It is also formal dress night. I wear a long, satin blue dress with bejeweled straps. It fits quite well; I work on the hair and make up (naturally flushed cheeks...). In the end, I look good (sorry, no pictures - don't blame me), but, boy, do I feel lousy. Dad is quite strapping in his suit.
This turns out to actually be a bit of a disappointing concert. Herbie is not all there. He could actually very well not have been there for part of the set - he plays recorded sounds, which suggests that the rest could also very well be.
However, he does a phenomenal duo with the young Swiss harmonicist of the Marcus Miller band, Grégoire Maret. Plays something on the keyboard, the kid repeats on the harmonica. Makes it harder and harder, longer and longer. And the harmonicist just keeps repeating. The audience are on their feet. That kid is a genius! It's his big day.
After the show, we go to dinner. This time, Ronald has reserved our little table. The menu is somptuous. Unfortunately, I send back most of it untouched; which worries Ronald, not about me - (I haven't said anything about being sick. Who knows, maybe they'd put me in quarantine at the bottom of the ship. I just try not to come to close to anyone.) but about the quality of the food. I keep reassuring him that it's delicious. I even refuse the lemon drop that the sommeliere automatically orders for me - yeah, I'm known around here! Our neighbors are back too. We spend a lovely evening discussing with the father and the two sons. We learn that their dad spent quite a bit of time in France as a GI; specifically on the west coast. He knows Royan and La Rochelle. The conversation changed topic before I got a chance to ask whether he knew Chatelaillon!!! I still don't know their names, but they are totally charming. It turns out one of the brothers (the one from Miami - the other lives in New Orleans) saw dad (and Marcus Miller) at the gym earlier today. So now I have to believe it.
I'm all dressed up, and can't go anywhere. I wish I could go dancing now. Stupid virus.
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