“Never mind him.” She told Paul, giving Xander a glance that bordered on severe, because she hated when people talked about her like she wasn’t there and he knew this and he did it anyways. It was the sort of pet peeve that made opening the bottle of wine a cinch – the cork didn’t have a chance. And it was for this reason alone that she addressed Xander directly before reaching for the finest crystal red wine classes they/he/she owned, “You’re just upset that you have to use a glass instead of drinking out of the bottle like a hobo.” She winked at Paul after, indicating that she did have a sense of humor about the sort of slanderous ribbing he was prone to give her when he was uncertain about something…probably having to do with her.
But awww, oh Paul! He was always coming to her rescue. ”You’re so chivalrous.” Honey told him brightly, absolutely pleased at the compliment. She handed the sea farer his glass across the counter. Honey did not do the same for the king himself. She wasn’t a servant and he was not a guest. Besides, she needed to get started on a fruit & cheese plate. Hopefully Xander hadn’t chewed through the box of crackers she’d bought or that beautiful crusty bread she’d nabbed from the bakery. It had such a lovely buttery patina! Xander needed to eat something….or he’d probably end of being sick. On her side of the carpet.
But, as she made the journey over to the refrigerator, Paul’s congratulations made her giggle – Ok! Maybe a little bit of a snort escaped too. “Thank you Paul. It wasn’t really a wedding though. We didn’t have a guest list.” She said graciously, as she reached into the fridge for that lovely camembert oh! and that sharp cheddar – the stuff from Oregon, the grapes, olives. Ooooh and was that brie? They were all set on the counter, on the wood block cutting board and then she made for the bread. Which! She discovered had a big old bite mark right on the end. She bonked Xander over the head with the loaf. (not hard but hard enough to make a thonk sound) “Seriously Xan? You couldn’t have just cut off a piece?”
She looked right at Paul when she said, “Unbelievable…He thinks he’s a goat. Biting at anything that gets in front of him.”