Chapter 71
“What can I do, babe?”
“The usual, only we won’t be using the dining room tonight.”
“Where are we going to eat?”
“Help me move the kitchen table out onto the back porch, will you?”
“That’s a cool idea, and this is an informal occasion. I like it.”
With practiced ease, they turned the kitchen table on its side and moved it out to the porch.
“Are we using the good china?” Mickey said.
“Of course—the occasion isn’t that informal. You can set it for four, because Ted’s already eaten.”
Chris returned to the kitchen while Mickey busied himself with getting the table ready. In the kitchen, Chris removed the apple pie from the bottom oven, before he checked on the soufflé he’d put in the top oven earlier. Almost there, he thought. Ten more minutes should do it. He went to the library, removed a couple of bottles of wine from the wine cooler, and carried them out to the porch.
“Here you go, Mickey, my boy. Why don’t you open one of these and let it breathe.”