"...my boss"
"...oh!"
"Yes exactly. I can't ignore her. You will have to be me"
"Well I suppose that won't be too hard. I look and sound like you"
"She has met Tom. She knows what he looks like. You will have to sit with him and pretend you are married"
"Ah... okay..." Kerry was thinking of the consequences "What's her name?"
"Lily. She's the big boss. Her husband just bought the company"
Kerry knew Kate was a marketing manager at the largest shopping centre in town. She also knew that that centre had recently been sold. She had not paid attention to who the new owners were. "...So... I should say hello?"
"Yes. Introduce me as Kerry, your sister-in-law"
Just as Kate said this Lily observed Kerry walking to the table. She gave Kerry a smile and a wave. Kerry smiled back. Tom was standing by a chair at the table as was Michael on the opposite side. Clearly they were waiting for the ladies to take a seat. Both of the guy's were a bit taken aback when firstly Kate took the seat beside Michael and then Kerry put her handbag on the seat beside Tom.
Rather than start explaining. Kerry went across to the next door table and said "Hello Lily. I did not expect to find anyone I knew here"
Tom didn't hear the the woman in the blue dress's reply but he immediately recognised her. It was Kate's new boss. That explained the wife switch. Tom had only met her once and tried to recollect her name.
Meanwhile Kate who had taken the seat beside a puzzled Michael was explaining to him quietly "That's my new boss. You are going to have to pretend to be my husband for the night"
Kerry returned to the table with the other woman. Michael observed the redhead was perhaps in her late thirties she was tall and looked like a former model. He listened as Kerry introduced the woman to the table "I think you have met my husband Tom and this is my brother-in-law Michael and his wife Kerry. To the others she said "This is Lily my new boss"
"Nice to meet you all" said Lily "Perhaps we can talk later. This is my favourite club. You'll love the meals and I believe the band tonight is very good" with that she gave another smile and returned to her seat where the meals were just being served.
Kerry sat down beside Tom with a look of relief on her face. "I need a drink" she said.
"You did well" said Kate. "Thank you. Let's go to the ladies and I'll fill you in more"
A waitress came back and took drink orders. Tom ordered Kate's favourite for Kerry and Michael ordered Kerry's favourite for Kate. Likewise when another waitress took meal orders the women conferred with each other before ordering, knowing that the they had swapped taste buds. The woman also took a toilet break together where Kate was able to fill in Kerry more about Lily.
As they ate a band began to set up on a stage The table at which Lily was sitting was adjacent to a dance floor.
The meal was nice and the conversation was not strained. To Tom and Michael it just seemed like a normal dinner sitting with their wives. Kate and Kerry also felt quite comfortable. Kerry was relieved that she had apparently passed the test with Lily.
The music began as they had dessert. Lily and an older man she had been sitting next to were some of the first people to move to the dance floor.