The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (9 page)

“
Hippocrates
.
”

“
How about this one
.‘
Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are
.
’”

“I’
m sugary goodness
,”
suggested Cassandra
.“
Let me do Ruby
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s a little forward, Cass, in front of our new intern
.”
She gave Cassandra a cheeky grin, and turned to Jasmine
.“
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
.
”

“
How does anyone keep up with you two
?
”

“
Caffeine. Lots of it. Did you have Anton throw any in that green goop? What, exactly, is that? According to Brillat-Savarin, yo
u’
re slimy and potentially radioactive
.
”

“
No, i
t’
s caffeine-free. One does
n’
t need cheap jolts with real, balanced nutrition
.
”

“
What gives it that unnatural glow
?
”

“
I
t’
s completely natural. Algae, top-grade. I
t’
s the latest super food
.
”

“
Rub
y’
s usual combo is strong coffee and jelly-loaded danish. Le
t’
s see, sh
e’
s potent and abrasive with a gooey center. Nailed it
,”
Cassandra proclaimed in a sing-song voice.

Ruby chuckled.

Jasmine smothered a laugh
.“
I do
n’
t think tha
t’
s what Brillat-Savarin had in mind
.
”

“
Want to try my smoothie, Cassandra
?
”

“
Beware, Cass. I do
n’
t buy tha
t’
s a benign glow. Let her go first, and then wait to see if she mutates
.
”

Cassandr
a’
s eyes lit up
.“
Tha
t’
d be awesome
.
”

“
Straight out of one of your horror flicks
.
”

“
Never mind
.”
Jasmine retracted her drink.

“
Wait, is there chocolate in it
?”
Cassandra asked.

“
No
.
”

“I’
ll pass
.
”

“
Hopeless
.
”

“
Do
n’
t give up on us, Jazz
,”
Ruby said
.“
We have such potential
.
”

✧

Ruby rapped the doorjamb as she breezed into the meeting room and plopped down next to Jasmine
.“
Reviewing our intervention file
?
”

“
Yes
,”
Jasmine said
.“
I ca
n’
t believe how many programs are available
.
”

“
You do
n’
t have to memorize them, Jazz
.
”

“
I want to know as much as possible before walking in. I
t’
s my first intervention
.
”

“
Is it? Well, hopefully yo
u’
ll get your drinking under control and there wo
n’
t be a second. W
e’
re here for you, Jazz
.
”

“
You know what I meant
.
”

“
Yes, firsts are nerve-wracking. You think yo
u’
re nervous; imagine how the Epstein family feels. You and I are there for moral support. Am
y’
s the pro at this sort of thing
.
”

“
Is it depressing
?
”

“
No, not really. Yo
u’
d think so. Yes, Amy addresses the seriousness of the current situation. And then she offers the most important thing when a family member suffers from a life-altering disease like alcoholism
.
”

“
Wha
t’
s that
?
”

“
Hope
.
”

“
Sounds heavy
.
”

“
It is. We wo
n’
t go in with empty stomachs. That brings me to why
I’
m here. Are you ready for lunch
?
”

“
But we just ate
.
”

“
That was hours ago
.
”

She raised a skeptical brow and checked the time
.“
Ruby, that was two hours ago
.
”

“
Jazz, yo
u’
ll learn we defense lawyers get our three square and snacks when ther
e’
s a lull in the action
.
”

“
What lull? We have an intervention this afternoon
.”
             

“
I know. This is as close to a lull as we get. Are you in
?
”

Jasmine looked at the screen, torn.

“
I
t’
ll still be there when we get back
.
”

“
All right.
I’
ve never been to Chestnut
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re in for a treat
.
”

As soon as Jasmine and Ruby emerged from the meeting room, Cassandra pounced
.“
I
t’
s about time.
I’
m starving
.
” She put her arm around Jasmine and propelled her down the hallway
.“
Colin told me w
e’
re celebrating you, too
.
” She glanced at Colin as they passed his desk
.“
Are you coming
?
”

“
Of course
.”
He motioned Cassandra and Jasmine ahead, and fell into step beside Ruby
.“
W
e’
ll let the two women of the hour lead the way
.
”

“
It was just a routine bail hearing
,”
Jasmine tossed back.

“
Nonsense
,”
Cassandra said
.“
It was a milestone for you. We pause to enjoy our successes, right Ruby
?
”

“
Tha
t’
s right. We always make time for chocolate cake
.
”

They reached Chestnut, and Jasmine craned her neck to take in the
dé
cor.

“
This was a bank before it was repurposed in the 40s as a restaurant. The carvings are exquisite
,”
Colin said.

“
Go ahead, you two
,”
Ruby said
.“
Explore. Cass and I will get our table
.
”

Cassandra and Ruby moved to the reservation stand. The hostess stood tall and poised in her tailored black dress. Pearls dangled from her ears and hung in three strands at her throat
.“
Ms. Miller, welcome. I recognized you from your billboard. Please, follow me
.
”

“
Now tha
t’
s service. Yo
u’
re a VIP now, Ruby
,”
Cass whispered
.“
I need a splashy billboard for Dayton Law Office
.
”

“
You certainly do
.
”

Jasmine and Colin met them at the table.

“
Have you seen the vault door
?”
Jasmine asked as she sat next to Ruby
.“
It should be in a museum
.
”

The waitress hovered until the
y’
d settled, and then descended for drink orders.

“
Coffee, and keep it coming
.”
Ruby said.

“I’
ll have the same
,”
said Cassandra.

“
As will I.
I’
ll need cream and sugar, and keep that coming
.
”

“
Basically, he wants candy coffee
,”
Ruby added.

“
I could bring out whipped cream and caramel sauce. Our chef makes them from scratch
.
”

“
Perfect
.
”

“
And for you
?
”

“I’
ll have oolong tea
,”
Jasmine said.

“
Would you like a minute to look at the menu
?
”

“
Ready
?”
Ruby asked her table. When they nodded, she said
,
“
No, w
e’
re ready. Go ahead, Guests of Honor
.
”

“I’
ll have the Waldorf salad
.
”

“
Cass, wha
t’
s come over you
?
”

“
Make that two, please
.”
Jasmine smirked at Ruby, and gave Cassandra an encouraging nod.

“
What
?”
Cassandra asked, avoiding Rub
y’
s gaze
.“
I want to save myself for dessert
.
”

“
I do
n’
t understand that logic at all
,”
Ruby said
.“
You have no max when it comes to chocolate
.
”

Colin cleared his throat
.“I’
ll have the salmon. It sounds delicious
.
”

“
I can assure you it is. It was flown in from Alaska this morning. The cherry plank our chef grills it on puts it over the top
.
”

“
Wonderful
.
”

“I’
ll have the filet medallions
,”
Ruby said
.“
And
I’
ll substitute the sweet potato casserole for the broccoli
.”
             

“
Will you be ordering dessert
?
”

“
Yes, w
e’
ll order that now. W
e’
d leave with broken hearts if you ran out. Three volcanic-fudge tortes with ice cream, please
.”
Ruby gestured to Jasmine
.“
And whatever sh
e’
d like
.
”

“
In the spirit of celebration, make that four
.
”