Two's company
The entire evening had been a bust. Well, that wasn’t entirely true -- the food and drinks at Zafferano had been just as delicious as Parvati had assured her they would be. If it hadn’t been for the mushroom risotto and dirty martinis, she would have chalked the whole thing up as a complete waste of makeup.
She’d known better. Really, she had. Letting Mandy set her up on a blind date could only be qualified as temporary insanity. She loved her friends -- she really did. But Mandy was of the opinion that if she was married, then it was high time for Padma to be pushed down the road to matrimonial bliss. She was starting to sound like Indira Patil.
Merlin only knew, Padma could barely handle one mother.
Settling in at the bar, Padma sighed and orderd another dirty martini. During a different period in her life, she would have gone back to the office to a bit more work -- but slowly and surely, she was starting to loosen her grip on her office life. She wasn’t ready to go home yet, and the drinks were excellent here. Another martini was entirely warranted.
Lysander shook his head as he pushed through the door of Zafferano. “No, no, no. You’re wrong, mate. Evans has lasted this long because Seekers don’t take the brunt of most of the bludger hits. There’s no way she’ll be around more than another season or two at most. Once she’s gone, the Harpies will have a mostly green team. It’ll take them years to build back up to Cup contention.”
“It’s taken them years already. Their last Cup final was in 1995,” Julian pointed out dryly. “Evans has lasted this long because she flies out of the action, which is also the reason Holyhead’s looking to trade her before the winter holiday. Twenty galleons says she takes early retirement -- the only team interested in her at the moment is Chudley.”
With a shake of his head, Lysander waved his friend off and stepped up to the maitre ‘d. “Table for two, reservation’s under Montague.” Just then his eyes fell on a familiar woman at the bar and his brows rose. “Actually, we’ll be needing a table for three and I’d like you to ask the young woman in blue to join us, if you’d be so kind,” he added, nodding toward his occasional coffee companion.
“Very good, sir.”
Julian followed his old friend’s gaze to the bar, where a familiar-looking woman sat nursing a martini. One of the Patil twins -- Padma, most likely; he’d last seen her at Carter and Cassandra’s birthday party earlier in the year. He didn’t know Lysander had previous knowledge of the woman, though.
“Oh good, I was dreading having to look at your visage all evening. She’s much more beautiful than your ugly mug.”
“She is,” Lysander agreed, smiling as he saw Padma’s attention shift to them after the staff approached her. He hadn’t had occasion to see Miss Patil dressed in evening wear before. The blue dress she wore highlighted her figure quite well. She looked lovely. “Though I’m not sure she’s prettier than you, Jules darling. You’re delightfully dainty.”
“I don’t believe you thought I was dainty last night,” Julian replied with a smirk. “But never mind that, tell me. When did you make the acquaintance of our soon-to-be dinner companion? Did you find a paramour at my childrens’ baptism?”
Lysander rolled his eyes. Leave it to Julian to immediately assume they were having sex. “She’s a friend, Julian. Don’t go embarrassing her by implying anything else. Padma and I met at the bookstore and we have coffee from time to time.”
“I resent the implication that I would embarrass your friend.”
When the maitre’d had approached her and asked her to join the two gentlemen up front, Padma had nearly told him he had the wrong woman. The restaurant was Muggle-side, and the odds of running into anyone she knew were extremely slim. But when she glanced around the man to see Lysander and the father of Penelope’s children waiting at the front of the restaurant, she’d stood corrected.
Gathering her martini and clutch, Padma slipped down from the stool and followed the maitre’d to where the two men stood waiting. “Lysander,” she said with a smile -- a genuine one; the first of such all evening. “This is a surprise.”
Returning her smile, he replied, “A pleasant one, I hope. I’m taking Julian here for his evening walk and thought you might be so kind as to help me entertain him. Consider it your good deed for the day.”
It was presumptuous of him to take her glass when she hadn’t specifically agreed to join them, but he figured Padma would speak up if she had other plans for the evening. The trio was led to a table and Lysander set Padma’s glass down before pulling out a chair for her. “I believe you already know Julian, yes?”
Padma had already eaten, but she could finish her drinks here as well as she could at the bar. Flashing Lysander a smile of gratitude, she settled into her seat. “We’ve met, yes.” Glancing at the other man, she said, “How are your children? I’ve not seen them for a month or two.”
