Dinner at Sam's by DL White

Author:DL White
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DL White

Chapter Eleven

Gibson

* * *

We claimed our usual table, the last cluster on the right side of the patio with the city skyline in view. Gregg and I settled in and ordered a drink for Gabe, who was on his way from court in another county.

“Have you made up with Mother yet? Or are you two still on the outs?”

I chuckled, sipping a fresh pour of Knob Creek and lighting a cigar. On insistence from the owner of Mink’s, I was trying something new. He’d come to our table as soon as we sat down and offered a stogie from his recent shipment, including the toasted, nutty flavored Ashton Cabinet I was smoking.

“You know we don’t make up anymore, Gregg. We avoid each other for a couple of weeks. Then she asks me to do something inane and meaningless, I agree for the sake of us getting along, and our argument is forgotten.”

“Yeah, so. Where are you with that?”

“Why does it matter to you?”

Gregg grimaced. “You know how grumpy and nit-picky she gets when you two are fighting. She turns on Gabe and me and all of a sudden we’re worthless.”

“So you’re mad that you’re getting the treatment I usually get?” I laughed, taking a sip from my glass. “I think you can take it for a few weeks. I’ve been taking it for a long time.”

“Is it even worth it? This case— it’s a divorce, right? Why’s she so… I don’t know. She’s seething about it.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I know she has an issue with how much I charge to represent some of my clients, but she seems to have a personal objection to Vanessa Jackson. Something about Vanessa bothers her.”

“What do you think it is?”

“No idea.” I sipped, deep in thought. “It can’t be the money; it’s got to be something more than that.”

“Well… is this client young? Attractive? You know what I mean?”

I bobbed my head, trying to control my expression. Vanessa was more than merely attractive. And I was more than merely attracted to her. She was beautiful. Sexy. Funny. Human but not fragile. And I’d developed some very meaningful feelings for her. “She’s relatively young. Very attractive. What does that have to do with Mother?”

Gregg pulled at his goatee and pushed his thick, black rimmed glasses further up his nose. “I wouldn’t say she’s jealous, per se. More wary. She definitely doesn’t want a repeat of Melanie.”

“I thought she was going to have a nervous breakdown the first time I brought Melanie home.” They’d eventually gotten close, but my mother’s initial reaction to Melanie was stiff and formal and she seemed stressed whenever I brought up my relationship with her. It was odd to see such a cool, calm collected public figure in emotional disarray.

“You have no idea, do you Gib?”

“He has no idea about what?” Gabriel pulled back the chair we’d saved for him and picked up the whiskey we’d ordered. In an unsurprising turn, he wore a dark grey suit with a bright yellow tie and pocket square.

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