arranged.
“Carolyn, Howard, Gary, Lyndon, this is my guest for the evening, Hans.” He greeted each person and waited while Carolyn introduced her husband—number three if Malcolm wasn’t mistaken. It amazed Malcolm that three men had been willing to risk a marriage to ball-busting Carolyn, but she and Brent seemed happy enough.
“This is my date, Jennifer,” Gary said as they went around the table.
Malcolm and Hans greeted both of them before saying hello to Lyndon’s wife, Maxine, and Howard’s girlfriend, Wendy. They took their seats and chatted a few minutes. Howard excused himself to get something from the bar, and Malcolm did the same, quietly asking Hans what he’d like.
“A martini would be perfect,” Hans said with a smile.
Malcolm followed Howard as he threaded through the tables. “Didn’t I see your date at the office?” Howard asked. “You aren’t dating a client, are you? Gary will have a conniption if you are.” He looked back at Gary, and Malcolm got the feeling Howard would sell tickets if that happened.
“Hans was a client. Our business was concluded, and we met again while my brother was here. He seemed nice, and we had a lot to talk about.” Malcolm shifted to see how long the line was. They were going to be a while, and Howard didn’t seem convinced. “I was out to dinner with my brother, and Hans had been stood up by a blind date. Peter asked him to join us, and he and I hit it off. Hans gave his phone number to my brother.” He smiled at how ridiculous it sounded.
“Very tenth grade,” Howard teased.
“Exactly. Peter said he’d never stop pestering me until I asked Hans out, and since this was a public place, I thought it would be a good idea.” Besides, it seemed Hans had captured the attention of half the room, especially the women.
“What does he do?”
“Hans Erickson, the author.”
Howard stopped, his mouth hanging open. “That’s him?” Howard had given Malcolm the first of Hans’s books for his birthday a few years earlier. “You aren’t bullshitting me.”
“Of course not. That’s really him. He lives in Shorewood now.”
From the way Howard was grinning, Malcolm expected him to go full-on rock-star-worthy fanboy any second. “Do you think he’d sign something for me? I could put it in one of my books. That would be so awesome.”
“You can ask him,” Malcolm said. He turned toward where Hans was sitting at the table talking to the others. They all seemed enthralled, and when Malcolm and Howard finally got to the front of the line, they got their drinks and made their way back to the table.
“Hans is the author of those books you like,” Wendy said to Howard. “He’s been entertaining us with stories of some of his adventures. He went on a hunting safari in Africa.” She looked hopefully at Howard, who sighed.
“We need to get you a passport first,” he told her softly.
“I know. But that sounds so cool. And he’s a diver. You could take me diving somewhere. We could learn together.”
Wendy leaned close, and Malcolm wasn’t sure what she whispered to Howard, but he turned beet red and nodded once. Obviously she had given him some incentive.
The servers fanned out through the room, placing salads at each plate. “This looks nice,” Hans said. The salad wasn’t anything particularly special, but Malcolm was happy Hans was willing to make the most of the evening.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Malcolm told Hans and felt Hans squeeze his hand under the table.
“I really am. Your colleagues are quite nice,” he said as he looked across the table. “What’s with the girl with Gary?” he whispered without moving his lips.
Malcolm shrugged and kept the smile on his face.
“How did you meet?” Carolyn asked.
“I met Malcolm the first time at the office. I was there on business, and it would have stayed that way if we hadn’t met again last weekend. He and his brother took pity on me after a blind date
“Carolyn, Howard, Gary, Lyndon, this is my guest for the evening, Hans.” He greeted each person and waited while Carolyn introduced her husband—number three if Malcolm wasn’t mistaken. It amazed Malcolm that three men had been willing to risk a marriage to ball-busting Carolyn, but she and Brent seemed happy enough.
“This is my date, Jennifer,” Gary said as they went around the table.
Malcolm and Hans greeted both of them before saying hello to Lyndon’s wife, Maxine, and Howard’s girlfriend, Wendy. They took their seats and chatted a few minutes. Howard excused himself to get something from the bar, and Malcolm did the same, quietly asking Hans what he’d like.
“A martini would be perfect,” Hans said with a smile.
Malcolm followed Howard as he threaded through the tables. “Didn’t I see your date at the office?” Howard asked. “You aren’t dating a client, are you? Gary will have a conniption if you are.” He looked back at Gary, and Malcolm got the feeling Howard would sell tickets if that happened.
“Hans was a client. Our business was concluded, and we met again while my brother was here. He seemed nice, and we had a lot to talk about.” Malcolm shifted to see how long the line was. They were going to be a while, and Howard didn’t seem convinced. “I was out to dinner with my brother, and Hans had been stood up by a blind date. Peter asked him to join us, and he and I hit it off. Hans gave his phone number to my brother.” He smiled at how ridiculous it sounded.
“Very tenth grade,” Howard teased.
“Exactly. Peter said he’d never stop pestering me until I asked Hans out, and since this was a public place, I thought it would be a good idea.” Besides, it seemed Hans had captured the attention of half the room, especially the women.
“What does he do?”
“Hans Erickson, the author.”
Howard stopped, his mouth hanging open. “That’s him?” Howard had given Malcolm the first of Hans’s books for his birthday a few years earlier. “You aren’t bullshitting me.”
“Of course not. That’s really him. He lives in Shorewood now.”
From the way Howard was grinning, Malcolm expected him to go full-on rock-star-worthy fanboy any second. “Do you think he’d sign something for me? I could put it in one of my books. That would be so awesome.”
“You can ask him,” Malcolm said. He turned toward where Hans was sitting at the table talking to the others. They all seemed enthralled, and when Malcolm and Howard finally got to the front of the line, they got their drinks and made their way back to the table.
“Hans is the author of those books you like,” Wendy said to Howard. “He’s been entertaining us with stories of some of his adventures. He went on a hunting safari in Africa.” She looked hopefully at Howard, who sighed.
“We need to get you a passport first,” he told her softly.
“I know. But that sounds so cool. And he’s a diver. You could take me diving somewhere. We could learn together.”
Wendy leaned close, and Malcolm wasn’t sure what she whispered to Howard, but he turned beet red and nodded once. Obviously she had given him some incentive.
The servers fanned out through the room, placing salads at each plate. “This looks nice,” Hans said. The salad wasn’t anything particularly special, but Malcolm was happy Hans was willing to make the most of the evening.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Malcolm told Hans and felt Hans squeeze his hand under the table.
“I really am. Your colleagues are quite nice,” he said as he looked across the table. “What’s with the girl with Gary?” he whispered without moving his lips.
Malcolm shrugged and kept the smile on his face.
“How did you meet?” Carolyn asked.
“I met Malcolm the first time at the office. I was there on business, and it would have stayed that way if we hadn’t met again last weekend. He and his brother took pity on me after a blind date
Similar Books
