"Not at all," Brandian said, allowing for the older man to sit down. Brandian himself was continuing to age, and was now approaching thirty.
"Thank you. I do find it so much more tasteful to dine in company," Charles said, as the waiter pored them two glasses of wine.
"I could not agree more. It is always so unseemly to watch someone eat alone. It is a sign of a churlish or improper sort of person," Brandian said. His hair was now at his shoulders, and was now completely brunette.
"Well then, to being neither of those things, then," Charles offered, holding out his wine glass.
"And to good company," Brandian added, taking his own wine glass and clinking it with Charles'.
The two drank, as and Brandian's waist began to collapse inwardly.
"Ah, now that is a fine vintage you chose," Charles said appreciatively.
"I never settle for anything but the best," Brandian said.
Mary was growing more and more impatient waiting outside, but couldn't bring herself to disobey Brandian. She blinked, realizing she was thinking of him as Brandian, rather than Brandon. Try as she might, she couldn't come to think of Brandian by his old name at all, however.
Then something caught Mary's eye in her reflection in the restaurant window. She did a double take, and found that indeed something was wrong about her reflection...
