"It’s very pretty in here," Megan commented softly to Frank, who nodded.

Joe halted by the reservations desk, intending to ask for Phil, but at the moment, there was no one there. So he moved further into the establishment, and scanned the dining area, hoping to catch sight of their friend.

"There they are," he murmured, pointing, and plunged into the room, swinging easily through the myriad of tables and waiters. Frank, Megan and Vanessa followed, a bit more slowly.

Phil was standing up when they reached the table, which was located in a corner, and supplied with a curved bench seat on one side. His thin face held a welcoming smile, and his brown eyes glowed with pleasure behind his wire-rimmed glasses. As tall as Joe, but much more lanky, Phil wore his sandy-brown hair on the longish side, and he now tossed it out of his eyes with an impatient gesture as he held out his hand to Joe.

"Man, it is so good to see you!" Phil seized Joe’s outstretched hand and shook it enthusiastically, then clapped him on the back. "It’s been forever!" Joe returned the handclasp with equal fervor, grinning broadly. Phil released him, and turned to hug Vanessa. "Van, stunning as ever, I see!"

Frank reached the table now, Megan holding onto his arm, and Phil repeated the procedure of the handshake and fervent back-slapping. He reiterated how great it was to see them all, and how long it seemed since they’d been together – since Joe’s birthday party, the beginning of April!

"Frank, you look great; Megan, it’s nice to see you again…I’m so glad you could make it tonight!"

He’s sure excited! Joe thought, with amusement. He couldn’t remember quiet Phil Cohen getting worked up like this very often. Oh jeez, I hope he and Frank and Vanessa don’t get into one of those techno-babble conversations like they used to! If they do, Megan and I’ll have to put in earplugs and hope we don’t die of boredom!

"We’re only an hour’s drive apart, and yet we never see each other!" Phil lamented. "Why don’t you come to New York more often, anyway?"

"Why don’t you come back to Bayport more often?" Joe retorted. "Now, Cohen – finish the introductions!" He smiled meaningfully at the brown-haired girl seated at the table, and she smiled tentatively in return.

"Glad to!" Phil smiled. "Allison, these are my friends from Bayport – Frank Hardy, Joe Hardy, Vanessa Bender, and Megan…uh, Megan…uh -- Wright. Sorry, I didn’t remember your last name for a minute! Guys, please meet my girlfriend, Allison Lewis – the light of my life!"

Joe’s smile grew broader when he heard Phil refer to Allison as his girlfriend. Phil hadn’t gone out all that much, in high school, and it seemed sort of funny to think of him attached to someone. Of course, he was dating someone else, earlier this year, Joe mused, as the others exchanged polite greetings. What was her name…Karissa? Callista? Melissa? Wonder what happened with her? But as Joe watched Phil with Allison, he could tell that she evidently made Phil very happy indeed, and he dismissed Karissa/Melissa from his mind.

Allison nodded in a friendly fashion at the Bayporters, but it was quite obvious that she was feeling a little shy. She kept glancing at Phil tentatively, as if seeking encouragement. He smiled at her, with supreme confidence. He knew his friends would like her, and vice versa.

"Allison, Phil didn’t specify, but Vanessa is Joe’s girlfriend, and Megan is mine," Frank explained, as they all sat down. "Megan read up on the orchestra you play with, before we came." He smiled down at Megan. "She entertained us on the drive here, telling about it!"

Megan slid onto the padded seat beside Allison, smiling warmly at the other girl. Vanessa moved to sit on Phil’s other side, so that by leaning across him, she could participate in the conversation. Frank and Joe seated themselves in the remaining chairs.

"Allison, Vanessa is just graduating from Bayport High, as Joe is, and I’m a freshman at Bayport Community College," Megan said. "I graduated from Lakeridge Academy here in New York last year. Where do you go?"

"I attend Julliard," Allison replied softly. "I’m just finishing my first year there, although I will be attending sessions this summer, too."

"Wow, Julliard?" Joe murmured admiringly. Even he had heard a lot about the prestigious music school, and he was impressed anew with Allison Lewis.

A waiter approached and distributed menus, then filled their water glasses, and departed, giving them a chance to decide on their orders. For a few minutes there was mostly silence at the table, broken occasionally by comments on the menu offerings, or questions for Phil or Allison on what they might recommend. At last the teens made their choices and laid aside the menus to await their waiter’s return.

Frank noticed a worn violin case on the seat beside Allison. "What’s that?" he asked, nodding at it. "I mean, is it something special, that you have it here at dinner with you?"

"Well, yes, sort of," Allison admitted, blushing a little. "It’s my violin, but it’s very old and rare. It was a gift from my grandparents. It originally belonged to my great-grandfather. He was a member of the Vienna Symphony for many years, before he immigrated to the United States. Since I’m either practicing, in ensemble rehearsals, or having lessons, I carry it with me most of the time. I don’t trust the lockers at Julliard, and I don’t want anything to happen to it – so I just keep it with me all the time."

"Wow, your great-grandfather played with the Vienna Symphony? That’s marvelous!" Vanessa exclaimed. "No wonder it’s so precious to you, Allison!"

"That’s a lot of playing!" Joe commented, reviewing Allison’s words. "Lessons, rehearsals, practice sessions…."

