"The grill is ready," Todd said. "Do you want to learn how to turn it on?"
Mel grinned and got up. "I guess that's a good place to start."
He came back to the table and said, "I think we should invite your folks over tonight for steaks and baked potatoes."
"Don't you think it might be a good idea to try this out first on the three of us before we invite them?"
"Oh, I guess you're right. If I mess it up, only Todd and you will know."
He rummaged through the fridge and found three T-bone steaks. Also three baking potatoes, and an assortment of vegetables. Red peppers, a summer squash, some green beans, an onion, and a cucumber.
He'd already turned on the grill and started cutting the potatoes in long quarters.
"Why are you doing that?" Jane asked.
"Because they'd take a full hour to cook through. Do you have aluminum foil and butter?"
Jane showed him where both of them lived and tucked the vegetables and potatoes neatly on a plate with the steaks. With the recipe book under his left arm, he asked, "How does Todd like his steak done?"
"Well."
"Waste of a good steak." Both he and Jane liked theirs medium-rare.
Everything came out at the same time and was delicious.
"You are good at this," Jane said. "My parents have a grill in the middle of their stove. We'll do this again tomorrow and you show my father how to do it."
The day had been hot, but it turned cool by nine and Jane and Mel sat at the patio table, each drinking a half glass of red wine.
When Mel had finished his, he stood and stretched; "It's been a long day. Want to go to bed early?"
"Yes," Jane said with a big smile.