into their seats and a moment later, a cheerful young waitress with long red hair tied up in a ponytail, a face full of freckles and big blue eyes, came to the table and told them the specials and took their drinks order. They all chose different wines except for Kristen who ordered a vodka and soda with a splash of cranberry juice.
When Sandy delivered their drinks, they put their orders in. Sue got the baked stuffed lobster, and Lisa and the girls all went with one of the specials, grilled swordfish. Lisa remembered that Rhett had said it was one of his favorites.
A basket of freshly baked rolls arrived a moment later with butter that was whipped with something sweet, maybe honey. It was delicious, and Lisa reached for a second roll as Sandy returned to the table holding a platter of Oysters Rockefeller. She set the steaming appetizer in the middle of the table.
“Compliments of the chef, and Rhett,” she said. “Your salads will be along in a few minutes.”
“Wasn’t that nice of him?” Sue looked impressed as she reached for an oyster. Lisa agreed and did the same. It was a thoughtful gesture and appreciated by all of them.
The oysters were cooked perfectly, tender and sweet and topped with a mix of spinach, breadcrumbs, and a creamy cheesy sauce laced with Pernod which gave it a faintly licorice flavor. Lisa had mentioned during one of their evenings out that it was one of her favorite appetizers. She was touched that he remembered. Kate was already on her second one, and even Kristen, her picky eater, seemed to like them.
“I didn’t think I’d like oysters Rockefeller, but these are really good,” she said happily.
“Are you excited for your show tomorrow night? Your mother and I are planning to stop in,” Sue said.
“Oh, good. Thank you. I’m excited but also a bit terrified. Because of the weekend it’s probably going be busy and crowded and maybe a little intimidating.” Lisa knew that Kristen sometimes felt overwhelmed around big groups of people. She was such an introvert, and Lisa knew that after an event like that, they probably wouldn’t see or hear from her for a few days. It was almost like being around so many people drained her and she had to go off and re-charge. Lisa reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.
“You’ll do great. Just remember, they’re coming to see you, your work.”
“But what if no one buys anything? I’ll feel terrible for Andrew.”
Lisa smiled. Kristen really didn’t understand how talented she was.
“Andrew wouldn’t have chosen you for such a busy weekend if he didn’t think it would go well. He knows what he’s doing.”
“I suppose. I’m just a little worried about the prices. They’re much higher than usual for me. And the one piece he’s auctioning off has a minimum bid that is a little shocking.”
Lisa was intrigued. “Really? That’s exciting. I can’t wait to see it. It must be really special.”
Kristen relaxed a little. “You always know what to say. I do think that piece is my best work. It kind of poured out of me. I wish they were all like that.”
“Kate, are you coming with us? We were thinking of heading over around seven,” Lisa said.
“I’ll see you there. Jack mentioned that he wanted to go, so we’re going together. He’s a big fan of Kristen. He bought one of her smaller paintings a few years ago.”
“Really? How nice.” Kristen looked happy to hear it. And Lisa thought it was interesting news that Jack and Kate were going together.
“How did the quiche turn out?” she asked. Kate had told her how Jack had stopped by with a big bag of lobster. Maybe he was just being neighborly, but Lisa wondered if there could be some mutual interest there. Kate and Jack didn’t socialize much in high school, and Kate moved off-island right after college, but they were about the same age. And Jack came from a good family.
“It turned out great. Your recipe is perfect. I couldn’t screw it up. Jack loved it. I sent him home with most of the leftovers.”
“Good, I’m glad. How’s his father doing?” Lisa knew about the heart attack and hoped he was doing better.
“Jack said he’s good. He’s been home for a few weeks now and is grouchy because no one will let him do anything. He can’t go back to work for another month or so and even then, he’ll be limited to office work,