Kathy visits

Friday, Bobbie woke at 6:30. She was showered and dressed by the time Brose was awake. She settled down beside him at the kitchen Island with a glass of water and said. “Katherine and her husband arrive at the airport at 11 so I’d like to be there by 10:45. What time is your meeting?”

“It is set for 8 and I should be finished by 10:30. Brock can finish taking notes for me if we run late.”

“You and Brock can use my office, there are 2 internet drops if you need them. And you need a phone too.”

Brock came out of his room ready for the day.

“We should head down to the restaurant for breakfast. They call it a continental breakfast but it is pretty good. I’ll just see if Brose is ready.”

They headed out Bobbies side door and Brock commented on how nice the pool was. They walked around the patio area and went into the restaurant through the front door instead of the pub, where Bobbie usually went. They picked out a table and Bobbie suggested they help themselves and she’d bring a coffee. She dropped off the mugs and carafe and went to make herself a biscuit sandwich. They chatted until 7:30 and Bobbie suggested they go back up and get ready for their Citrix meeting.”

While they started the meeting, Bobbie got Katherine’s basket ready and carried down to her room. She used her master key and made sure the room was good. It looked perfect. It looked over the edge of the pool and you could see the mountain beyond.

She went back up and worked on her spreadsheet for the wedding the rest of the morning and by 10:30 herself and Ambrose were heading to the airport in Bobbie’s big sedan.

Katherine and Lester deplaned first and Bobbie and Brose went over to meet them. Brose picked up their bags.

“It’s such a pleasure to see you. I hope your flight was good.”

“It was a short flight and there was no trouble.”

“So, I’m not sure what you’d like to do. We are about a half hour away from a lovely spot for an early lunch. Or we could let you get settled in at the motel first if you prefer.”

“Lunch sounds agreeable dear, I never eat before I fly and I’m a little peckish.”

Lester nodded.

They piled into Bobbies car. Kathy was in the back with Bobbie. Bobbie pointed out landmarks and told stories about the places they drove through and arrived at the same little restaurant that she and Brose visited on their weekend trip.

They all had fish and chips and beer on a beautiful balcony looking over Small Harbour. They had some lively chatter about Bobbie’s robber baron, paper mill owning, great grandfather. She told them how his son, her grandfather, wound down the operation until most workers were retired or moved on. Then he sold off the equipment and gave severance to his 5 remaining staff. All because he couldn’t stand the mess the operation was making of his favourite fly fishing river.

Lester figured is was a pretty good reason for shutting down a factory.

They got back to the motel around I PM. The sun was shining and it looked very nice. Katherine got out and grabbed Bobbie’s arm. “This is what I imagined. Ocean views hemmed in by mountains. It’s breathtaking.” Bobbie took them in to reception and they got their key cards.

The art gallery had a display of local high school art and the County Youth Choir was humming a song in the background.

“This is a charming Art Gallery.” Said Katherine after Lacey was introduced. They stopped a minute and the youths sang a lovely song. When Bobbie could see Katherine was slowing down, they waved goodbye and went out to find the Fox’s suite. Bobbie showed them in. She suggested they rest a while and maybe join her and Brose for tea in a couple hours.

Bobbie and Brose got back to her apartment and Brock was nowhere to be found so they used their time wisely and by the time they had pulled themselves together it was 2 o’clock and tea was starting. Bobbie gave the Fox’s until 2:30 and called their room. They met by the pub door. Brock and Johnny were sitting on the patio so Brose and Lester joined them and Kathy and Bobbie continued into the restaurant and met Trixie and Mink inside. Mink was very solicitous and Katherine was charmed. They talked about the dinner party planed for the evening. After tea and some biscuits and cheesecake squares they decided to leave and meet at Bobbies apartment at 6:30. Katherine went out to find Lester and Bobbie and Trixie went into the kitchen. It was buzzing.

“We’re getting everything ready.” Said Gina and Bobbie thanked her and saw Mark was preparing 2 nice roasts.

“They will start on a high heat and then cook at a lower heat for 1.5 hours and then rest for 20 minutes and I’ll bring them up at 7:30.”

“Mink is serving hot hourderves with cocktails. Bacon wrapped scallops. Crab puffs and mini fish cakes.” Said Mink.

“Mink will bring up the hodge podge when I bring the beef, I’ll text you to make sure you’re ready.” Added Mark.

“Thanks so much for working so hard and staying late everyone. Trixie will you come upstairs and help me set the table before you leave to get ready?”

