"Bette, we have to go," she called out.

 

"What?," Bette asked, standing up in surprise, turning to look at Tina.  She’d been about to pour some wine into the fourth goblet that had been set out in a tray on top of the low-slung stone and glass coffee table.  Bette had let the wine breath a little first, then found it had been ready to pour already.  She’d been anticipating taking her time drinking this precious wine. Mmmmm…. Petrus!

 

But now Tina was saying they had to leave??  "Why?" She asked, bewildered.

 

"I’m sorry I have a video-conference I have to join right now," Marissa responded, having regained control of herself, from somewhere behind Tina.

 

"Oh," Bette answered confusedly, her eyebrows drawn together in a semi-frown, "I shouldn’t have opened the wine then…. too bad: it’s a very special one."

 

Marissa shook her head, thinking she’d also looked forward to what seemed to be a rare chance for her and Wendy to connect with another couple that seemed so well matched.  Liz had raved about them, exclaiming how they were amongst the best, most put-together couples that she’d ever known.  And kind, empathetic, well-liked by everyone.  She said even Julie, her nursing assistant who normally manned the front of the office, and who usually kept her distance from patients, loved them.  Marissa had also liked what she’d seen of them during their brief video-chat.   She’d taken a gamble, when she extended them an invitation, on impulse.

 

Wendy had been surprised when Marissa had told her about it, as Marissa had always been reserved, and had rarely reached out to other people outside of her circle.  But Marissa explained that she’d had a good feeling about the couple, and that she’d reached out because she and Wendy had very few friends as a couple, due to their circumstances, plus she very rarely entertained in her Park Avenue penthouse. 

 

So she’d surprised her staff at the usual 7:00 am meeting in her office, announcing at the start of the meeting that she was intending to go home relatively earlier than usual, probably at 6:30 that evening or earlier.  She’d instructed them that anything urgent after that could be routed to her later that evening.