Tell Me a Story

Chapter 30

"I thought we were just meeting them here for dinner, not eating here?"

Eli shrugged as we stood in the kitchen, watching David chop vegetables and stir something on the stove. Meera appeared with a bottle of wine from the cellar.

"I hope you don't mind the change in plans. We just thought dinner here would be more relaxing."

I nodded towards David. "You sure it's not too much work?"

David turned from the stove and smiled. "Not at all. I find cooking relaxes me. Plus, now I don't have to worry about incompetent staff trying to poison me."

I glanced at Eli in the corner of my eye and caught the corner of his mouth turning upward for just a second. "Well, it smells delicious, David. Quite the man of the world you are. Powerful executive by day, talented chef by night."

Meera laughed as she handed Eli and me a glass of wine. I paused to admire the fancy stemware, remembering the days when Meera made me stop drinking box wine from my orange juice glasses. In all the madness lately, we spent little time together. I missed her. 

Maybe a relaxed dinner in wasn't such a bad idea. 

Well, relaxed as it could be, knowing the real reason for our little get together wasn't wine and light conversation.

"Why don't you all have a seat? Everything is just about ready to go. Meera can help me here."

Eli and I obeyed, taking a seat in the dining room. I watched as Eli nonchalantly scanned our surroundings. I would have thought nothing of it before, but after spending so much time with him, and knowing who he really was, I knew there was something going on. A plan being formed.

I sat down at the table, placing the linen napkin on my lap, and surveyed the array of silverware inf front of me. I stared at the variety of forks, trying to remember what each one was for. Without looking my direction, Eli murmured, "Outside in."

"Excuse me?"

"Start with the fork on the outside, work your way in with each change in course."

"I knew that."

Eli took his seat next to me. "Of course you did."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Don't worry about that just now. Just act as you would if you were dining with friends."

"I am dining with my friend."

"You know what I mean."

David and Meera entered the room, carrying two bowls each, setting them in front of us and then at their own places at the table.

"Spiced carrot and ginger with crème fraiche," Meera said, watching me stare at the shallow bowl of something that looked suspiciously like it came from a baby food jar.

"Delicious," Eli replied as he finished his first spoonful.

I took a bite and conceded. "It is good."

"It's nice to see Eli has been a good influence on you," David replied. "Or at least your palette."

I forced a polite smile. "Are things still crazy with work?"

"It has been hectic. I don't know what we were thinking trying to get two games ready for release in the same week, but it's paid off. We'll be meeting the release dates as planned. With two totally different games releasing at the same time, we are covering multiple demographics. Should be our most profitable release date ever."

"What games are they?" I asked, taking a sip of wine. 

"Well, I can't tell you much. Part of building the buzz on these is we've told the public very little. One is a new sports title, the other a kind of dystopian fantasy, combining a puzzle element with first person shooter. Both are designed to work with interactive game systems. It's a full experience, if the player wants it to be."

Meera pat David's hand. "Let's not bore our guests with work chat. Is everyone ready for salads?"

I looked down at my bowl, surprised how near empty it was after just a few spoonfuls, and nodded.

"Things must still be pretty crazy at the office, though, what with marketing and all that." Eli was searching for something. What, I wasn't sure.

"Well, yes, but not at the office here. They are strictly development and testing. Now they have a little downtime before they really buckle down on the next project. Some of these guys haven't had a vacation in years."

"You must be glad about that. A well-deserved break."

David nodded. "Yes. Although I wish things were slower for Meera. I was hoping to pop down to my place on the coast for a bit, but I can't tear her away from work just now."

"Are you boys talking about me?" Meera stepped into the room, holding four plates of green and set them on the table. "Not that I'm not flattered, but there must be something else to talk about."

"I was just telling them about how busy work is for you right now." 

Meera rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, that's even duller conversation than the one you were having when I left. I'm more interested in how things are going with you two."

The few times Meera and I spoke since our dinner together she insisted that there was something more going on between Eli and me than work. I denied it, but Meera was persistent, as if insisting that we were together would make it so.

Eli looked over at me and grinned, then back at Meera. "Things are going well." 

Meera opened her mouth to say something more, but was interrupted by a buzzing sound. Eli fished in his pocket, apologizing. "I know this is terribly rude but I must take this. Would you excuse me?"

"Of course," David answered. "We know how that goes."

Eli left the room and Meera beamed. "So, things are going well, are they?"

Too busy wondering what Eli's call was really about, I shrugged. "We get along and he's a great guy."

David shook his head. "That's a bit of an understatement. Given your dating history, I would think you'd be a bit more excited."

"Maybe I should set you up with him, then."

David sighed. "Meera, it never ceases to amaze me that you two ended up friends."

Meera watched me push the yard clippings around on my plate, chewing on my lip.

"Kate, you know David is just giving you a hard time. He likes to push buttons. Right, David?"

"Of course. For the most part." 

Meera shot him a warning look and turned back towards me. "I'm glad that you finally met a guy who is worthy of you."

"Thank you, Meera." 

Eli walked into the room, his face flushed, our coats hanging over his arm. "I feel absolutely horrid, but that call was a bit of an emergency and I have to go."

Meera stood. "Is everything ok?"

He nodded. "It will be. Kate, I'm so sorry we have to cut the evening short."

I hopped up, glad that whatever excuse he was using to make an exit included me. David and Meera walked us to the door as we slid on our coats. I turned to give Meera a quick hug.

"Thank you so much for the soup."

"We'll do it again," David said as he hung back, avoiding any germ-ridden embraces as he always did. "Maybe next time at the house on the coast."

"That would be lovely." Eli replied over his shoulder, rushing me out to the car. As we pulled out of the driveway, Eli dug in his coat pocket while I asked about the call. "I told Anton to call. I needed an excuse to get away from the table."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out David's work ID. "It's one of those magnetic badges you use to get in and out of the building and offices."

"How'd you find that so quickly?"

"Anton gave me one of his toys. Detects magnetic signatures. Worked like a charm."

"Are we..."

"About to do something illegal? Yes. If you want out, say the word."

I shook my head. "I'm in."