"She’s the best violinist in the whole symphony orchestra!" Phil stated, his eyes glowing with pride.

Allison laughed and shook her head. "No – thanks, Phil, but really, I’m not the best. Technically, I guess I’m second-best. The absolute best is Angel Coussard." She pronounced the name Awn-zhell Cu-sarrr. "He’s first chair in the violin section. I’m second chair. But I feel as if I could play for a thousand years and never be as good as Angel is! He’s already received his invitation to join the Senior Symphony when they start their new season in the fall."

The waiter returned to take their dinner orders, interrupting the conversation.

"Are the politics always so strange in an orchestra?" Joe asked curiously, after the waiter had departed.

Allison laughed again, merrily. Her green eyes twinkled. "No. The seating is decided by skill, and nothing but skill, Joe. There are auditions held four times a year, and that’s when your placement is determined. So it can change during a season, but it doesn’t happen too often. And I couldn’t unseat Angel anyway, even if I wanted to."

Over dinner, the conversation veered into talk of Bayport happenings, Joe’s and Vanessa’s upcoming graduation ceremonies, Frank’s and Megan’s freshman year ending, and summer job possibilities; but soon it reverted to Phil and Allison’s New York experiences.

"How did this last term at NYU go?" Frank asked Phil. "You seemed pretty satisfied with things a couple months ago."

Phil nodded affirmatively, and smiled. "It went well. I think I aced all the final exams. I really enjoy it – computer science and tech is really what I like! And now that school is out, I’m working pretty much full-time at Computer Wizardry. My hours are odd, though – since it’s open seven days a week, 9 to 9, and I work five of those days, they vary from day to day. But I like it there!"

"What sort of music are we going to hear tonight, Allison?" Vanessa asked, leaning across Phil’s lap to make her inquiry. "Joe was afraid all you’d play is heavy classics!"

"Hey!" Joe waved his fork in protest. "Is this ‘pick on Joe’ night, or something?"

Allison smiled. "You wouldn’t be the first to think that, Joe," she assured him. "Well, we’re doing some classic, and some other things. Something by Beethoven which I think you’ll recognize…Aaron Copeland’s ‘Fanfare for the Common Man,’ and ‘Rodeo.’ The ‘St. Louis Blues.’ A couple of things from ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ And some other things, just for fun." She chuckled at their reactions. "Yes, it’s quite a conglomeration, isn’t it?"

"Those sound great!" Joe exclaimed. Suddenly he felt much more enthusiastic about this upcoming concert. He dug into his entrée with gusto.

By the time they were halfway through dinner, there were two overlapping conversations going on at the table. The boys were discussing sports and computers, the girls were talking clothes. Frank listened with half an ear as Allison described the black dresses which the girls in the symphony orchestra were required to wear for concerts.

"Do they try to find something that flatters everyone?" Megan asked. "I mean, look at Vanessa and me. We can’t wear the same sorts of clothes at all. But your dresses have to be alike, right?"

"Yes, but they’re very basic," Allison explained. "Scoop necks, elbow-length sleeves, a skirt you can sit down in and wear while playing the cello—" She broke off, laughing. "And the sleeves have to be loose enough so that we can bow comfortably!" she added. "They do try to pick something that looks okay on a variety of differently-shaped people."

Frank was looking over the restaurant between bites. To his surprise, he saw a man sitting across the room who looked very familiar. That’s the same guy I saw standing outside! he thought. He looked more sharply at the guy, trying to determine if it was, indeed, the same person, but the man’s face was half-hidden behind his large menu. He’s obviously alone – who was he waiting for, out there? Or what? Or who was he watching? Maybe he is an undercover cop – or a private detective. If he is, he’s not very good at what he does! Frank kept a covert eye on the man as he ate, and noticed he seemed to be watching their table with more than casual interest.

Allison checked her watch. "I’m terribly sorry, but I really do have to go," she said regretfully. "I have to get back to my dorm room and change for the concert, and if I don’t leave now, I’ll never make it. But I hope I’ll see you afterwards. Could we meet for dessert, perhaps?"

The four teens from Bayport exchanged questioning glances and hopeful nods. "We’d like that," Frank answered for them all. "We’d intended to go back right afterwards, but we’ll stay later, and meet you after the concert."

The boys rose courteously when Allison stood up. Frank and Joe sat back down, but Phil remained on his feet, evidently intending to walk to the door with his girlfriend. She picked up her violin case, and leaned to kiss Phil quickly.

"Just stay here, Phil; I’ve got to dash! See you all later! Enjoy the concert!" With a bright smile for them all, Allison hurried to the door and was gone.

"Phil, she’s just darling!" Vanessa told the young man as he resumed his seat. "I like her so much!"

As Joe and Megan added their praises of Allison to Vanessa’s comments, Frank let his eyes rove again to where the mysterious stranger had been sitting. To his shock, he saw that the chair was empty!

"Excuse me just a minute," he murmured, and stood up. He made his way to the front door of the restaurant, hoping to catch a glimpse of the strange man. Just as he reached it, he caught sight of the man he had been seeking – and saw him reach out, snatch the violin case from an unsuspecting Allison Lewis’s hand, and take off running!