Date Night (Closed)

[Debra Jenkins]

Debra loved having company. Once upon a time, she hadn’t been very good at preparing for it. She’d been a modern woman. She didn’t believe in having to do all the cleaning, all the prep work and putting on a show for company. So she’d always had one or two people over to a pretty messy house and had ordered pizza. And that had worked, until she’d started realizing that her waistline was getting a little…wider, and her friends weren’t looking impressed. So then she’d gone to her grandmother, who had patiently taught her how to sew, how to make appetizers that looked and tasted good, how to clean a house and where to stash things so they didn’t show. The only thing she hadn’t managed to teach her granddaughter was how to cook in large quantities. So whenever they had company, Debra would smile at Walter winningly, and then help him out happily as he prepared the food. Today was no different. The house was clean, Debra was dressed fairly nicely for company, and the downstairs smelled like delicious food, just in time for company to arrive.

“You’re wonderful,” she told her husband, leaning over to kiss his cheek and then, just for grins, his mouth too. Then she grabbed some plates to set out on the table. It wasn’t the first time she’d had Sean and/or Josh over. She enjoyed their company, and it was nice to swap stories about students and to compare protesting techniques with Josh (not exactly the ideal dinner topics, but Debra couldn’t help that she felt strongly about her causes, right?). Plus, it was good to see people. Inviting people over made her feel part of the community, and she liked it here. She stepped back to examine her handiwork, then glanced at the clock. “I think they should arrive soon, don’t you?” She called to Walter. “Thank you so much for cooking. You are wonderful. Did I say that already? Well, I just mean it two times over.” The doorbell rang, and she grinned and walked over to it—grown women didn’t skip—and tugged it open.

“Hello!” she exclaimed. “So nice to see you.”

[Joshua Bernstein]

Between them Josh and Sean had many friends but it sometimes seemed as if very few of those friends overlapped in any substantial numbers. Sean had numerous coworkers that Josh had only met occasionally or not at all; Several of Josh's friends were, at best, uncomfortable with Sean's telepathy.

And when one took into account how many of their respective friends were in some state of singleness it was even more welcome to get invitations to couple's activities.

Josh was particularly fond of Debra; there were few other people in Pilot Ridge who shared his penchant for dramatic activism. Oh, a few people would occasionally agree to protests or the like, generally carried away by his enthusiasm or alcohol, but most would eventually make references to reality or limits and back away from his lofty ideals.

Debra was one of those special people who shared his ideals.

Of course, his love of socializing had only made him more eager to accept the offer, and thus he had ignored the fact that attending would involve skipping the Passover Seder; his relationship with his mother was still a bit...strained, at least on his end; he wasn't sure if she would expect him to leave Sean at home now that she knew the reality of their relationship, and so he had informed her that they weren't coming because they had plans with friends.

The plans had included purchase of a bottle of wine as a gift for their hosts, and banter as they drove toward the Jenkins. As they pulled into the drive Josh leaned over to press a quick kiss against Sean's cheek.

"Chag Pesach Sameach."

Even if they weren't technically celebrating Passover, he felt he should acknowledge it.

As he slipped out of the car he made sure to grab the bottle of wine, hefting it in one hand as the pair made their way up the walk before ringing the bell and waiting patiently.

As Debra answered he opened his arms wide, prepared to hug her in greeting. "Debra! You look well. Thank you for having us."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean didn’t believe in gender roles; he believed that society conditioned girls and boys differently, and he acknowledged social conditioning. But he didn’t believe that anyone should strictly adhere to any particular role on the basis of gender. He certainly didn’t think that women had more of an obligation to clean or cook than men did, even if his mother had been a housewife.

Also, he lived with Josh. And if anything was ever to be done to keep the household in order, Sean had to take matters into his own hands, because Josh didn’t cook, and he didn’t usually remember to clean, although he was getting better about it. And he baked now.

However, Sean was in no position to want to pass judgment on Debra’s housekeeping skills. Not everyone was James Campbell.

