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It appears that I’ to lunch with your mother

I like to be myself Misery loves company

--Anthony Corallo

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EMILY

It’s no coincidence that lunch with Mrs Brandon, or "Maggie," as I am now to call her, is at Jeffrey’s Restaurant, the saht weme she knows about Shane andor I’d be utterly cornered Not that I think I’ to escape some sort of full-frontal attack before this is over anyway, and of course, the white elephant is Mrs Brandon’s offer to pay me for information

We settle at a table near the front of the restaurant, and Maggie doesn’t bother to look at the menu "The brown butter ravioli is to die for," she says "I highly recoht just love the ravioli, but I suspect she’s baiting me, and I don’t let her "I’ve had it before," I say "And I agree It’s fabulous"

"You’ve been here before I had no idea You didn’t ain with the baiting "It was one of the first places recoo"

"That’s right You justclose to "

She opens her mouth to ask a question I’m sure I won’t want to anshen our waitress, a pretty and young brunette, appears in front of us, and saves me, at least for theme a smile as well "So nice to have you both in today"

My phone buzzes in my purse with yet another text I am certain is from Shane I have yet to answer at least three others for fear of being obvious

"Hello Lori," Maggie greets the waitress, then indicates ie ilances at me "Wine?"

I hold up a hand "Oh no Thanks, but I’ll fall asleep at rab my purse "And on that note, I had better run to the ladies’ roo my hand down my simple navy blue dress, which is thankfully wrinkle free, since nothing else is right now

Maggie’s eyes hone in on uess you knohere it is"

"I knohere every bathrooing to sound amused despite my fear she’s justin the back hallway "Everything I drink goes right through me"

"I’m the sa"

More like hurry away, I think, rushing through the restaurant and down the hallhere Shane and I had first kissed, telling ie, knows about that We were alone I enter the one-person bathroo phone, having trashed the other one, as Kevin de on the wall, I punch in Shane’s nu"hello"