At night, in a luxury mansion on the southern slopes of Sherman Oaks.
Louise stood alone behind the bar, shaking the cocktail shaker in her hand vigorously before slamming it onto the wooden countertop with a thud.
The noise startled a pair of wild mandarin ducks.
Martin turned his head and said, "Hey, dear, why the foul mood?"
Leaning against the bar, Carrie Gray, who was crouching down, steadied herself with Martin's support and said, "I just got elected as a Georgia State Assembly member, can't you congratulate me properly?"
Louise unscrewed the cap of the shaker and poured three cocktails, saying, "His girlfriend's twin sister lives right next door; I'm afraid they might come knocking."
"That would be perfect." Maybe it's that her heart had grown colder and her guts bolder since entering politics, but Carrie, leaning on Martin, said, "We could let them join in, too."
Martin is a decent man and flicked her forehead lightly, saying, "Don't start howling at the moon."
