So, you tired of sushi, or what?"

Brian broke away and fell back in his chair.

Alex lowered himself into the room's second chair.

"It's August, you know. Slow. Even our agents leave town for vacation. So I decided to go home and see Mom win her usual blue ribbon at the fair."

"What was it this year? Cherry?"

Brian looked interested.

"No, blueberry."

Alex smiled smugly.

"Blueberry."

Brian echoed Alex wistfully. When Alex's brief marriage to a flight attendant had ended with her running off with a pilot, Alex had shared Brian's Arlington condo while he waited for his transfer to Tokyo to come through. During that time, Brian had spent a vacation with Alex at the Lowry's ranch in Montana, where he had done ample justice to a number of Mrs. Lowry's famous pies, apple and peach as well as blueberry and cherry.

"I don't suppose..."

"No, pies don't travel. Brownies and shortbread do, however."

Alex teased his friend.

"Brownies? Your mom's brownies? Alex, how long will you be around? And have you made plans about where you're staying?"

Brian sat up and leaned forward in his chair.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I'm only here for two weeks, so I just booked into a motel."

"Motel? No, come on, stay at my place. Assuming, of course, there're still some brownies left."

"Actually, my mother made up a separate package for you. She was afraid I'd eat them all if she didn't. Not that that would have stopped me, except I only arrived this morning."