Besides, he liked both of the Jenkins, and he valued their friendship. That was why he had been happy to accept their invitation for couples activities. He thought they were both lovely people, and unlike with Riley and Danny, he hadn’t ever tumbled into bed with either of them, and neither of them had ever had an unrequited crush on Josh.

Also, this would be a less uncomfortable way to spend the evening than with Josh’s mother, either separately or apart; after all, Debra and Walter didn’t need to process the notion that Sean and Josh were a couple.

The telepath returned the wishes for the holiday, and then he walked up the steps to their friends’ house beside his partner. He smiled broadly at Debra and also opened his arms for a hug. “We’re very excited to be here for tonight’s events,” he added.

[Walter Jenkins]

Walter didn’t mind cleaning and he was pretty good at cooking. It made sense to him—he liked to eat, and he liked good food. Making for more people just meant more food, which was fine by him. That, and he enjoyed making Debra happy, and she always liked it when he cooked.

“No,” Walter disagreed amiably, returning her kiss. “I’m just hungry. This should be fun, I’m looking forward to it.” Truly, he was. He saw Sean at work on occasions, and he liked Josh because he and Debra got along so well, and it would be nice to be able to meet with them both in a casual setting.

“Yeah, they should be here shortly.” He replied over his shoulder as Debra set the table. “Do you remember what time we told them?” Walter wasn’t very good at planning get-togethers. That was more Debra’s forte.

The doorbell rang, answering his question. He washed off his hands and rounded the corner with a wide grin. “Hey, how are you guys?” He greeted happily, “Glad you could make it. Come in and make yourselves at home.”

[Debra Jenkins]

Debra had completely forgotten that it was Passover, or she would’ve attempted to try to put something better together—or somewhat more religious, at least. Her excuse would’ve been that her family hadn’t been all that religious. They’d been proper and had gone to church, but not all that often and only when her father remembered that was the right thing to do. She grinned as she saw Josh at the door and promptly wrapped her arms around him to hug him tight. “You’re too kind, Josh. It’s so wonderful to see you. Thank you for coming! That wine looks fantastic.” And she promptly went and hugged Sean too. Debra loved physical contact and was, and always would be, a very huggy person. She grinned at Sean’s comment, and nodded. “We are too. Oh, please come in.” She stepped back and motioned them inside, shifting so she could wrap her arm around her husband’s waist and pressing her lips to his cheek gently, then released him and went back into the kitchen.

“How about some appetizers to start with?” She had some nice cheese plates she preferred, with some fancy crackers as an addition. She enjoyed things like this. Cooking wasn’t her best skill, but she enjoyed arranging things and she liked to think of herself as having good tastes in food. She came back out with the plates. “So how was your week, then? Would you like anything to drink? Wine, water, soda…?"

[Joshua Bernstein]

When Debra stepped aside Josh followed her inside, giving Walter a more restrained hug accompanied by an affectionate pat on the back.

"Did you say cheese dip?" He asked, making his way into the living room while Debra disappeared into the kitchen. He staked out a place beside the sofa, just barely touching it as he surveyed the other two men in his company.

He turned his attention then to Walter, a look of enthusiastic interest on his face. "So tonight's events, you say." He mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "What exactly are tonight's events? Other than eating, drinking and making merry."

Not that he had a problem with any of that; in fact, those were some of his favorite activities.

As Debra returned with plates he immediately snagged one, sighing in appreciation of the cheese dip. "That looks delicious." He commented, dipping a cracker into the cheese on the plate he had grabbed before adding in answer to her question, "Ahh....wine, I think." After all, they had a whole unopened bottle to dispense with over the course of the evening.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

The telepath hugged Debra when she released his partner, and then he went on to give Walter a pat on the shoulder. “Thank you for having us,” he said to both of the Jenkins; it was nice to be able to meet up with friends for a pleasant evening together, and he was excited for the night to get underway. “I’m doing well, and how are you?” There would surely be plenty of time for small talk.

“Appetizers would be wonderful,” Sean replied, smiling at Debra in response. “Is there anything I can help with?” Either serving or setting the table would be fine with him, although he didn’t expect her to take him up on the offer. That was part of playing host; still, his offer was sincere.

