He took another long look around. The place was acceptable. He thought fresh flowers for the table would add a nice touch. Nothing too girlie. He phoned the local florist and spoke to Nancy. He explained he was having a guest for the weekend and he wanted to spruce up the dining-room table, but he didn’t want it to be overdone. She said she knew exactly what do to. Two hours later, she arrived with a rectangular wooden box with an arrangement of greenery including eucalyptus and white dogwood branches. It made the long plank table that once served as a door look a little less like a flea-market find. It was just the right touch.

Then he thought about wine. He had a very nice bottle of Seamus Olde Sonoma Cabernet Reserve he could serve with the steaks. It was a sixty-five-dollar bottle someone had given him as a housewarming gift. Maybe it would help warm up the house that coming night, he thought to himself. He checked the balloon wineglasses and polished them. Dinnerware, flatware, and cloth napkins were in the pantry. Music? He went through his vinyl record collection and pulled out a Wes Montgomery album. It was classic California smooth jazz, a style Montgomery had made famous. Keeping in line with the genre, he also set aside albums by Earl Klugh and George Benson. That should cover a couple of hours. He checked the liquor cabinet. He also had a bottle of vermouth they could have after dinner in front of the fireplace. “Get a grip, Gaines,” he said out loud. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”