Page 16 of Love From the Ashes

I followed their lead and held up my cup, the three of us clinking our glasses together.

Adam took a drink from his. He closed his eyes as if savoring the liquid. “I love this stuff. It’s so much better than wine.”

I raised my cup to my lips, struck by a combination of fruity and floral scents. I didn’t know what I was drinking other than the label looked Japanese. I took a sip, my tastebuds teased by the flavors of cantaloupe and honeydew melon, the liquid smooth and creamy. Pleased with the drink, I took another sip. Curious, I grabbed the bottle and looked at the label. “What are we drinking? I like it.”

“It’s called saké. It’s a Japanese drink made from rice. I picked this one because its flavors go well with yakitori.” Adam flipped the skewers over to cook the other side of the chicken. “I hate to be a spoilsport, but we have to think up a better name for our group. Sorry, Della, but the Morgan Systems Trio sounds pathetic.”

“Okay, let’s pick something creative that has to do with the number three,” Della said, refilling our cups with the saké.

“We can call ourselves the Bones since the human ear contains three of them. Or, how about the Lithium Trio since its chemical element has an atomic number of three?” Adam said.

“Where do you get this stuff?” I said, amazed. Adam was like a walking encyclopedia.

“I told you he’s a trivia freak,” Della laughed.

“We could call our group the Three Little Pigs,” I said, the name sounding no worse than Adam’s suggestions.

“Oh God, that’s funny,” Adam roared. “We can oink as we pass each other.”

Della cackled and then accidentally snorted since she was laughing so hard. I joined in, unable to help myself. The name did sound ridiculous, and Della’s snort almost made me pee my pants.

“Okay, okay. Stop. I have to get serious here. I am trying to make a special dinner,” Adam said, trying to regain his composure as he picked up a bowl holding a dark brown liquid from the counter. He grabbed the brush lying next to it, dipped it in the bowl, and brushed the contents all over the meat. “This is a tare sauce. It’ll caramelize as it cooks.”

“Mmm, that looks good.” I eyed the chicken, my stomach growling.

Della and I finished our saké as we watched Adam. She refilled our glasses.

“Can you two take our cups and the bottle of saké to the table? I’m going to make our plates while the chicken finishes cooking.” Adam drank the last of his saké and handed Della his cup.

Della and I moved to the four-person table in the dining area and took a seat. Adam had it set with placemats, napkins, and silverware.

“See? Isn’t this more fun than staying home?” Della adjusted her chair and placed her napkin in her lap. “I told you Adam and I are harmless. You’ll have to hang out with us after work on Fridays. That way, we can introduce you to Boston’s nightlife.”

“We’re going to the club next month for my birthday, remember? That would be a perfect night for Sofie to join us.” Adam placed a plate in front of Della and another in front of me while he talked. Then he set his plate down and took a seat.

“Oh, that’s even better,” Della said, wiggling in her chair and sounding excited. “You can go dancing with us and help celebrate Adam’s birthday. We’re planning on going to one of the dance clubs in town after work.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. I’m not into clubs and dancing.”

“Why not? When was the last time you went to a dance club?” Adam looked offended, as if my refusal to join them for a night of dancing was a personal slight against him. His silence prodded me to answer.

“I’ve never been to a dance club, okay? It doesn’t sound appealing to me. I’m sure they’re loud, packed with people, and half of them are drunk.”

“So what? The clubs are fun. You won’t know if you like going to one unless you try it, so don’t be a snob. Besides, you’ll have to celebrate with us since it’ll be my birthday. Your presence can be my gift, although you’ll still have to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.”

“Come on, Sofie. Please. Pretty please. It’ll be fun,” Della said. She looked at me with sad puppy dog eyes and an exaggerated pout.

“Fine. I swear you two drive me crazy.”

“Yes!” Della shouted, shooting her arms into the air like a goalpost.

“All right, ladies, back to my dinner. I need you to taste the yakitori chicken before the suspense kills me. You can rate it fabulous, great, or just okay. So what do you think?” Adam swung his head back and forth between Della and me as we tasted the chicken. The wait had to be driving him crazy because now he was leaning forward on his elbow with his chin resting on his knuckles while he watched us.

“Oh God,” Della said, coughing. She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out as if she couldn’t get rid of the horrid taste in her mouth. Then Della reached for her cup and took a quick drink. After a couple more coughs, she turned to Adam. “I’m so sorry to tell you this, but that was the best damn chicken I’ve ever tasted.” Della cackled with laughter at the confused look on Adam’s face.

“You little witch! How dare you tease me like that.” Adam threw his napkin at Della, making her laugh so hard she snorted.

I covered my face with my hands, unable to look at either one. They had me practically rolling on the floor, their antics toward each other hilarious.

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