We gathered everyone together for a simple meeting after supper, while Toby was taking his evening bath.“Tomorrow, I want everyone but Margie and Ma...cia to stay home. That way it won’t look too strange for Beth and me to be missing. We’re going to head out to Washington tonight, so we can leave in the dark, and then we won’t be home tomorrow until after dark.”“Take some money with you, including change, so that if you need to, you can call us from a pay phone somewhere. You might take a change. And all of a sudden, she was sweet-talking the pair of them like a car salesman. Before they knew it, both men had walked away convinced that their expectations of what was clearly a casual relationship were utterly wrong, and they should be more accepting of Andrea’s lack of commitment. In retrospect, he got the impression that maybe she’d manipulated things so that she could play off the inevitable competitiveness that had sprung up between them. But that was hindsight. Here on New Year’s. After all this was my best friend, even if he didn't know whoI really was."Uh, t-thanks," I replied with a warm smile, and I actually meant it.Itook one last puff before discarding the remaining cig, the smellmixing with the pleasant flowery vanilla I was familiar with, I made myway inside. I wanted to devour the food on the table in one motion,mystomach grumbling and groaning, but I took my time. After situatingmyself in the chair properly and smoothing out my clothes, I picked upa fork and. . I mean I’m handsome, manly and...” I stopped when my mother hit me in the arm and then stuck out her tongue at me.“We meet in the lobby at six,” she said.“Uh, would you rather go to dinner alone? I mean she is your friend,” I said, hoping she would say no.“No,” she answered to my relief.We finished shopping and went to the beach for a while. Then back to the room for a quick nap. I wanted to start something, but Mom said she was tired and that we could do something after dinner. I reluctantly.