RIO<br/><br/>Everyone was turning up. It was... unexpected of Ms. Andrews to attend dinner, more often that not her complicated work down in the lab required her to miss dinner and eat hers warmed up again later, often far into the night. But tonight...<em>Oh. Sexy dress. Most unlike the doctor. She must be in a good mood.</em><br/><br/><strong>"Well, hi everyone,"</strong>I spoke nervously, not used to having guests and the bosses present all at one time.<strong>"Have you already met each other? Earlier? Oh yeah! I guess... I guess you must have. Well, please take a seat - we're all out here in the communal living area where the main table is set. Sometimes, Mark and Lita, we eat in the kitchen but really it's too small in there for when we have guests. So sit at the table and I'll ring the bell. There's just... ah... Goran and the other lady to come isn't there?"</strong><br/><br/>I'd seen Ms. Andrews take that Japanese woman indoors earlier but...<em>has she been working with her already? I mean, you know... <span class="bbc_u">working?</span></em>I didn't know, so sending the boss lady a concerned glance and a raised eyebrow asking<em>'can I have some help here?'</em>I shut up.<br/><br/>I went bustling back out to the kitchen and made sure everything was ready then pressed the button. This rang a bell outside on the back of the building and also within the stable and lower stable complex. Attached to the vehicle workshop near the main pasture was a big electric gong and this bonged out loudly. The system was intended for everyone on the premises to know it was time to chow down.<br/><br/>I threw off my apron and hurriedly tidied my hair and rather envying Ms. Andrews in her little black dress, passed out beers to those who wanted them, or got chilled white Californian wine out of the ice bucket for those who didn't. There were always sodas for them who preferred not to drink.<br/><br/><strong>"Drinks all round! Please take a seat everyone, we can talk while we wait for the others to arrive. Ooh, that reminds me..."</strong>I served drinks then scurried back to bring out a big basket of hot garlic breads and some nachos soaked in melted cheese, salsa and guacamole. I took my seat at the foot of the table nearest the kitchen door - Senõr Arroyo was at the far end - at the head - with Ms. Andrews on his right hand. The two guests would be free to sit where they wished and I gestured to them to take a seat.