Page 21 of Love Is an Art
“Then you should tell him so you don’t waste your time. He’s not worth it if he doesn’t like you for yourself. But first, we need to figure out how Zeke knows Scammer Guy. What if they’re buddies or fraternity brothers from college and he feels some loyalty to Jurgen and blows our cover? He said he was there with friends. Jurgen may be a friend. I definitely saw them talking before Zeke left.”
Miranda opens the door to Banter & Books, and it smells of chocolate chip cookies. A batch must have just come out of the oven. Miranda walks over to claim our usual cluster of distressed arm, cabriole-legged chairs with these egg-blue pillows by the window, a prime spot that offers either a great view of the street or the other occupants of the café.Pick your poison.Our other favorite place is the table in the back conservatory, but that looks like it’s been reserved for a private party.
“With the both of them there together, I definitely should be able to get a feel for if Jurgen and Zeke are friends,” I say.
“It will also be an opportunity for Zeke to get to know you,” Miranda says. “Once he gets to know you, I’m sure he won’t care if you’re a lawyer, although he doesn’t seem entirely rational about that.”
“I’ll try to determine if they are friends, find an opportunity to chat with Scammer Guy, and then I’ll tell Zeke at the end of our date?” I muse.
“He should understand that you were on a mission to foil some scammer dude. And you could always be a lawyer—and an artist in your spare time. Like Bella works full-time as an assistant to make money but is also a published author.”
“Except that I can’t paint.”
“I’m sure you can paint something,” Miranda says. “Maybe not when you’re tipsy, but if you’re focused on it. You must have some artistic genes, given how successful Kiara is. Her last art show received so many rave reviews.”
“I think she inherited all the painting genes.” My sister would die laughing if she heard I was pretending to be an artist. “YouTube must have some tutorials. If I could fix a toilet following a YouTube tutorial, I should be able to paint something.”
“It doesn’t have to be good. It’s even better if it’s bad because if Scammer Guy then shows interest in mentoring you, we’ll know it’s not genuine. But it can’t be so bad that he suspects he’s being set up. I can give you some pointers tonight.” Miranda’s phone rings, and she answers it.
I join the line at the counter to order our drinks. Banter & Books is a bookstore café with an appealing French country decor. White bookcases line the two side walls. Throughout the café are round, worn, wooden tables, surrounded by various tallish, green plants, creating little privacy screens. I take a deep breath. It’s definitely eclectic but soothing.
After I order our usual drinks at the counter and take a stand with a number, I pull over a rattan chair from another table since we’ll be five in total. Miranda is already seated, typing on her phone.
“Yvette said she’s on her way,” Miranda says. “Maddie can’t make it because she’s got a story deadline.”
The bell clangs as Lily and Iris come through the door of Banter & Books. We hug hello. I feel like I haven’t seen them in ages.
Lily places a pile of books on the center table as she says, “I just have to reply to Rupert’s text.” She smiles as she always does when texting Rupert, her boyfriend.
“How’s work?” I ask Iris as she removes her wide-brimmed hat.
“Busy. What about you?” Iris takes the seat across from me.
“Same,” I say.
“Rupert said he feels a little bit sorry for whatever poor guy we have in our sights now because that guy has no idea what he’s up against.” Lily runs her hand through her blonde hair, smoothing it back. “But not that sorry. He’s happy to help in whatever way he can.”
Rupert is the co-CEO of Strive Developers, a well-known real estate development firm, but I can’t think of any way he can help.
Iris laughs. “We should have had Rupert dress up as the struggling artist.”
I snort. “Yes, next time, we definitely need to come up with a role for Rupert.”
“He’d probably be recognized,” Lily says as she scoops the books off the table and into her backpack.
Yvette comes in next. Yvette is skinny, with almost translucent, white skin, her straight, pale-blonde hair framing her face. She looks at Miranda like she’s a goddess. Which Miranda is.
Once we are all settled with drinks, Miranda makes the introductions.
“Yvette, meet the team. Iris and Lily are our research wizards. Iris works in cybersecurity, and Lily is a librarian at the New York Public Library,” Miranda says. “And my roommate, Tessa, is a lawyer.”
Miranda continues, “As I mentioned, this guy, Jurgen, scammed Yvette. He said he wanted to help her as an aspiring artist but took her money. She paid him to frame her paintings for a show, but there was no show and the framing job was slapshot. She had to reframe them. She paid him three thousand dollars.”
Lily drops the book she was holding. “Sorry. Wow. That’s crazy.” She picks it up off the floor.
“Thank you guys so much,” Yvette says. “I feel bad taking up your time. But if Jurgen is doing this to other women, then he needs to be stopped.”
“We could sue him for the poor framing job in small claims court,” I say. “Did you get a receipt or a contract?”