She was reminded, yet again, that she needed to owl Penelope for a night in. They had discussed getting together for some wine and girl-type things at the twins’ party, but so far, nothing had come to fruition. It was testament to the business of their lives, she supposed, of how busy they both were. And she was curious to know more about the man who’d fathered her friends’ children. He seemed so unlike Penelope’s previous male friends -- Roger and Percy -- but there had to be something there.
“They’ve both begun talking,” Julian said, waiting until Padma was seated until he took his seat across from her. “And walking free of help. Nana laments that they’re into everything at the same time.”
“They are definitely their father’s children,” Lysander commented with a grin. He hadn’t spent an excessive amount of time with his friend’s youngsters, but from the times he’d seen them he could definitely see Julian in them. It wasn’t a surprise that with two very headstrong parents the children would be willful and inquisitive too.
“They manifested magic when they were six months old. Of course they are.”
“That’s how old Parvati and I were,” Padma commented. She took a sip of her martini and paused, thinking. “Maybe early manifestations are more common in twins? Given there’s two magical children in close proximity to one another, it stands to reason that that could have some influence on it.”
When Julian didn’t immediately respond, Lysander laughed. “Oh love, don’t take away his delusion that he’s gifted his progeny with super magical prowess. He already has to live with being unfortunate looking, there’s only so much a man can take.”
“That’s twice tonight you’ve disparaged my looks,” Julian remarked with a raised brow. “Stop hiding your own insecurities behind a barbed attempt at wit, dear. It isn’t a good look for you.”
“I beg your pardon! I believe I said you were very pretty earlier.” Dark eyes and a wry grin switched to Padma. “Some people just can’t take a compliment. I mean, you’re looking quite lovely tonight. That doesn’t come across as an insult, does it?”
“Not at all.” Padma’s cheeks colored in a slight blush, but she smiled graciously at the compliment. “And you’re looking very dapper as well.”
“Thank you. See Julian, it’s not so hard.” He liked ribbing his friend, but it was all in good fun. They’d been taking the mickey out of each other since school.
The waiter came and they ordered, Padma declining anything but another cocktail, and once the man had left them again, Lysander turned his attention back to his female friend. “So, you haven’t said. What brings a beautiful woman like yourself out, all dressed up with no bloke to appreciate it?”
“I was meeting a friend of a friend.” Technically, it was the truth. Kevin was a friend of Mandy’s, albeit through her husband, but that wasn’t the sort of information to share in present company. Lysander would likely rue inviting her if she mentioned she’d been on a -- dreadful -- blind date.
“Ah, so the bloke’s already been through, and you’re still here drinking. Either he’s not bright enough to appreciate a lovely lady, or he wasn’t worthy of a mutual appreciation.” Lysander tsked and shook his head. “Well, Julian and I will have to make up for his shortcomings, eh?”
“So fortunate I’m here,” Julian commented, his green eyes amused as he fixed a smirk at his old friend. “Were you her only company, I imagine Miss Patil would have just asked for the bottle of vodka rather than her martini.”
With a self-effacing shrug, the darker man nodded. “It’s true. Going from such a dull evening to one filled with my overwhelming charm would be difficult for any woman. Thank you for providing a balance, mate. You’re always so helpful.”
Despite the blush that stained her cheeks -- really, could she have been much more obvious? Of course Lysander saw straight through her attempts at subterfuge -- Padma couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “The com80�t worthy of a mutual appreciation.” Lysander tsked and shook his head. “Well, Julian and I will have to make up for his shortcomings, eh?”
“So fortunate I’m here,” Julian commented, his green eyes amused as he fixed a smirk at his old friend. “Were you her only company, I imagine Miss Patil would have just asked for the bottle of vodka rather than her martini.”
With a self-effacing shrug, the darker man nodded. “It’s true. Going from such a dull evening to one filled with my overwhelpany,” both of them, she noted; for her misgivings about Penelope’s former lover, he had been naught but pleasant thus far, “is a marked improvement from earlier in the evening. Thank you for that.”
“You know I’m always glad to see you, Padma,” Lysander said, settling into something more serious. She was a beautiful woman, but she was also his friend. They’d been having coffee and bookstore meetings for some time and it was nice to see her in a different light. “And Julian, I’m sure, is glad to have another person who can tell his children’s mother what a fine, upstanding man he is. I gather Penelope doesn’t think my mate is properly house-trained.”
