Chapter 10

Our dinner was great and Earl was the perfect host offering us an expensive wine he said he had saved up for this occasion. He had turned on some soft jazz from the Bose speakers that played both indoors and outside on a deck overlooking the mountain. Earl and Rita were engaged in conversation as I looked at the paintings and nick knacks that adorned his shelves and wall. There was little doubt Earl had done well in his sales job with his surroundings and home. After polishing off the bottle of wine, Earl mixed some drinks that was a combination of Grey Goose Vodka, fruit juices, and a splash of tonic water. I'm not sure what all he had in them but they were delicious as they seemed to go down with ease. We had retired outside to the deck, enjoying the view sitting in his lounge chairs when he announced we should all relax in his hot tub. Earl didn't seem to wait for a response as he grabbed some towels from an outside cabinet, laid them down on the table, and pulled back the cover on