously set it upside down.
âNone for me,â he said.
Kate winced. She should have seen this one coming. Michael didnât drink at all. He just said he didnât like it. Given her fatherâs bad habits, it seemed a good trait to Kate but she knew it wouldnât go down well with Elliot. He prided himself on his wine cellar â even though it was actually in the linen closet â and must have taken pains selecting this Pinot Grigio. Elliot raised his eyebrows.
âDonât you drink?â Brice asked, his voice, rather than his eyebrows, slightly raised. Kate could imagine the talk afterward â âIs he an alcoholic, is he in AA? No? Then heâs a control freak or a born-again Christian.â Oh, it would be endless.
âI prefer to keep a clear head,â Michael answered.
âYeah. You never know when someone might need to see through it,â Elliot muttered beside Kateâs ear as he filled her glass.
Once they all had their plates and the drinking crisis was past, they began on Briceâs famous appetizer: a beautiful, multicolored vegetable terrine. There was some cursory conversation but the tension seemed thick in the air, especially between Elliot and Michael. Of course Elliot was always very protective of Kate. And he had already made his dislike of this accomplished and nice-lookingnew boyfriend clear. The fact that Michael was a bit priggish and overly fastidious wasnât lost on Kate, but he did have other, compensatory traits. He was clever, he was generous in bed, and he seemed very, very stable.
âThereâs a good chance Iâm going to get that Sagerman grant,â Michael said to Kate as they finished the first course. âI saw Professor Hopkins and Charles told me that the committee discussions seemed to be very, well, promising.â Kate saw Elliot and Brice exchange a look. It was rude of Michael to ignore them, even briefly, but he was a single-minded academic.
Kate held back a sigh. Even when she and Michael were alone it was sometimes difficult to remember all the cards in his academic deck. Now, to make the conversation general, it would be necessary to explain to the others about the Sagerman Foundation, Michaelâs interest in a postdoctorate appointment, and his complicated relationship with his mentor Charles Hopkins. It was the kind of thing that made a difference to a couple, but didnât make for good dinner talk.
âGreat,â Kate said. No one else spoke. Elliot refilled their glasses and Brice passed around the second course. Kate looked at it and knew that her friends had spared no expense to impress Michael. This was Briceâs risotto with truffles and she knew what the price of truffles was. They all took a bite of the steaming rice. As the awkward silence stretched out, Kate turned to Brice in an attemptat light conversation. âBrice. This risotto is really delicious.â
âVery good,â Michael agreed.
Brice beamed at the compliments. He was proud of his cooking, his design sense, and his extensive collection of pristine Beanie Babies. Those were arranged meticulously on a series of long floating shelves over the credenza. Kate had watched Michael notice them and avert his eyes. He was not, she had to admit, very playful in his attitude to décor or dining chat.
âSo, what happened at the salon this
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