Mel looked at her childhood friend, surprised at Addie’s directness. “Truth be known, I feel the same.”
They chatted like the old friends they were as Mel set the table, placing her box of new goodies on the small table resting below the wall phone in the kitchen. Addie walked to the drawer where she had formerly watched Mel’s parents retrieve various cooking utensils. She smiled with pleasure as she found the corkscrew exactly where she expected.
“What’s this show we’re watching?” Addie asked as they dug into the chili, dipping bits of tortilla into the hearty mixture of meat, tomato sauce, beans, and red chili powder. Mel sipped the wine approvingly, realizing it was an ideal choice for the Texas chili.
“It’s called Gentleman Jack and based on the true story of an early nineteenth Cen