Is he? It was on the tip of Padma’s tongue, but that was where it stayed. Charm and charisma -- and looks; Julian Vaisey was an attractive man -- were all well and good, but they could serve as a tidy disguise. Penelope had never been a rash human before. She trusted her friend wasn’t the type to frame her lover for trafficking illegal substances -- which meant that it was likely true, and he was only free on legalities.
Merlin, she was glad she’d decided not to go into law.
Where most people would have glared at their friend, Julian merely raised a brow. “Something like that,” he commented, taking a sip of his newly-arrived whiskey. Having ‘another’ person extol his virtues to Penelope would be remarkable indeed -- considering there wasn’t someone else to help constitute the definition of ‘another.’
“I’ll be sure to say only good things when I see Penelope next,” she assured the two of them.
Lysander merely grinned as their meals arrived. He treated himself when they came to Zafferano, starting with osso buco ravioli before his fiorentina steak arrived. They were delicious, as always, and for a few minutes the only sound at the table was the quiet noises of men enjoying a good meal.
When he came up for air, he cast an apologetic grin toward his impromptu companion. “I’m afraid I enjoy quality Italian food more than I should. It’s fortunate Julian only recommends this restaurant once in awhile or I might have to concede defeat in our regular debate over which of us has a better physique.”
“Oh, concede defeat? I wasn’t aware I had any competition.” Lips curling, he glanced towards their female companion. “Let him have his illusions, dolce. Some day he’ll have to face the harsh reality, and then he might lose his wits.”
“Oh, I’m not so fragile as all that. I just hate to imagine the amount of pure smugness that would radiate off of you if it happened. It would fill the city.” Turning his attention to the pretty Indian woman sitting to his side, Lysander left off his poking at his friend and focused on Padma. “What have you been up to lately, then? More nurseries? Have you managed to finish that friend’s home you told me about? The obscenely large place he bought his wife?”
Padma shook her head with a small laugh. “No, I suppose I’ll still be working on that house when their daughter leaves for Hogwarts. I think we’re making progress, and then I discover there’s an entire wing still empty. It’s a beautiful home, but I can’t imagine being responsible for so much space.”
In a way, it was funny. Their little band of Ravenclaws had always been close, but there were even closer-knit groups within the gang. Lisa and Michael had gravitated towards each other from the start, drawn together by their love of music. Mandy and Terry had a sibling-like relationship that was always sure to produce fireworks, but Padma had never really had that sort of niche with anyone besides Lisa or Mandy. She had actually gotten closer to Stephen since his marriage -- in a completely platonic way. Fitting, since she was spending a good portion of her time in his house.
She took a sip of her martini, then cleared her throat. “But no, no more nurseries as of now. I’m on retainer if any of my other friends decides to reproduce. I’ve quite the collection to showcase now.”
“Well, I don’t expect to be giving you any of those kinds of jobs anytime soon. Unlike my friend here, I’d prefer to find a wife before I begin spawning. I have been thinking of finding a new home, though. My little church is charming, but space is decidedly limited.” Lysander had been ‘thinking’ of upgrading for quite some time actually. It was much more recent he’d begun to feel a more pressing need to move. He was over thirty now and it seemed prudent to have a home that had room for an expansion of inhabitants.
Yes, because that had definitely been the route Julian would have preferred taking. “Well, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” he pointed out after a bite of his abbachio al forno, lips curling in a smirk when he nodded at Padma, then quirked a brow at Lysander.
Padma missed his insinuation. She was riffling through her clutch. “Well,” she said, pulling out the object of her search, “if you do happen to find a new place, I know a small interior design firm that’s taking new clients.” She slid her business card across the table with a smile, nose crinkling ever so slightly.
Taking the proffered card with a grin, Lysander pretended to look at it critically, having decided that the best way to handle Julian’s little tease was to ignore it. “What can you tell me about this small company? Are they any good, do you suppose?” His lips twitched as dark eyes flicked back to meet Padma’s.
“The best, in my completely unbiased opinion,” she answered.
“Well, I’ll have to keep them in mind. Who knows? Maybe I could even talk the proprietor into offering a discount for those clients without multiple wings.”
“Or multiple nurseries,” Julian quipped.
“Discounts are considered on a case-by-case basis. Compelling arguments are necessary.” Padma took another sip of her martini, enjoying the warmth that spread through the tips of her fingers from the cocktails she’d enjoyed through the evening. It wasn’t from the smile on Lysander’s face. Not at all.
