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attired in cocktail dresses sipping what looked to be wine. The bar itself, she realized , may have looked aged, but it was made of deep, rich mahogany that gleamed with care. The booths and tables that were scattered around the large room were made of the same dark wood .  Their seats covered with buttery leather cushions in a deep wine.
    Pat requested the most private seating area available and they were shown to a back booth, hidden from view by a few large, potted plants.  He could have made the request in order to give Mira a nice, relaxed atmosphere to unwind in, but she knew him better than that. He o bv iously wanted the privacy so that he could grill her mercilessly without fear of interference. Normally, that might have bothered her, but she was really hungry and the smells coming from the kitchen were divine. With a mental shrug, she slid into the booth across from Pat .   For a taste of that food, she could handle an inquisition.
    Pat immediately opened his mouth, but before he could say anything a suited waiter appeared to take their drink orders.
    As soon as they were alone , Mira leaned toward Pat.   If he was planning on making her spill she might as well get the drop on him. She might actually learn something from the closemouthed Irishman.   “So what’s so important that you dressed up and sprang for an expensive restaurant?” she asked. Curiosity was eating at her .
    He tugged at his tie as if it were choking him. “I dress up.”
    She leaned back and crossed her arms. “ Really? When was the last time?”
    He scratched his head, obviously trying to remember. Finally, he shrugged.  “ I wore a suit when you got your graduate diploma .”
    “That was five years ago,” she reminded him. “ Any way, you’re avoiding the question. W hat did you bring me he r e to talk about?”
    His face flushed and he shifted in his seat. “Could we no wait for the drinks to arrive first?”
    Perhaps he didn’t intend on giving her the fourth degree, Mira though t . The normally confident man suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Her curiosity ratcheted up a notch and she thought about pushing.  It wouldn’t be respectful, though, and he deserved that much from her .  She sighed.  “Sure we can wait.”
    He gave her a sickly smile and looked relieved.
    “How is James doing?” she heard herself ask, cringing at the girlish enchantment that she could still detect in her voice. It was ridiculous to still feel this tug whenever his name was mentioned or his face came to her mind. They hadn’t seen each other or even spoken since before her parents had passed away. Even so, she found herself tensing as she waited for Pat’s reply.
    Just as Pat looked ready to answer , the waiter showed up with their drinks — a deep red wine for her and a pint of Guinness for Pat .  He put the glasses on the table and pulled out a pad .  “Have you decided on food yet? ” he asked. “ I highly recommend the grilled haddock.”
    “Actually, w e would both like the steak pie, ” Pat said , looking a Mira for confirmation.
    She nodded.
    “An excellent choice. ”  He wrote the order on his pad with quick even strokes and slid it back in his apron.   “ I’ll have that out to you as soon as possible.”
    As soon as the waiter left, Mira looked at Pat. “Well,” she prodded when he remained silent. “How is James?”
    “ Actually, t hat’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”   He paused and took a healthy swallow of his beer .
    For some reason his attitude reminded her of that dark night when he had shown up at her school with the horrible news of her parents’ death. Her heart picked up speed, beating a little frantically. “What happened? ” she demanded. “ Is he hurt?”
    “No, no, it’s not anything like that . As far as I know James is fine.  And from what I’ve read in magazines and seen on the news that business he built is doing grand . ”   The pride rung in his voice, but mixed with it