"Will you quit fidgeting!" Cathy hissed at her husband as they walked the short distance to the Venturi house.
"Give me one good reason why we are going to this dinner party and I'll be happy to." James Morgan replied.
"Because Casey is a really nice person and she wrote those books."
"Yeah yeah. And her husband is a famous ice hockey player yatter yatter yatter. And their house will be enormous, and his ego will be enormous and the chances of his cheating on his wife are enormous." Unfaithful husbands was one of James' bugbears; his barometer on life.
"James!"
He sighed. "James!" was her catchphrase when she was irritated. After twenty years of marriage, she had perfected the call to the point where he even heard it when he contemplated doing something she wouldn't have approved of. James Morgan worshipped his wife, but in the highly unlikely event he ever considered being unfaithful he was sure there would be a loud cry of "James!" just before he introduced himself to the likely candidate.
Cathy was nervous. And he sympathised. But as far as James Morgan was concerned, if someone was rich and famous but couldn't be civil then they weren't worth the effort. So he had put his foot down when she had tried to buy expensive wine to take with them, had limited the amount she should spend on her outfit, and had steadfastly refused to wear a suit.
He was vaguely aware of whom Derek Venturi was, but he wasn't a big fan of ice hockey, and he knew that Casey Venturi wrote the books his wife and daughter lusted after, but the idea of picking one up himself….jeez!
It came as a relief when they walked up the driveway of the Venturi residence to find that whilst it was a large house, it was not excessive. And although the car in the driveway looked new, it wasn't a sports car but instead an economic SUV designed to accommodate a large family. He smiled to himself, pleased that he had reined his beloved wife in.
And when the door opened, before they had had time to press the bell, and a good-looking but otherwise ordinary guy stood in the doorway, his clothes almost identical to James' own appeared, James almost laughed.
"Derek." Derek Venturi stated, offering his hand out to be shaken.
"James." James Morgan returned.
"Hi Cathy." Casey came through from the kitchen, wiping her hands.
"Hi Casey." Cathy tried to be sophisticated and plant air kisses, but Casey was having none of it and Cathy found a very genuine kiss being planted on her cheek.
"I hope you don't mind, it's just a casserole. It's what I'm good at."
And James relaxed again. He had a very plain stomach.
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The evening was going well. Derek and James had discovered a common interest in photography early on, and James was soon whisked off to look at lenses and colour filters. Casey asked Cathy to help her in the kitchen and they were soon working together and chatting away like old friends.
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The door slammed shut behind Lucy who stared at her younger sister in surprise.
"Where's mom?"
"Dad's taken her out to dinner."
"Dad…restaurants…oooo that's not good." Lucy cringed at the thought of her father in a restaurant. He had once worked in one and felt the need to comment on everything.
"No actually. They've gone to dinner at someone's house."
"Really? Whose?"
"Not sure. Number's on the pad."
Lucy walked over to look at the pad. A number was written there.
It wouldn't have meant anything to her, except she recognised the number…
"The Venturis? Why on earth would the Venturis invite our parents for dinner?"
"Stig?"
"Yes."
"Oooh. I wonder if they'll bring home anymore anecdotes?"
"Lilly!"
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"Well that, as they say was a resounding success." Derek murmured in Casey's ear, watching their dinner guests walk down the drive. "And I am proud to call you my wife. Dinner was as usual, outstanding and you provided guy company for me that I might actually tolerate. And Cathy is lovely." Casey smiled warmly at him.
"I just hope they don't hate us when our son breaks their daughter's heart."
They chuckled and closed the door.
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"Admit it. You enjoyed yourself."
"Okay I enjoyed myself. The house wasn't horrifically big, and neither was his ego."
"And I walked in on him groping Casey so I doubt he's playing around." They laughed.
"Groping?"
"That's what it looked like from where I was standing."
"You mean like this….?" James was feeling…affectionate.
"James Morgan, behave yourself."
"Why? We're married. And you get told all through your teenage years to behave. I think I'm old enough to misbehave now."
"Okay. But can you at least wait until we've got past the girls????"
"Ooops. Good point."