With a low chuckle, Lysander lifted his glass to Padma. “In that case, I’ll have to work on my ability to compel.”
She’d known better. Really, she had. Letting Mandy set her up on a blind date could only be qualified as temporary insanity. She loved her friends -- she really did. But Mandy was of the opinion that if she was married, then it was high time for Padma to be pushed down the road to matrimonial bliss. She was starting to sound like Indira Patil.
Merlin only knew, Padma could barely handle one mother.
Settling in at the bar, Padma sighed and orderd another dirty martini. During a different period in her life, she would have gone back to the office to a bit more work -- but slowly and surely, she was starting to loosen her grip on her office life. She wasn’t ready to go home yet, and the drinks were excellent here. Another martini was entirely warranted.
Lysander shook his head as he pushed through the door of Zafferano. “No, no, no. You’re wrong, mate. Evans has lasted this long because Seekers don’t take the brunt of most of the bludger hits. There’s no way she’ll be around more than another season or two at most. Once she’s gone, the Harpies will have a mostly green team. It’ll take them years to build back up to Cup contention.”
“It’s taken them years already. Their last Cup final was in 1995,” Julian pointed out dryly. “Evans has lasted this long because she flies out of the action, which is also the reason Holyhead’s looking to trade her before the winter holiday. Twenty galleons says she takes early retirement -- the only team interested in her at the moment is Chudley.”
With a shake of his head, Lysander waved his friend off and stepped up to the maitre ‘d. “Table for two, reservation’s under Montague.” Just then his eyes fell on a familiar woman at the bar and his brows rose. “Actually, we’ll be needing a table for three and I’d like you to ask the young woman in blue to join us, if you’d be so kind,” he added, nodding toward his occasional coffee companion.
“Very good, sir.”
Julian followed his old friend’s gaze to the bar, where a familiar-looking woman sat nursing a martini. One of the Patil twins -- Padma, most likely; he’d last seen her at Carter and Cassandra’s birthday party earlier in the year. He didn’t know Lysander had previous knowledge of the woman, though.
“Oh good, I was dreading having to look at your visage all evening. She’s much more beautiful than your ugly mug.”
“She is,” Lysander agreed, smiling as he saw Padma’s attention shift to them after the staff approached her. He hadn’t had occasion to see Miss Patil dressed in evening wear before. The blue dress she wore highlighted her figure quite well. She looked lovely. “Though I’m not sure she’s prettier than you, Jules darling. You’re delightfully dainty.”
“I don’t believe you thought I was dainty last night,” Julian replied with a smirk. “But never mind that, tell me. When did you make the acquaintance of our soon-to-be dinner companion? Did you find a paramour at my childrens’ baptism?”
Lysander rolled his eyes. Leave it to Julian to immediately assume they were having sex. “She’s a friend, Julian. Don’t go embarrassing her by implying anything else. Padma and I met at the bookstore and we have coffee from time to time.”
“I resent the implication that I would embarrass your friend.”
When the maitre’d had approached her and asked her to join the two gentlemen up front, Padma had nearly told him he had the wrong woman. The restaurant was Muggle-side, and the odds of running into anyone she knew were extremely slim. But when she glanced around the man to see Lysander and the father of Penelope’s children waiting at the front of the restaurant, she’d stood corrected.
Gathering her martini and clutch, Padma slipped down from the stool and followed the maitre’d to where the two men stood waiting. “Lysander,” she said with a smile -- a genuine one; the first of such all evening. “This is a surprise.”
Returning her smile, he replied, “A pleasant one, I hope. I’m taking Julian here for his evening walk and thought you might be so kind as to help me entertain him. Consider it your good deed for the day.”
It was presumptuous of him to take her glass when she hadn’t specifically agreed to join them, but he figured Padma would speak up if she had other plans for the evening. The trio was led to a table and Lysander set Padma’s glass down before pulling out a chair for her. “I believe you already know Julian, yes?”
Padma had already eaten, but she could finish her drinks here as well as she could at the bar. Flashing Lysander a smile of gratitude, she settled into her seat. “We’ve met, yes.” Glancing at the other man, she said, “How are your children? I’ve not seen them for a month or two.”
She was reminded, yet again, that she needed to owl Penelope for a night in. They had discussed getting together for some wine and girl-type things at the twins’ party, but so far, nothing had come to fruition. It was testament to the business of their lives, she supposed, of how busy they both were. And she was curious to know more about the man who’d fathered her friends’ children. He seemed so unlike Penelope’s previous male friends -- Roger and Percy -- but there had to be something there.
