14. Jasmine

14

JASMINE

J asmine stepped out of the elevator into the vestibule at the penthouse level, her mind racing with thoughts about Margo's message. Lynda had finally scheduled another lunch date with her ex, and it was time to implement the plan of showing Rob his fiancée's true colors.

As she opened the door and stepped into the living room, the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the city still took her breath away. She paused for a moment, marveling at how quickly this place had become home, and then made her way to the kitchen to brew fresh coffee and check the fridge for something to munch on.

She'd eaten lunch less than an hour ago, so she wasn't hungry, but she was nervous about what she and Margo were going to do next.

After getting the coffee machine going, she pulled out her phone and texted Margo. I'm here. Where are you?

The answer came a moment later. I'm in my room. I'm coming out .

Smiling, Jasmine put the phone back in her pocket.

By the time Margo walked into the kitchen, she had two steaming mugs of coffee and a plate of cheese slices ready. "Counter or living room?"

Margo thought for a moment. "Terrace. It's nice and cool by now, and there is barely any traffic on the weekend, so it's quiet."

"Lead the way." Jasmine handed her one of the mugs and carried the other and the cheese plate out onto the terrace.

They sat at a small bistro table facing the plexiglass railing, their backs to the sliding doors.

Margo smiled. "I can imagine Kian and Syssi sitting out here when they had just met. It used to be his place, you know."

"I know." Jasmine took a sip of the coffee, but it was still a bit too hot for her taste. "They are all coming here tomorrow; the whole family wants to meet Ell-rom. Are you going to be here?"

Margo shook her head. "Negal and I have planned a trip to the mall, and Frankie and Dagor are coming with us. Aru and Gabi are meeting her family in a restaurant in one of the clan's hotels."

Jasmine wondered if anyone had told them to find other things to do while the family was meeting Ell-rom. "I hope you were not told to make yourselves scarce."

Margo chuckled. "We were informed that Kian was commandeering the place for lunch and that we were welcome to congregate at the other penthouse."

"I'm sorry." Jasmine winced.

"Nothing to be sorry about. This is Kian's place, and he's letting us stay here rent-free. If he needs it back for one afternoon, it's not a big deal. Totally understandable."

They were both avoiding the real reason they were meeting for coffee, but even though it was an unpleasant task, it needed to be done, and Jasmine didn't have all day. Ell-rom was waiting for her at the clinic.

"So, what are Lynda's plans for tomorrow?"

"She's meeting her ex at Maria's Kitchen at twelve-thirty."

Jasmine's eyebrows shot up. "Maria's Kitchen? Isn't that the place you were gushing about yesterday? You wanted to take Negal there."

Margo nodded. "The very same. To be fair, I heard about it from Lynda, and it's really good. Anyway, she told Rob that she was meeting one of her girlfriends for lunch, and she even called her to make sure she would back up her story. Can you believe that?"

"At least she's thorough."

"That she is." Margo sighed. "She always thinks of everything down to the most minute detail. Maybe that's how she manages to manipulate everyone around her with such ease."

Jasmine chuckled. "She should go into politics. She would find a lot of like-minded people there."

"Yeah, she would be the most poisonous viper in that den of snakes."

"So, what's the plan?" Jasmine asked.

"That's why I need you here. I don't know what to do. I mean, your advice about getting Rob to the same restaurant was good, but if Lynda sees Rob, she'll just come up with some cover story, and Rob, being the pushover that he is when it comes to Lynda, will probably believe her."

"Well, you could always go in disguise," Jasmine joked. "Or sit across the street with binoculars like in one of those old detective movies."

"Right, because that wouldn't be suspicious at all."

"It doesn't have to be," Jasmine said. "You can pick a place nearby, somewhere with outdoor seating, if possible, but get there at twelve. That way, you will be able to spot Lynda and her ex arriving at Maria's Kitchen without them seeing you. Once Rob sees that he will be more open to what you have to tell him."

"That could work. There's a little café just down the street from Maria's that has patio seating." Margo pulled out her phone. "I don't remember the name, but it's easy enough to find on the Map app."

While Margo searched, Jasmine bit into a piece of cheese.

"Here it is. Bronx Café. I remembered the name had something to do with New York. I'm calling Rob."

Jasmine listened as Margo dialed her brother's number, her heart going out to the unsuspecting Rob. The phone rang twice before he picked up.

"Margo? What a nice surprise to hear from you. What's up?"

"Hi, Rob," Margo said, her voice carefully casual. "I was wondering if you'd like to grab lunch together tomorrow? It's been a while since we've had a chance to catch up, you know. Just you and me."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Tomorrow? Um, sure, that sounds great, actually. Lynda's meeting a friend, so I'm free. Where do you want to go?"

Margo shot Jasmine a triumphant look. "I was thinking we could try a café that a friend recommended. It's called Bronx Café, and it has patio seating."

"Sounds perfect," Rob said. "What time?"

"Does noon work for you?"

"Sure."

They talked for a few more minutes about their parents and how they were doing, and then Margo ended the call with a cheerful goodbye, but as soon as she hung up, her smile faded.

"Did you hear that?" Margo shook her head. "Lynda's meeting a friend for lunch, and he doesn't even question it anymore. Maybe he's just glad to get rid of her for a couple of hours so he can have some peace."

Jasmine felt a pang of sympathy for Rob. "I have no problem with him being a trusting fellow. What bothers me is that he shouldn't have to ask permission to see his sister. It sounded as if the only reason he could meet with you was because Lynda was busy doing something else."

"That's exactly like it is."

Poor Rob. The guy needed to be liberated.

"Hopefully, after tomorrow, he'll see the truth for himself. It'll be painful, but a little pain now will save him a lot more pain in the future."

Her words brought back memories of her own breakup with Edgar. He had been a decent guy, and for a while they'd had fun together, but he was not the right one for her. Ending things had been difficult, and she had hated hurting him, but in the end, it had been the right decision for both of them.

"By the way," Jasmine said, suddenly curious about Edgar's current love life, "how are things going with Edgar and Frankie's cousin Angelica? Have they seen each other again?"

Margo grinned. "Frankie says that they can't get enough of each other."

She felt a wave of relief and happiness wash over her. "That's wonderful! I'm so glad. I wish them the best, and I hope that Angelica is the one for him. Did he tell her already about who he is? I mean, she's a Dormant, so if they hit it off, he should give her the talk."

"I don't know," Margo said. "I'm not really following their love life, but speaking of Dormants and transitions, how are things going with you and Ell-rom? Any progress on the transition front?"

Jasmine felt a flutter of nervousness in her stomach. "We're taking things slow. He's still recovering, and there is also the issue of his inexperience. I don't want to overwhelm him."

Margo's eyes widened. "So, he's really a virgin?"

"Very much so, but not for long if I can help it."