“I’ll be clean, but I won’t squeak,” Evan said, and that broke the serious mood.
“We’ve opened a bottle of champagne,” his father said, rising. He handed glasses to both Evan and me. “We voted on you and Emmie participating in the toast.”
“Especially since she knows so much about wine,” Mrs. Vincent added. “And isn’t champagne wine?”
“Yes,” I said. “Legally, only that coming from the Champagne region in France can be labeled champagne. That’s why you see so many called sparkling wine.”
No one spoke for a moment.
“My God,” Mrs. Vincent finally said, “this girl is a walking encyclopedia on alcoholic beverages.”
“I know only a little about wine,” I said. “No other alcoholic beverage.”
“Do your parents generally approve of your drinking wine anywhere else but your home?” Evan’s mother asked.
“No, they don’t, but they won’t be upset about tonight and this,” I said, looking at the bottle of champagne Mr. Styles was holding.
“Just a little,” Evan’s mother warned his father.
His father looked at her and then poured us both a good half-glass.
“To the next congressman from New York,” Mark Vincent said, standing. “Good luck, Marty.”
“Yes, bon chance,” Evan said, and looked at me. “Right?”
“Oui,” I said.
We all drank.
“Well, now, let me show you guys these pictures,” Evan’s father said, and turned down the lights.
Afterward, Evan decided to ride back to my house with me in the Town Car.
“I’m sorry everything turned out to be so formal and serious,” he told me almost as soon as we got into the vehicle.
“I’m glad I was there, Evan. It turned out to be a very special night for you and your parents.”
“I guess. But I wish I had spent more time with you. Alone! It was supposed to be my special night. I mean ours.”
“I hope we’ll have others.”
“Will we?”
“Yes,” I promised, and he kissed me. He wanted to do more, but I was very nervous with the chauffeur glancing in the rearview mirror.
When we arrived at my house, Evan got out with me and walked me to the door.
“Maybe we can do something tomorrow. We could go to the park or something.”
“I have a ton of homework that I put off,” I said.
“We’ll go late in the morning. I’ll take you to a fancy lunch, say a hot dog in the park,” he added, smiling. “I’ll come by about eleven-thirty,” he said before I could protest any further. “Okay?”
“Okay,” I said, “but I want to be home by four at the latest.”
“Deal,” Evan said, and he kissed me a little more passionately than before. He held me for a moment afterward and just stared into my eyes.
“What?”