WHO: Jeremiah March, Hannah Smith, Si Mayer, and Jamie Mayer. WHEN: This weekendish. WHERE:Jeremiah's Lakeside Mansion. SUMMARY: Well, Jeremiah invited Hannah's brothers to dinner, and there is probably going to be awkward. WARNINGS: Awkward family stuff, discussion of murder, and drug use.
Focus had been difficult to come by, even though he'd known that the film release was coming and he knew as well that Hannah knew the important parts of that story. The parts that mattered, and the parts that were true, regardless of what the tabloids might say. Not that he specifically knew what that was because this weekend he'd been smart enough to avoid them, not something he'd always been when the trial had been ongoing.
And so instead Jeremiah had focused on things that were right in front of him: his writing, dancing, taking Heart for a walk, and during the morning he'd turned to preparing dinner for Hannah and her brothers. Her brothers didn't know, and perhaps still wouldn't, it remained to be seen if they would have noticed anything, and there was not - as his mother would have said - any sense in borrowing trouble. He'd found enough of it on his own.
By the time he was expecting arrivals, he had a Northstar Winery Merlot prepped, as well as a Spring Salad with Asparagus and a Creamy leek and pancetta pappardelle pasta nearly ready. The dining table at the end of the large great room was set, and he'd put fresh flowers out, and it was as ready as he could probably be for company under the circumstances.
He'd debated his own outfit, but finally had decided to go more casual - jeans with his typical vest and shirt - and now he was simply waiting for his guests to arrive, trying to avoid the worry that things might not go well. Time spent with Hannah was always easy, and why should this be so very different? By the time the doorbell rang and he headed to open the door, he'd downed at least a portion of gin to try to calm nerves before anyone got here. And he had no way of knowing if it would be Hannah first, or if it would be one of the brothers, or if they would all arrive together. It wasn't important - he pulled open the door, pulling an actor's smile to his lips as he did so.