He doesn't speak any other languages, but he's very nice. An Uruguayan, another World Banker, appears with a plastic bag full of tango tapes. He's been taking weekly tango classes at the Bank for as long as he can remember. In a corner by the crackling fireplace, another American visitor accompanies the Latin sounds with a muted trumpet. The wine flows.
Conversation drifts between Spanish, German and English.
At last, the food arrives. Borne on strong arms, a twelve-pound roast beef rises up the stairwell, prepared and now delivered by Melanie's good friend Enrique. He'll probably attend business school in Europe. The guests want to hear from their hostess, but the true sentiment is enough, and glasses tinkle in good harmony amid the delightful bitefuls of beef. Empty wine bottles accumulate in a white plastic bag on the kitchen floor.