"Certainly -- if you can do me a favor and get the potatoes out of the cabinet next to the stove, please?" Katie started setting out ingredients. "And there's a large bowl on the top of the cabinets, if you could get that down, please."

Chester nodded to Nica at the mention of thanks, mostly out of politeness, but made no offer to help. Instead, he turned and headed back to the living room. "Just call me when dinner's ready, dear, I'm famished and it's already late."

Katie waited until he left, and apologetically added, "He's had a hard day today. They're going over the new product lines and what they expect sales figures to be like for the new year and all, and that always puts him in a foul mood when he gets home."