Page 27 of Lion & Lamb

Chef Nguyen smiled and swirled himself a bite of spaghetti. “See, you figured it out for yourself. The threesome.”

“But onlyyousaw how they behaved.”

“Oh, believe me, everybody saw. They were shameless. Everybody on the Main Line talked about them. And I should have known better. The moment I crossed that Maya Rain chick, my days were numbered.”

“What did you do, ask her out?”

“Of course I asked her out. Have youseenher?”

Veena said nothing as she twirled more pasta around her fork. She hated herself for wishing there were more in her bowl.

“It’s the whole nanny thing too. Sweet and shy on the outside, but once the kids are tucked away in bed…”

“You can stop painting the picture, Chef.”

“What if I don’t want to, Ms. Lion?” he said, chuckling.

Chapter22

Transcript of phone call placed by Cooper Lamb to a private number

COOPER LAMB: Hey, it’s your old man. Guess who I’m going to be meeting in two minutes.

ARIEL LAMB: Francine Pearl Hughes.

LAMB: Whoa! Nailed it on the first try.

ARIEL: C’mon on, Dad. You’re working for her law firm, so one can only assume you’ll be meeting with Francine at some point.

LAMB: You’re good, kid. Unlike your dopey brother.

COOPER LAMB JR.: Hey! I’m standing right here.

LAMB: Relax, sparky. I knew you both were on speaker this whole time. I could hear your snuffles. By the way, are you taking your allergy medicine? And shouldn’t you be getting back to basket-weaving class or whatever they teach at that expensive Quaker school?

ARIEL: Ignoring you. Say hello to Ms. Hughes for us! Tell her we’re huge fans.

LAMB: I’ll bet I’m a bigger fan than you guys.

ARIEL: Oh, really. Name one Francine Pearl song.

COOPER JR.: I hate that allergy medicine. It tastes like puke.

LAMB: If you could learn how to swallow a pill, you wouldn’t have to drink the puke. As for your question, my dear doubting daughter: “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

ARIEL: That’s not a Francine Pearl song.

LAMB: I heard her sing it once. At a Super Bowl, in fact!

Cooper Lamb had been in more impressive homes than this. But those homes were Monticello, the Hearst Castle, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And none of those homes had had Francine Pearl Hughes living in them.

“Sit anywhere you like, Cooper,” Francine said. “I’ll be right with you after I get the kids their snacks. Care for something to drink?”

“Just some tap water for me and my dog, Lupe, if you don’t mind.”

“I think we can do a little better than that,” she said, smiling.

Most people would be pondering the correct drink request. Not Cooper. He was too busy strategizing the proper place to sit. Sure, this was a friendly interview at his client’s home. But make no mistake, Francine’s kitchen was also her battlefield. Especially now that she had fired her general (Chef Roy Nguyen) and assumed command of all the family meals. She might be dressed in the casual manner of a Main Line mom, but she was still a superstar.

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