Since the next day was Sunday, I made a huge dinner and left invitations on each of my neighbor's doorsteps, in the hopes that I could become better friends with all of them. Unfortunately, Nigel was going to be out of town on a flight so I promised him that I'd make him a plate. Henrietta was the first to arrive and she was a delicious package of Asian good looks and Occidental charm. She brushed past me on the way into the house, setting two bottles of wine on my dining room table.
"It's about time that you did something for the rest of us."
"It's about time?"
"Yeah! Everyone's been waiting to see if you could throw a good party."
I laughed. She turned out to be very lively and kept me company while I finished the gravy and reheated the vegetables. She ran a very lucrative real estate company and was saving her money to move to Europe and buy a huge house there.
"Somewhere in South America." She poured us more wine. "You can live like a king on American dollars down there."
"You're right."
The doorbell rang and Tom and Bob came in, bringing more wine and a huge chocolate chip cheesecake. Henrie welcomed them in on my behalf and soon they were sitting on the bar stools around my kitchen island, snacking on scallop rumaki that I'd just taken out of the oven. I was chewing and laughing at a joke that Bob had told when another knock sounded. Toting my glass of wine, I excused myself and strode over, throwing the door wide open. Mariana stood there, her demeanor shy as she held a grocery sack in her arms.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"Am I still invited?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't you think so?"
She shrugged and I moved aside, letting her in. Tom leaped off his stool and took the bag from her while Bob seated her on his stool, pouring a fresh glass of ice-cold wine for her. She had brought more wine, some sharp Vermont cheese and some rosemary-basil crackers and Tom put the cheese and crackers out for us.
