Chapter 34
A week later, Niall took Hannah out for their third date. They went for dinner and drinks at the country club that his parents belonged to. Hannah was curious to see the place. She’d never been and had always heard it whispered about. She didn’t know anyone other than Niall who had been there. It was that exclusive.
“Just wear whatever you like. I’m sure you’ll look great,” he’d said when she asked him about the attire.
Natalie was more helpful when she called in a panic an hour before the date. “So, I’ve never been, either, but you can’t go wrong with a little black dress.”
That turned out to be good advice. Hannah wore a classic sleeveless dress with pink sandals and a black leather clutch. Niall picked her up and he looked handsome in a navy blazer and a crisp white shirt and light green tie.
Throughout the evening Hannah took many mental notes to keep in mind for future novels. She’d never been to a place quite like this. Where there were Maseratis, Lamborghinis, multiple Teslas, and other cars that she didn’t recognize but suspected were way out of her price range. There was a door attendant outside and she felt like she was about to enter a grand hotel instead of a country club. The attendant was gray-haired and stood tall in his navy-and-gold uniform. He recognized Niall and welcomed him with a smile.
“It’s good to see you, Mr. Peterson. Enjoy your evening.”
Niall grinned. “Thank you, Carl. Good to see you, too.”
They stepped inside and Hannah was initially surprised by how ordinary it looked. She’d expected something fancier, but it was just a lobby that led to the locker rooms, tee shop, and the restaurant.
Once they were seated in the club restaurant, though, Hannah felt the air of luxury she’d expected from the soaring ceiling, with polished wood beams that ran the length of the room, to the plush black leather chairs, the thick white linens, gleaming hardwood floors, and the servers, all men, who glided efficiently from one table to another, clad in black pants, matching black vests, crisp white button-down shirts, and black ties.
She was surprised by the simplicity of the menu. It was not extensive or experimental in any way. Nor was it trendy—if anything, it was dated. Entrées like baked scrod, roast chicken, or filet mignon were served with a choice of baked or Delmonico potatoes. Appetizers were limited to shrimp cocktail, oysters on the half shell, and clam chowder.
They decided to split a shrimp cocktail and both ordered the filet. Niall picked out a bottle of wine, a Caymus reserve cabernet. Hannah had once had a regular Caymus cabernet with Lucy on her birthday. It was a very special-occasion kind of wine, and had been a gift from Lucy’s father. And this was a reserve.
The server poured a small amount into their glasses, after Niall tasted and approved it. As expected, it was amazing, and as the bottle sat it opened up even more. By the time their steaks arrived, it was richer and silky smooth and made the food taste even better.
Throughout the meal, Niall was constantly greeted by members as they passed by. He seemed to know everyone, friends of his parents and people his own age. Hannah didn’t recognize a single person. She didn’t exactly move in the same social circles, but she’d thought having grown up in Chatham that she might see at least one familiar face. She also realized that while Chatham was one of the wealthier areas of the Cape, it was doubtful that all the people dining were actually residents.
“I wonder how many people live here year-round?” she asked.
Niall thought for a moment. “I think the majority are from somewhere else. Chatham is where they have a second home.”
That made her feel a little sad. To think that the majority of people in town would never be able to afford to come here. Spencer, for example—it could be a great networking place for him. But he’d never be able to afford it, and she knew he wasn’t all that keen on networking anyway. Still, it bothered her a little, the unfairness of it all. She’d also heard that there were long waiting lists—people often waited years to be accepted to country clubs like this. And you had to know someone to even be considered.
“How long has your family been members here?”
“Since they bought the place in Chatham a few years ago. My father knows someone on the board and he moved him to the front of the line.” Of course.
They lingered over coffee and dessert, a baked Alaska that Niall insisted they order when Hannah said she was too full for dessert. “We’ll share it. Bring her a spoon. She won’t be able to resist taking a few bites,” he told their server.
And he was right. The dessert was magnificent, and a relic from another era. Hannah remembered reading about it in old novels set in the fifties and sixties. It had a layer of cake topped with ice cream, covered with meringue, and baked until the meringue turned golden.
Niall was an entertaining dinner companion. He made her laugh with his many stories of his adventures and she enjoyed the peek into his world. When she asked if he liked living in the East Village, he told her about his apartment there.
“It’s a two-bedroom in the Nathaniel building. I just moved in a year ago. It’s a great spot. Kind of an artsy area but convenient, too. There’s a nice grocery store on the ground level. I could easily go weeks without leaving the building.” He grinned. “I only do that, though, when I’m at the finish line of a book or trying to meet a deadline.”
Hannah could relate. If there was a grocery store in her building it would be tempting to hunker down and be a hermit, too.
“I’m actually heading back to the city tomorrow for a few weeks. I have some meetings with my publisher and there’s a conference they want me to speak at.”
Hannah imagined he was invited to speak often at writing conferences. She hadn’t been, yet. And wasn’t sure it was something she looked forward to. She’d never enjoyed public speaking. But still, it would be nice to be invited. She guessed she was several books away from that possibility, though.
“Will you be back for the Fourth?” The first week of July was the biggest tourist week of the year for Cape Cod and there were fireworks at Veterans Field in Chatham and a parade.
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
Niall signed for the meal, putting it on his family’s account. He stopped and chatted briefly with a few people on their way out and introduced Hannah to everyone, letting them all know that she was a writer, too. Everyone was friendly and she could sense their curiosity, wondering if she and Niall were an item.
It still felt very early-stage to her though. Although she was getting a glimpse of Niall’s world, she still didn’t feel like she really knew him all that well. She liked him, but there was a distance there. She wasn’t sure how close she wanted to get and sensed that he felt the same.
He walked her to her front door, and gave her an enthusiastic good-night kiss. “I’ll be in touch when I’m back in town.”