With the offer of drinks, the telepath echoed his partner’s selection. “I’d also like some wine. It’s never too early to start on the bottle.”

That quote, taken out of context, would summarize different people’s impression of his and Josh’s drinking habits, surely. Even though they were more restrained than most people gave them credit for.

And once he and Josh were ushered into the living room, and Sean had taken a seat on the sofa to take the pressure off his knees, he turned around to look at Walter. He, also, was interested in hearing the night’s itinerary from either of their hosts.

[Walter Jenkins]

“Good to see you guys.” Walter grinned, returning Josh’s hug and Sean’s shoulder-pat. “We did say cheese dip, I’m glad you guys came hungry. Thanks for the wine, also.” He added, remembering his manners. He sneaked a kiss to the top of Debra’s head with a smile before she whisked back to the kitchen. “Oh, hey hon, do you need any help?” But she returned soon with plates, answering his own question. He smiled at Sean, who had asked a similar question. “Guess not.”

Walter voiced his agreement to the wine choice: “Yes, let’s try out this lovely wine you guys were so kind to bring us.”

“Well,” Walter replied to Josh. “Those three things are pretty high on the list. I have heard on good authority that you all enjoy that.” He grinned. “But I think we’re also going to play some board games and maybe talk about work. Although Josh, you might be left out of that conversation, since you don’t also work at the school.”

[ooc: sorry for the wait guys >.<;]

[Debra Jenkins]

Debra smiled at the men’s offer, but in this particular case she was quite sure of herself. She knew all of the men’s tastes pretty well, and was comfortable in her role and position as hostess. She quite enjoyed doing it. Being an active and social person meant she enjoyed bustling around, making sure everything was just so. She also returned with a plate of grapes and some nicely sliced apples—because fruit HAD to be included at any gathering, to her mind—before returning once again to the kitchen. It wasn’t too large of a house, so she could still hear the conversation going on in the next room.

“That sounds wonderful. Wine it is.” She uncorked the bottle and returned with two glasses of wine. She gave those to Josh and Sean, and then came back with one for Walter and herself.

“I don’t see why he has to be left out,” she remarked cheerfully. “He’s dealt with Vincent, the strangest boy I think any of us has had the pleasure of dealing with.” Yes, she referred to it as a pleasure. Mind, she hadn’t really had to teach him much, and so could manage to watch his antics from afar and laugh. Although the matter with Brendan…that had not been funny. Debra was liberal in almost all respects, but she did have Views on student/teacher relationships. “Besides, I want to know how your cases are going, Josh. You know I’m always interested. But yes—talking, wine, and board games were the plan.” She slipped her free hand around her husband’s waist and held up the glass in a toast. “To an enjoyable evening.”

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh grimaced at the reminder of Vincent's existence. "His internship is almost up." He muttered, nearly snatching the wine out of Debra's hand simply so that he could bury his face in the glass. If only he could survive another month! Unfortunately he wasn't sure that his firm or his reputation could handle that much more of Vincent.

After taking several sips of nerve fortifying drink he remembered his manners, and added, belatedly, "Thank you, Debra. You're most kind."

He balanced his plate in one hand and glass in the other, surveying the fruits that their hostess had added to the array of snacks available. Somehow he would have to find a place to set his food down, and he surveyed the room for an appropriate landing place.

"Board games, you say? What sort of board games do you have in mind?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Thank you.” Sean took the wine glass that Debra handed him with a smile. When all of them had a glass, he lifted his in a toast. “To an enjoyable evening away from Vincent.” That was certainly a cause for celebration; enough nights had been spent in their house the past year lamenting Vincent’s antics. “He’s as well-behaved in court as he is in class, but I’ll let Josh tell those stories.”

Sean also had opinions about student/teacher relationships, but all of Hammel was familiar enough with them. After all, he’d been the one to find Brendan and Vincent together, and everyone knew how that story had ended. Furthermore, Josh had had to listen to him discuss the matter on their otherwise ruined Valentine’s Day.

The telepath then took a sip of wine and nodded in approval; they had chosen well with this vintage. After another sip, he set down the wine glass and took the hors d’oeuvres plate to try the finger foods and cheese dip.

