章 40: Chapter 40

I’D BEEN TO ANY number of black tie affairs, so I wasn’t surprised by the elaborate setting my publisher had arranged, especially since it wasn’t quite as impromptu as I’d been led to believe. The numerous tables had vases with elegant sprays of spring flowers as their centerpieces. An open bar offered high-end liquor, and food stations provided seafood, vegetarian dishes, and pasta selections. In addition, there was a carving station with a choice of prime rib, pork loin, or turkey, as well as another offering venison or buffalo.

Off in a corner, a string quartet played “Gliding Dance of the Maidens” from Borodin’s “Polovetsian Dances.”

I wasn’t in the mood to…schmooze, as Mark had put it, so I filled a plate with slices of roast pork, steamed vegetables, and a scoop of mashed potatoes covered with gravy. A server holding a tray with a lone champagne flute approached.

“Champagne, Mr. Mann?”

I gave her a cool smile. “Thank you, no.”

“It’s very good, I assure you.”