Celebrating a birthday

At the table, Simon introduced his wife and Frank made a courtly gesture of kissing the hand she offered, which made her giggle and her husband chuckle.

"Thank you for including me in your birthday celebrations," Frank said with a smile. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to get a present. Allow me to order a bottle of wine."

"Oh! That's so generous!" Julia said. "Thank you so much!"

"Not at all. Happy Birthday!" Frank grinned as he summoned a waitress and ordered a bottle of champagne.

"If it's not impolite to ask, how old are you Julia?"

"I'm twenty four, and it's not impolite at all. We've been married two years."

"You're doing very well," Frank praised them, owning a house in that neighbourhood at your ages."

"My parents helped," Simon said. "When I got a job down here they made a big down payment so we could cover the mortgage payments on my salary. Without their help we couldn't have done it."

"We have an exchange student living with us," Julia added with a grin. "She's Japanese, and her parents sent her to school here. Having her rent helps too. I work part time."

The bottle of wine arrived and Frank thanked the waitress and dismissed her with a smile, insisting on pouring the wine himself, managing to slip a healthy dose of the **** into the bottle before he poured.

"Here's to a beautiful birthday girl!" he smiled, raising his glass in a toast. "And to good neighbours and new friends." His smile widened as he watched Julia take a long drink of champagne and giggle happily.