Chef Sullivan said as he exited his Acura MDX after parking it in his reserved spot. Cynthia was leaning on the side of her maroon Camry wearing a lilac Peter Pan–collared blouse and a pair of art deco–printed pants. The side-eye stare that Susan gave Cynthia made her feel uncomfortable. Cynthia managed to eke out a shaky smile to hide her concern. She couldn’t figure out whether what she spotted in Susan’s eyes was a dislike or distrust. “Darling, you shouldn’t have wasted this outfit on me.” Chef Sullivan double kissed Cynthia. “Besides, this isn’t just a meeting.” He locked arms with her, and led her in slow stroll through the parking lot to the restaurant. “It’s a follow-up interview of sorts. Tonight you are going to be helping me cater a dinner party for Terrence Hadley. He’s a visual artist on the rise, and after he heard about the mayor’s dinner, he called me last night and begged, pleaded, and canceled his catering order at Chez Josephine, which is nonrefundable at this point.”
