Bernie smiled back at her, feeling an odd sense of relief. He hadn't known her to dress like this for no reason. Perhaps this was a date. That might have made someone else more apprehensive, but Bernie was more relaxed knowing they were on the same page. "You look lovely," he said, offering her the bottle of wine.
The black shirt had been a mistake, Bernie realized, thanks to Raffles. Still, cat hair or no, Bernie knew his strengths, and was able to dress himself better than most of his peers. The shirt fit him well, and managed to look stylish even without a tie. He'd obviously put more care into his appearance tonight than he did at the shop. His shoes were particularly nice.
Raffles, apparently aware they were at their destination, jumped down from Bernie's arms and darted past Barbara into the house.