The restaurant was alive with a symphony of sounds. From the low murmur of conversations among diners, punctuated by the occasional hearty laugh, to the soft clinking of glasses and utensils against fine china, each noise contributed to the inviting atmosphere.
She saw Claire, Maxi, and Andie seated at a table and started across the blue carpet toward them.
“Hey, ladies!” she greeted as she pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Jane, you made it! We were just about to order some wine,” Claire said, her eyes lighting up. She gestured to the menus laid out on the crisp white linen tablecloth. In the middle of the table, a single candle flickered, casting a warm glow that softened their faces.
The row of windows behind them looked out onto Perkins Cove, where fishing boats and dinghies bobbed peacefully in the water. The footbridge could be seen at the mouth of the cove, and though they often dined on the patio to enjoy the view, the cooler weather had them inside tonight.
“What’s everyone feeling—red, white, or sparkling?” Andie inquired, flipping through the wine list.
“I’m in the mood for a nice Chardonnay,” Maxi chimed in.
“Sounds perfect. White it is,” Claire confirmed, nodding at Jane for agreement. Jane offered a warm smile and nodded.
The waitress appeared and introduced herself as Sarah, and they ordered their wine.
Andie turned to Jane. “Did you visit Mom? How was she?”
“Great as usual,” Jane said. “They’re decorating Tall Pines for Prelude, too, and Mom seemed to like that.”
“That’s great. I’m glad we made the right decision putting her there,” Andie said.
“We did, and speaking of decorating, I saw the paper up on the windows of the gallery when I walked by earlier, Maxi. Were you able to straighten things out with the artists for the event?”
Maxi shook her head, waiting for the waitress to set their basket of bread and wine down before answering, her voice lowered so no one could overhear. “No, unfortunately. I’m in the process of looking for new talent, and let me tell you, it’s been quite the adventure. The themes some artists have been suggesting are—well, they’re out there.”
“Like how out there?” Claire asked, curious.
Maxi leaned in, as if sharing a secret. “Okay, so imagine this: one artist had these garish voodoo dolls with Christmas-themed clothes and mistletoe?—“
Jane made a face, “Really?”
Yes!” Maxi took another sip of her wine. “So I struck out today, but Muriel found someone that might work out, and I’m going to talk to her tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s good. I hope things work out.” Claire flipped open her menu, and the others followed suit while discussing the different options. Once they’d decided and put the menus down, Sarah appeared.
“Looks like you ladies are ready to order. May I interest you in tonight’s special? We have a beautiful swordfish steak, grilled to perfection and served with a citrus-herb sauce.”
“That sounds delicious,” Claire commented, her eyes scanning the menu one last time.
“Do you all know what you’d like?” Sarah asked, pulling out her notepad.
“I’ll take the swordfish special,” Claire decided, closing her menu.
“I’ll have the lobster tail, please,” Jane said, already imagining the rich, buttery flavor.
“And I’ll go for the seared scallops,” Andie chimed in, smiling at Sarah.
“I’m in the mood for shrimp scampi,” Maxi added, handing her menu to the waitress.
“Excellent choices,” Sarah said, scribbling down their orders. “Would you like some bread for the table?”
“Of course,” Jane answered for the group, earning approving nods from her friends.
“Very well. I’ll get your orders in right away,” Sarah said before heading back to the kitchen.
As she left, Maxi turned to Claire. “Enough about me. Tell us the latest in the Beach Bones saga.”