“They’ve both begun talking,” Julian said, waiting until Padma was seated until he took his seat across from her. “And walking free of help. Nana laments that they’re into everything at the same time.”
“They are definitely their father’s children,” Lysander commented with a grin. He hadn’t spent an excessive amount of time with his friend’s youngsters, but from the times he’d seen them he could definitely see Julian in them. It wasn’t a surprise that with two very headstrong parents the children would be willful and inquisitive too.
“They manifested magic when they were six months old. Of course they are.”
“That’s how old Parvati and I were,” Padma commented. She took a sip of her martini and paused, thinking. “Maybe early manifestations are more common in twins? Given there’s two magical children in close proximity to one another, it stands to reason that that could have some influence on it.”
When Julian didn’t immediately respond, Lysander laughed. “Oh love, don’t take away his delusion that he’s gifted his progeny with super magical prowess. He already has to live with being unfortunate looking, there’s only so much a man can take.”
“That’s twice tonight you’ve disparaged my looks,” Julian remarked with a raised brow. “Stop hiding your own insecurities behind a barbed attempt at wit, dear. It isn’t a good look for you.”
“I beg your pardon! I believe I said you were very pretty earlier.” Dark eyes and a wry grin switched to Padma. “Some people just can’t take a compliment. I mean, you’re looking quite lovely tonight. That doesn’t come across as an insult, does it?”
“Not at all.” Padma’s cheeks colored in a slight blush, but she smiled graciously at the compliment. “And you’re looking very dapper as well.”
“Thank you. See Julian, it’s not so hard.” He liked ribbing his friend, but it was all in good fun. They’d been taking the mickey out of each other since school.
The waiter came and they ordered, Padma declining anything but another cocktail, and once the man had left them again, Lysander turned his attention back to his female friend. “So, you haven’t said. What brings a beautiful woman like yourself out, all dressed up with no bloke to appreciate it?”
“I was meeting a friend of a friend.” Technically, it was the truth. Kevin was a friend of Mandy’s, albeit through her husband, but that wasn’t the sort of information to share in present company. Lysander would likely rue inviting her if she mentioned she’d been on a -- dreadful -- blind date.
“Ah, so the bloke’s already been through, and you’re still here drinking. Either he’s not bright enough to appreciate a lovely lady, or he wasn’t worthy of a mutual appreciation.” Lysander tsked and shook his head. “Well, Julian and I will have to make up for his shortcomings, eh?”
“So fortunate I’m here,” Julian commented, his green eyes amused as he fixed a smirk at his old friend. “Were you her only company, I imagine Miss Patil would have just asked for the bottle of vodka rather than her martini.”
With a self-effacing shrug, the darker man nodded. “It’s true. Going from such a dull evening to one filled with my overwhelming charm would be difficult for any woman. Thank you for providing a balance, mate. You’re always so helpful.”
Despite the blush that stained her cheeks -- really, could she have been much more obvious? Of course Lysander saw straight through her attempts at subterfuge -- Padma couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “The com80�t worthy of a mutual appreciation.” Lysander tsked and shook his head. “Well, Julian and I will have to make up for his shortcomings, eh?”
“So fortunate I’m here,” Julian commented, his green eyes amused as he fixed a smirk at his old friend. “Were you her only company, I imagine Miss Patil would have just asked for the bottle of vodka rather than her martini.”
With a self-effacing shrug, the darker man nodded. “It’s true. Going from such a dull evening to one filled with my overwhelpany,” both of them, she noted; for her misgivings about Penelope’s former lover, he had been naught but pleasant thus far, “is a marked improvement from earlier in the evening. Thank you for that.”
“You know I’m always glad to see you, Padma,” Lysander said, settling into something more serious. She was a beautiful woman, but she was also his friend. They’d been having coffee and bookstore meetings for some time and it was nice to see her in a different light. “And Julian, I’m sure, is glad to have another person who can tell his children’s mother what a fine, upstanding man he is. I gather Penelope doesn’t think my mate is properly house-trained.”
Is he? It was on the tip of Padma’s tongue, but that was where it stayed. Charm and charisma -- and looks; Julian Vaisey was an attractive man -- were all well and good, but they could serve as a tidy disguise. Penelope had never been a rash human before. She trusted her friend wasn’t the type to frame her lover for trafficking illegal substances -- which meant that it was likely true, and he was only free on legalities.
