Page 39 of Cookbooks and Demons

“Wait, so you’re thinking that Yosef likes me?” she asked.

“Do you think he likes you?” he turned back on her.

“No, the only person he seems to like is Scarlet.” Then she stopped as she heard what she just said. Her jaw literally dropped. “No. You’re saying… he and… Scarlet is…” Yet now that she thought about it, she couldn’t unthink it. “Oh. Oh. Oooohhhhhh.” She picked up her water glass to take a sip, but before she could, she said, “Oh, now that I think that I absolutely want that to be true. That would mean it really isn’t about me at all. He’s trying to protect Scarlet. I mean, this ball really is her legacy, and if he thought it was going to be her last, and I’m slacking off on it…”

She set her glass down without taking a sip, so she could press her hands to her heart. “Aw, that would mean he really loves her, and this is a sort of tragic romanticgesture.”

Rafferty’s eyes smiled just as Éliott returned to pour them each somered wine.

“What?” she asked,noting it.

“I love your stories,” he said, taking uphis wine.

She did the same, slipping her hand into his as easily and naturally as if they had been doing it for years. “I love your cooking,” she said and clinked her glass to his.

As the warm, bright flavors of the wine danced on her tongue, Eliott moved away just as another couple was being seated at a table indirectly nearby. With hurried surprise, Helena swallowed her wine and set down her glass to grab her napkin before she spilled some onherself.

“Oh my gosh, it’s Chris. I didn’t know they were going to be coming to this restaurant tonight,” she said, then stopped as her eyes fastened onto a woman being seatedwith him.

It was notCharlie.

Chapter 21

Then Chris

Showed Up

“Okay, this is probably not a big deal. He’s probably just with his boss or a business colleague or something—” Then she watched the two people kiss and hold hands, Chris gently rubbing his finger along her cheek.

“What the hell am I seeing right now?” shebreathed.

Rafferty sighed. “He is with a woman. What is surprising about this?”

“Well, one: he’s married to Charlie. It’s not about women or men. It’s the fact that his tongue just went into the mouth of someone who isnotCharlie.”

“Maybe they have an understanding? It is not uncommon at all. I would know.”

Helena let out a worried breath. “I mean maybe? But … I don’t know. I feel like Chris would have told me about it? But I mean, it’s their private life, so why would they… Oh, dammit, I don’t know what to do.”

“Ignore them, refocus here, and enjoy the rest of your meal,” Rafferty said practically, but it didn’t help the gnawing panic inside.

“It is easy to give that advice when you don’t have to live with the consequences,” she saidlevelly.

“Consequences?”

“Yes, if I don’t tell Charlie, and he finds out some other horrible way… or maybe this is all on the up and up, and I don’t say anything, but I’ll always treat him a little differently when open communication would have solved allof this.”

“You are always seeking the ‘right’ answers, aren’t you?” Rafferty said, his hands folded inhis lap.

“I…” She stopped at that. “Well, yes I suppose so.”

“Let me tell you something: from my experience, nothing we do here really matters,” he said before taking another sip of wine, even though he couldn’ttaste it.

Helena frowned at that. “I think making a deal … like we both have, matters a lot. And no, that’s not true. We are what we do. It’s the only thing thatmatters.”

Pursing his lips, Rafferty sat back just as Éliott appeared bearing plates with tiny roasted birds on it, something that reminded her of cheesy mashed potatoes, and green beans with slivers ofalmonds.

“We have here: Pommes Aligot, Haricots Verts Amandine, Caille rôtie et raisins,” Éliott said, “which is roasted quail and grapes.”

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