Jules was fully aware of the woman’s tactics. She was trying to gain attention. Behave as if she was a victim. After all, she’d not only watched the video of what had happened at the boat dock more than a hundred times, she’d watched every video the woman had posted on social media. There were so many Karen moments where she demanded something from someone all while berating or tearing them down.
“I believe you’re the one who started all this,” Jules said calmly as Brett was stopped by someone halfway across the room.
Jules’s statement seemed to piss Lisa off. She jerked quickly and gripped Jules’s arm. Her long fingernails dug into Jules’s skin, no doubt leaving marks.
“Do you really think you can go up against me?” Lisa’s eyes moved over Jules again. “The lot of you will stop harassing me and my husbands’ business or we will sue.”
“Aren’t you and your husbands’ business getting sued already?” Jules said with a slight smile of satisfaction.
The woman’s words had confirmed one more thing. Lisa wasn’t here necessarily for her. She just happened to be the only one here because everyone else in Lisa’s scope was currently at the hospital, waiting for Hannah and Owen’s new baby to arrive.
“That will stop too. I know all about your friends’ lives. They won’t want what I have exposed, and I will make sure to rip their quaint little lives wide fucking open.” Lisa’s tone turned strained.
Jules could tell she was nearing the end of her composure. The woman’s eyes had even changed color. Instead of a calm blue, they were now almost fiery turquoise. Her fingernails dug even further into Jules’s skin.
“Release me,” Jules said calmly. “It wouldn’t do you any good to cause another scene. After all, there are cameras everyone on the campus.”
Lisa jerked her hand away from Jules’s arm just as Brett rushed up beside her.
“You’re done here,” Brett said, taking hold of the woman.
“This is your one and only warning,” Lisa said to her as Brett tried to get her to leave.
“That’ll be thirty-two dollars. For the wine,” Jules added with a slight nod.
Lisa’s eyes narrowed as she jerked her arm free of Brett’s or at least tried to. “Charge it to—”
“I’m sorry, all non-guests have to pay in either cash or charge,” Jules said peacefully.
Lisa glanced around and wiggled her finger at an older gentleman. Jules couldn’t remember the man’s name, but she knew he was a guest.
“Is there a problem here?” the man asked Lisa.
“She’s leaving,” Brett said firmly.
“Byron, pay the woman for one of the worst glasses of wine I’ve ever tasted. I’m going to powder my nose,” Lisa said, as if it was her decision to be tossed out.
Byron watched Brett walk Lisa out the door then turned and picked up the glass and took a sip. “That’s good,” he said, nodding. “Give me two more glasses of it. My wife is going to love this.”
Jules wondered if it would piss Lisa off knowing that she was, in a way, responsible for her biggest tip of the evening.
When she walked into the apartment after work, she was happily surprised to see the place cleaner than it had ever been. Damion had set her little kitchen table and had two candles lit with a bottle of wine chilling.
He was wearing a nice pair of pants and a button-up shirt.
“What’s all this?” she asked, tossing down her bag.
“I figured I owed you a dinner.” He took her hand and led her to the table. Then he pulled her chair out for her and she took a seat.
Damion disappeared into the kitchen and brought back a covered plater and set it in front of her. Then he set the other in front of him and took a seat.
“I hope you like it. Isaac gave me the recipe,” he said when she lifted the lid.
“You cooked this?” she said, looking down at the beautiful chicken cacciatore with two slices of garlic toast.
“Yes,” he said as he poured her a glass of red wine.
She picked up her fork and took a bite and melted. The rich taste of the red sauce, the zip and tingle of the seasoning. Closing her eyes, she allowed the smell, the taste, the warmth to spread through her.