He also lit up at the mention of board games. “I’m in for whatever anyone wants to play, although I might need to have someone explain the rules depending on the game.” Sean wasn’t familiar with the rules of many party games, although he was willing to learn. If they wanted to play something more traditional, then he was set to play.

[Walter Jenkins]

Walter snorted. “Oh no, I didn’t know you had to deal with Vincent.” He grimaced sympathetically. “I see him quite a bit with his friend Sam.” Walter shook his head. “Always trying to get out of class somehow. Faking ill, faking an injury, et cetera.” It took a lot to get a rise out of Walter, and Vincent’s antics didn’t even come close. He wore a face of baffled bemusement.

He laughed at the toast, and raised his glass in kind. “Hear, hear,” he replied with a grin that turned sympathetic once more towards Josh. “Ah, I can’t even imagine. How’d you end up hiring him as an intern? Does he interview well?” Little did Walter know that he was treading on sensitive ground.

“Ah, I think we have…pictionary, monopoly, scattergories…” He peered at his wife, who was the master of board games in the house. “What else?”

[Debra Jenkins]

Debra offered Josh a sympathetic smile and a light pat on the back as he promptly began downing the wine. “Gentle with that, Josh. Once he’s officially gone, we’ll get you something stronger, I promise.” She offered him a very friendly grin and rubbed his shoulder again, then fetched an old-fashioned TV tray to let him put his food down. She was more than happy to toast to Vincent, and she smiled. “Hopefully he graduates soon. Although it’d be difficult to wish him on anyone else, I admit.” She looked forward to hearing the stories later, perhaps when they were all a little more intoxicated. She sipped at the wine as she leaned slightly against her husband, but straightened up at the question.

“Well,” she said slowly. “We have scrabble too, Apples to Apples, Trouble and…oh, Cranium!” That was a personal favorite of hers. She loved the games that required singing, dancing, making art, etc. It was the best of everything she enjoyed. Actually, she loved all board games, which was why they had a huge supply of them. “And we’re more than willing to explain all the rules, Sean, but I’m sure you’ll pick up much faster than you think. Does anyone have any preferences?”

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh nearly choked in his hurry to stop drinking and join in the toast; he knew that Sean liked to make toasts, he really should have waited, but the mention of Vincent was simply too much for him to handle.

As was Walter's questions about the interview that should have happened.

"Aaahhhh..." He took another fortifying gulp of wine, trying to balance desperate need for alcohol against not sloshing it all down his shirt. "That....actually....ahhh.....he was the only...applicant...so...." His voice got quieter and quieter in embarrassment at the memory.

Board games were, therefore, a welcome respite.

Even if he wasn't familiar with any of the choices being offered.

"Hmm. What do you suggest? I admit to being more familiar with poker as a party game but I'll try anything."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean took a sip of his wine and then shook his head to himself. “You don’t know the half of it with Vincent and Sam,” he remarked lightly. “Of course, they’ve gotten worse since November graduated. She always had been the voice of reason.” As a straight-A student and a generally mature individual, she had provided some balance to the two of them. With her away at college, they ran amok, and the staff, and other students, suffered.

When Josh began to cough, the telepath reached out to pat him lightly on the back, just to help him pass the moment. He knew that this was embarrassing for his partner, but he also thought that it provided a valuable lesson: always interview interns. Also, don’t cut off communication with someone who could have warned you.

The psychiatrist shook his head at Debra. "To graduate, you need passing grades. You know what his report card looks like." She was a teacher, after all.

Then came the list of available board game options, and Sean rubbed his chin in consideration. He wasn’t particularly competitive when it came to games, which made most options easy enough; he didn’t mind losing. Also, the Jenkins never accused him of cheating due to his telepathy, which made games more enjoyable for all. “Apples to Apples is the matching game, isn’t it?”

Ryan always talked about playing that one at parties. Sean had never played, since parties he attended tended to be less...goal oriented than that.

He was familiar with Scrabble, but that didn’t allow for as much conversation. “I’d also need the rules for Cranium explained if we played that.” Which was to say, he only vaguely knew of that game.