Summary

Present: Grace and Jack are having a dinner party, and she is nervous. Their guests are longtime friends Diane and Adam, and new coworkers Esther and Rufus. Grace feels like everything needs to be perfect. Grace considers Esther, who is the first person that has not made effusive comments about their beautiful home, which Jack decorated by himself as a wedding gift for Grace. It is large, beautiful, secluded, and secure. The guests mention a painting over the fireplace. It looks like fireflies, but it is made up of kiss marks. Jack mentions that Grace painted it for him, and that there are other paintings that are private.

The women invite Grace to lunch; Diane mentions the handful of previous lunch dates that Grace has broken at the last minute. As dinner nears, Grace begins the balance of the appetizers and the main...