Once he dressed, he went to Garak's quarters. The first thing he noticed when Garak answered the door was the way the tailor's eyes swept over him.

"How very nice you look tonight, Doctor," Garak said as he ushered him in. "I don't believe I've seen you in that particular outfit before."

Bashir felt relieved. It had been the right choice: not only did Garak appreciate his clothing on an aesthetic level, but he seemed to be aware of its significance.

The second thing he noticed once he entered his friend's quarters was that the air was unusually steamy--and the few times he'd been here before, Garak had kept the room oppressively warm--and heavy with a number of spicy scents, some familiar from their lunches, others strange, even pungent, but none unpleasant.

He saw that a row of shallow copper pans of various sizes, all covered with funnel-shaped lids, had been set up over low flames on top of the long cabinet at the back of the room. Scented steam issued from the funnel tubes.

"You've been cooking?" Julian asked, surprised. For him, dinner was normally ordered from the replicator.

"Just a few fresh vegetables I procured for tonight," Garak explained. "Plus, some Cardassian delicacies I hope you'll appreciate. I've been saving them," he smiled, "for a special occasion."