Page 52 of Spooked

“A vegetarian French restaurant?” Meera asked as they paused outside, steeling themselves. “What does it serve? Bread?”

That her reaction should be exactly the same as his had been the first time Carissa brought him here made Brax chuckle.

“Based on past experience, it’s a bunch of dishes pretending to be something they’re not. ‘Escargots’ made from mushrooms. ‘Salmon’ made from carrots. ‘Steak’ made from soy protein.”

“I can see why Clarissa likes it, then.”

“It’s Carissa,” he corrected out of habit. She hated that extra L.

“Yes, I know that. She pretends to be a loving wife and successful businesswoman when in reality, she’s neither.”

Brax was seeing a different side to Meera tonight. A sharper side, and he liked it. He held the door open and motioned her through.

“Let’s get this over with.”

“Le Jardin des Délices Terrestres,” she murmured as she brushed past. “The Garden of Earthly Delights. Our very own Hieronymus Bosch horror story.”

At least they hadn’t hung a replica of the eponymous painting on the wall. That would have put anyone off their dinner, and Carissa did a good enough job of that on her own. She’d already arrived with Sophie, the copper-haired, elfin assistant she’d hired midway through last year. While Meera had a degree from Harvard, Sophie held qualifications in massage, hairdressing, and nail art. Nothing wrong with that, but they were hardly relevant to the global business empire Carissa claimed that she helped to run.

Carissa’s hair was perfect, as usual, and her nails had French tips today. One of Meera’s nails was chipped, and until an hour ago, they’d been covered in paint. She’d twisted her hair into a messy bun and pinned it into place with a jewelled nipple clamp she’d found in the basement. Brax wasn’t certain she knew what it was, and he wasn’t about to tell her. He got a kick out of it. Of course, he’d prefer she used it for its intended purpose, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Meera was wearing the jewellery he’d had Violet buy for her, the necklace and the earrings, plus the shoes and purse she’d picked up at the airport. If Brax couldn’t touch her, then using gifts as a proxy was the alternative. A poor substitute, but he had no other option. She’d teamed the accessories with a plain black knee-length shift dress, and she’d never looked more magnificent.

Brax kissed Sophie on the cheek, then did the same to Carissa. Had to keep up appearances. Meera took a seat between Brax and Sophie, which left her directly opposite Carissa at the round table. At least if tonight turned into a bloodbath, Brax was close enough to stick a fork in his wife’s thigh.

“How lovely that you could join us tonight,” Carissa said to Meera.

“It’s a pleasure,” she lied.

“Where are you from, Meena?” Sophie asked.

“Massachusetts.”

“No, I mean before that. Like, are you Indian?”

For fuck’s sake. Had Carissa schooled her assistant in the art of microaggression, or did it come naturally?

“I was born and raised in the United States of America.” Meera smiled, but not with her usual sweetness. “I love your hair. Did you know that redheads originated in Central Asia?”

“Uh, no?”

“The colour is down to a mutation on the MC1R gene. Instead of protection from the sun, you got freckles and those stunning copper locks.”

“Really?”

“Sometimes our flaws make us beautiful.”

Sophie decided to keep her mouth shut at that point. A wise decision. But Carissa just had to carry on.

“Have you been to this restaurant before?” she asked Meera.

“No.”

“I’m always trying to get Braxton to eat less meat. We all have to play our part in helping the environment.”

“Yes, absolutely. So we’d better avoid the avocados. Did you know that a single avocado takes between thirty and sixty gallons of water to grow? And when they’re cultivated in dry places like Chile, that leads to illegal extraction of water from rivers and damages the local ecosystem.” Meera ran her finger down the menu. “We shouldn’t have the lettuce either—that’s another thirsty plant. The raspberries and blueberries are also a ‘no.’ At this time of year, they’ve been flown in from overseas, so they’ll have a huge carbon footprint. Mushrooms require a considerable amount of energy to produce the warm temperatures they thrive in, plus they emit carbon dioxide. Cocoa contributes to deforestation, and as for cashews? Oh, dear. Not only are they a low-yield crop, but their hard shells contain a caustic oil that can burn the skin. If that leaks into the environment during processing, well, that’s a bad thing. I’m going to have the Coquilles Saint-Jacques. How about you?”

“Did you know Meera has a degree in environmental science from Harvard?” Brax asked.

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