They went upstairs and dug out Bobbies Irish linen table cloths and put the leaf in the table. Bobbie made sure they had 12 chairs and trimmed down the cheap and cheerful flowers she bought to about six inches, making 2 low arrangements for the table. They got out silverware, crystal wineglasses and the Russian dinnerware. Bobbie hugged Trixie. “Thanks for your help.”

As Trixie was leaving Brose and Brock were coming in. They walked into the dining room and Brock said. “This is amazing. You will win Katherine Fox over with this set-up and these views for sure.”

“Thanks Brock. This is my first formal dinner here.” Brock went into his room and Bobbie thought about how she was having this dinner practically catered. It was almost like eating in the restaurant. She looked at the dishes. She remembered using them at Alex’s parent’s house. His great grandmother brought them from Russia. They were old porcelain, creamy white with a fine textured basket weave along the edge. There was a Blue and gold filigree along the outside edge on all the plates and they had a centre arrangement of yellow and blue flowers that had a few leaves radiating from them and sprays of silver baby’s breath thrown in.

She went over to the shelf system and got the cocktail area ready and set up a playlist from her Zune to play during cocktails. She saw it was almost time to get ready and found Brose napping in her room. She wanted him to test the scotch.

“Hey Sweetie, you should start to get ready now and can you taste this for me before you brush your teeth?”

“Oh I was just resting my eyes for a minute. I drank one to many with Lester and Johnny. You’ll have to judge your own scotch.”

Bobbie stuck her tongue in the scotch. “Its like any booze, If you get a good brand it’ll be fine. It actually tastes good. We’ll start with wine spritzers all around so we don’t all fall asleep.”

Bobbie dressed in blue plaza pants that had a subtle pattern and a white sleeveless silk chemise. She had a gold snake with sapphire eyes so she fastened it around her upper arm and a large dinner ring. She put her hair up and put some makeup and decided she looked like a good hostess. She went into the kitchen and set up her big ice bucket and put in a rather big bottle of white wine, for spritzers.

She went into the living room, Brock and Brose were there already. She took the wine partway out of the ice bucket and showed it to Brock.

“Here’s a good white wine for spritzers and it has a convenient screw top. It’s local.” Brock could see the shark on the label and had a funny look on his face like he wasn’t sure she was serious. Bobbie couldn’t hold it in any longer, through giggles she pulled out the bottle. “Ha, ha, It’s called Great White.” And showed him the whole label. Brock looked at it and started to laugh. Bobbie joined him laughing. It was the kind of laugh that takes on a life of it’s own and they both collapsed and were still laughing when Trixie, Greg and Lacey arrived.

“What are you laughing at.”

“I’m introducing Brock to that fine local wine, Great White.” Showing Trixie the label.

“Local? I’ve never seen that before. Where did you find it?”

Brock pulled himself together. “You’ll have to tell me where to get it. I need to bring some home.”

Trying to keep a strait face Bobbie said. “I’m not sure they’ll have any left, it was on sale.”

Brock almost started laughing again but managed to greet Greg and Lacey graciously. They were all being civilized when Jarrod and Charlie arrived along with Bobbie’s mother and Dean.

Bobbie offered spritzers all around and when James went to collect his said. “Is that a Shark on the Label?” Bobbie showed him the name. He chuckled and said. “Hey Jarrod come see this, Bobbie is serving a fine fighting wine.”

The Foxes arrived and the rest of the dinner went well. Mink had a black outfit with a white butler style jacket and glided around, like a beautiful apparition. The main dinner was served “French style”. Mark carved the beef at the end of the table and then moved around, serving everyone their choice cuts. Then Mink served the hodge podge, with tongs, to every diner.

When everyone was done, Bobbie quietly took the dinner dishes away and Gina came up with her pavlova. They finished up around 9:30 and Johnny took Lester, Dean and Brose out to the deck for a cigar and scotch.

Katherine raved about the hodge podge and Bobbie said she’d send her the recipe. Trixie and Barb cleared the dishes and started to wash them and Bobbie chatted with Kathy, Jamie, Jarrod and Brock and her Mom. Lacey thanked Bobbie and excused herself. Some friends were picking her up.

Johnny appeared with his guitar and said. “Grab another drink Bobbie, Let’s sing a song.”

She went and got her guitar and poured the rest of the Great White. After a bit of fine tuning they sang a few songs and the others came in from the deck. People chatted and listened to the music and eventually started to leave so Bobbie saw everyone to the door. Johnny said goodnight.

Brock hugged Bobbie and thanked her for making him feel at home. “That was a the best dinner party I’ve been to in a long while.” And retreated to his room.

Eventually it was just Brose and Bobbie left. Brose took her hand. “Are you as tired as I am?”

“Probably. We have a big market day tomorrow too. Let’s go to bed.”