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Chapter51
WHEN RACHEL KATZOPENEDTHE DOOR,Mars filled the doorway of her condo.
He was dressed in light gray slacks and an open-collared white shirt with a dark blue jacket over it. He had a bottle of red in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other.
Katz was dressed casually in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and she was barefoot.
“I feel overdressed,” commented a smiling Mars as he walked in.
“You look great. I just felt like a jeans-and-no-shoesnight.”
She thanked him for the flowers and wine and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said as she got out a vase and filled it with water, then set the flowers in it after snipping off the ends of the stalks.
“My mom taught me it was always polite and respectful to bring something.”
“Well, your mother taught you right. Do you see her much?”
“No, she and my father both passed away.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It happens. You want me to get this wine going?”
“Yes, please. My Dewar’s seems ages ago. The opener’s in that drawer.”
He poured out two glasses and handed one to her as he sniffed the air. “Something smells good. What’s for dinner?”
“Caprese to start, chicken parm with my own secret sauce for the main, and cannoli to finish. Call it my Italian extravaganza.”
“You did that after working all day?”
“I like to cook. But I admit the cannoli is store-bought.”
“Still, damn impressive. You need any help?”
“You did your job by opening the wine and bringing the flowers.”
“Guys always get cut slack.”
“You are a wise man, Mr. Mars.”
***
They ate about a half hour later. After they were finished, Mars insisted on clearing and cleaning. “You cooked and now it’s my turn,” he said firmly.
As she watched him collect the dishes, she stroked the stem of her wineglass and said, “I hope the woman you’re seeing appreciates what she has.”
“I think she does. But in a relationship, you gotta keep working it, from both sides.”
“David used to say the same thing.”
Mars rinsed the plates, glasses, and utensils and put them in the dishwasher. “Sounds like you two had a great relationship.”
“We did. Only it was cut short.”
Mars finished up and joined her in the living area, sitting next to her on the couch. She drew her legs up under her, holding out her glass as he refreshed her wine.
“Right. That was beyond tragic.”