Merlin, she was glad she’d decided not to go into law.
Where most people would have glared at their friend, Julian merely raised a brow. “Something like that,” he commented, taking a sip of his newly-arrived whiskey. Having ‘another’ person extol his virtues to Penelope would be remarkable indeed -- considering there wasn’t someone else to help constitute the definition of ‘another.’
“I’ll be sure to say only good things when I see Penelope next,” she assured the two of them.
Lysander merely grinned as their meals arrived. He treated himself when they came to Zafferano, starting with osso buco ravioli before his fiorentina steak arrived. They were delicious, as always, and for a few minutes the only sound at the table was the quiet noises of men enjoying a good meal.
When he came up for air, he cast an apologetic grin toward his impromptu companion. “I’m afraid I enjoy quality Italian food more than I should. It’s fortunate Julian only recommends this restaurant once in awhile or I might have to concede defeat in our regular debate over which of us has a better physique.”
“Oh, concede defeat? I wasn’t aware I had any competition.” Lips curling, he glanced towards their female companion. “Let him have his illusions, dolce. Some day he’ll have to face the harsh reality, and then he might lose his wits.”
“Oh, I’m not so fragile as all that. I just hate to imagine the amount of pure smugness that would radiate off of you if it happened. It would fill the city.” Turning his attention to the pretty Indian woman sitting to his side, Lysander left off his poking at his friend and focused on Padma. “What have you been up to lately, then? More nurseries? Have you managed to finish that friend’s home you told me about? The obscenely large place he bought his wife?”
Padma shook her head with a small laugh. “No, I suppose I’ll still be working on that house when their daughter leaves for Hogwarts. I think we’re making progress, and then I discover there’s an entire wing still empty. It’s a beautiful home, but I can’t imagine being responsible for so much space.”
In a way, it was funny. Their little band of Ravenclaws had always been close, but there were even closer-knit groups within the gang. Lisa and Michael had gravitated towards each other from the start, drawn together by their love of music. Mandy and Terry had a sibling-like relationship that was always sure to produce fireworks, but Padma had never really had that sort of niche with anyone besides Lisa or Mandy. She had actually gotten closer to Stephen since his marriage -- in a completely platonic way. Fitting, since she was spending a good portion of her time in his house.
She took a sip of her martini, then cleared her throat. “But no, no more nurseries as of now. I’m on retainer if any of my other friends decides to reproduce. I’ve quite the collection to showcase now.”
“Well, I don’t expect to be giving you any of those kinds of jobs anytime soon. Unlike my friend here, I’d prefer to find a wife before I begin spawning. I have been thinking of finding a new home, though. My little church is charming, but space is decidedly limited.” Lysander had been ‘thinking’ of upgrading for quite some time actually. It was much more recent he’d begun to feel a more pressing need to move. He was over thirty now and it seemed prudent to have a home that had room for an expansion of inhabitants.
Yes, because that had definitely been the route Julian would have preferred taking. “Well, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” he pointed out after a bite of his abbachio al forno, lips curling in a smirk when he nodded at Padma, then quirked a brow at Lysander.
Padma missed his insinuation. She was riffling through her clutch. “Well,” she said, pulling out the object of her search, “if you do happen to find a new place, I know a small interior design firm that’s taking new clients.” She slid her business card across the table with a smile, nose crinkling ever so slightly.
Taking the proffered card with a grin, Lysander pretended to look at it critically, having decided that the best way to handle Julian’s little tease was to ignore it. “What can you tell me about this small company? Are they any good, do you suppose?” His lips twitched as dark eyes flicked back to meet Padma’s.
“The best, in my completely unbiased opinion,” she answered.
“Well, I’ll have to keep them in mind. Who knows? Maybe I could even talk the proprietor into offering a discount for those clients without multiple wings.”
“Or multiple nurseries,” Julian quipped.
“Discounts are considered on a case-by-case basis. Compelling arguments are necessary.” Padma took another sip of her martini, enjoying the warmth that spread through the tips of her fingers from the cocktails she’d enjoyed through the evening. It wasn’t from the smile on Lysander’s face. Not at all.
With a low chuckle, Lysander lifted his glass to Padma. “In that case, I’ll have to work on my ability to compel.”