Roxie was the first to arrive for their dinner party, bringing southern style green beans, which glistened from the fatback in which they’d been cooked, and large biscuits that flaked apart into soft, delicious layers. “These look great,” Matt announced, helping himself. “You want me to open a bottle of wine? Or, hey, we have a few beers in the fridge. Take a look.”
Vic concentrated on slicing the ham as the rest of the guests poured in. Most he knew by sight from the time he spent at the gym, but there were quite a few he didn’t recognize and after a half hour or so, he stopped trying to remember their names. Someone turned on the music, low at first but slowly it rose in volume, voices rising along with it, talking and laughing together. The wine poured freely, and Matt brought him a be
