<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Ravi;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;">Hopefully the fact that she was unnerved to see them both carrying food to the table was mostly masked. Hopefully they didn't think she was utterly insane to be so fretful over something that was rather more the providence of a 1950's housewife than a modern grad student. But her manners had been something of a resting place, and now they were helping when in her mind she felt like she had to do it. It kept her quiet as they set the table, though she decided to forego multiple courses and just take everything to the table, save for the pie still in the oven, in one go. <br/><br/>The brunette was slightly muted after that, fussing with her napkin to lay it precisely over her lap, sipping at her wine before she even picked up her fork to taste the salad. Colin's welcome of Ardy softened her though, draining some of the tension that was riding in her shoulders out. He truly was an amazing man, on so many levels and their relationship was one of the brightest things to ever happen in her life. In that moment she fell in love with him all over again. Not because he complimented her cooking, but because he complimented her as a person. Colin was what made her believe in soul mates, that there were others who had pieces of your soul that you just clicked with. <br/><br/>Ardy's praise of the food brought a happy, lively flush back into Beth's cheeks, the smile that surfaced to her lips tentative but proud. She was good at cooking. "I'm glad you like it." Another bite of food, the cod had turned out perfectly this time which was good. Something better go perfectly as her plans most assuredly were not. <br/><br/>Louisiana, she would have never guessed that. Nor was she ready for the question about herself, leaving her blinking for a moment before she gave a sheepish grin, gesturing at the table laden down with seafood. "Can't you tell? New England girl. I was born and raised in Boston, indoctered to believing seafood is the best food at an early age. I moved out here after... " her voice caught, perhaps a bit oddly as memories stirred, wanting to surge forward and her smile turned a little forced, slightly plastic. "After I graduated from undergrad at Harvard. I didn't put down roots here until I met Colin though," She glanced at him, a smile full of love on her lips. <br/><br/>"We only moved in here, what, a year and eight months ago now?" the question was posed to him for confirmation, though she knew she was only delaying, trying to build up courage to put out the offer. Pathetic, really. But then she had never had overly great experiences with sleep overs so having another woman living in her home, particularly one as pretty and confident as Ardelia was no little bit intimidating. <br/><br/>"So... have you sorted out the job situation yet?" Yes, that was a nice lead in, surely.  </span></span>