Samuel was easy company in a way Ray hadn’t anticipated. He asked questions about the hardware business and actually listened to the answers, following up with the kind of detail that told you a person was paying attention rather than just waiting for their turn to speak. He complimented the house without overdoing it.
He was funny in a dry, unhurried way that reminded Ray vaguely of men he’d respected in business — the kind of funny that doesn’t announce itself. By the end of the evening Ray had caught himself laughing twice and feeling faintly surprised about it both times. But what struck him most was Diane. She was different that evening.