Summary

Chapter 8

The appetizers come, and the floor manager describes each in detail. The floor manager then tries to open the bottle of wine that Serge ordered, but the cork breaks. This causes Serge some disappointment because he likes to show off his knowledge of wine. Paul finds it amusing, since he does not understand how his soda swilling brother could be a connoisseur of wine.

Chapter 9

Paul finds that he does not like his wine. Paul ordered something he would not normally order because Babette and Serge both ordered his first two choices. Paul thinks about the empty space on his and Claire’s plates as the floor manager describes what is on each plate. A new bottle of wine arrives, and Serge politely accepts it. Paul finds it amusing how the floor manager is diligent about keeping everyone’s wine...