A couple of weeks passed following the initial project meeting. All following conversations were held via conference call, both Jade and Sean were traveling for various reasons. After one such call, Jade and Dani remained on the line to talk more. Over the course of three weeks—since discovering their respective best friends serendipitous meetings—Jade and Dani forged a bond over a common goal.

“So,” Dani said. “Now that they have hung up, let’s talk about the situation with our dear friends. I know Luke hasn’t mentioned running into Cassie again at all. But then again, he’s been very busy lately. The law firm has him working on a number of cases. Has she mentioned anything to you?”

“No,” Jade said. “I also have been out of town, so I’m not sure if she’s even really left her apartment. I wonder what she does most of the time.”

“Have you asked her?” 

“Yeah, a couple of times. She says she’s reading. But how much can a person read before their eyes start to hurt?” Jade joked. As long as she had known Cassie, she knew that her friend enjoyed a good book. However after a year away and nearly four weeks at home, Jade believed that Cassie had to be close to exhausting her book supply. 

“It sounds like she needs an intervention.” 

“Or something like it.” Jade agreed.

“Well, I have an idea. I think we should get Cassie and Luke together again.” Dani said. “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like Luke was helpful in getting Cassie to reemerge from her shell a bit. And I know Luke needs some type of distraction from work. He has this profound belief in fate, but he doesn’t make any effort when so-called ‘fate’ steps in. He sort of just goes with the flow.”

“I don’t really think we should meddle in their lives like this. I’m not saying I won’t go along with any idea you have, I’m just putting it out there for the universe that they might resent us later.” Jade said.

“Or, they’ll thank us later.” Dani noted.

“True. So what’s your plan?” 

“Every few months,  about a month into a new season, Alex begins to prep for the next season. He gets a new menu together featuring seasonal produce. When he gets most of the dishes finalized, he likes to invite a group of friends to the restaurant to have a tasting. There is a series of dinners. Alex likes to take everyone’s recommendations and tries to make the dishes better. Luke is usually in attendance. And Alex is close to finishing the initial summer menu. And I’m going to start planning the dinner soon. I can add you and Cassie to the list.” Dani explained.

“I like the way you think. Although, you should go ahead and add Sean too. That way it would seem a little less suspicious. If Cassie asks I can say we all were invited.” Jade suggested. 

“Great, I should get going. My husband is looking at me funny. I think he heard us making plans.” Dani laughed. 

“Not a problem. I’ll give Cassie a call and let her know what’s coming up. I’ll talk with you later.” Jade said.

“Bye.” Dani hung up the phone and turned to her husband, “Why are you giving me that look?” 

“No reason in particular. I thought you were supposed to be having your conference call with the project partners?”

“I did have a call. I was just wrapping a few things up with Jade.” Dani explained.

“Of course you were. Do you plan on adding her name to the list for the next dinner party we have?” Alex asked.

“Not just her, I want to invite the entire team. Speaking of the dinner party, do we have a date set yet?”

“I had Joe look at the calendar for the restaurant. There is a free night in two weeks. I already reserved the evening.” Alex said.

“Great then you can tell the guys when you see them tonight.” Dani said. “I’m going to go check on AJ.” Dani stood and left the room.

After the conference call with Jade, Dani and Sean, Cassie started organizing the notes she took. Their calls were always productive, but they went fast. Everyone seemed to talk a mile a minute. Cassie, not wanting to forget anything that was said, or miss an action item that needed immediate attention, liked to write everything down. A problem arose when she could not understand her own notes. On previous calls, Cassie employed the use of her laptop taking notes in word. However, she found she seemed to be missing parts of the conversation; she typed too loud. So on the next call she decided to try old fashioned pen and paper. That led to its own disastrous results. Cassie could not read the scribbles that were all over the page in different sections. After that experience, she vowed to just record the calls. 

Having failed in her attempts to decipher her own handwriting, Cassie began to go through her now routine process of reorganizing her apartment. In the month since her return, Cassie rearranged things no less than once a week. She was engrossed in her new task when her home phone rang. Cassie stopped what she was doing. By now she learned there was only one reason that phone would ring. 

“Hello?” Cassie asked after removing the phone from its cradle and answering the call.

“Ms. Mitchell how are you doing?” It was Detective Parker.

“I’m okay. Are you calling because you were able to make a case against Milo?” Cassie asked.

“We are working on it. But so far, we have not had much luck.”

Forgetting she was on the phone, Cassie nodded her head in understanding.

“Ms. Mitchell are you still there?” Detective Parker asked after a long silence.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m still here. You were saying.”

“I said we haven’t had much luck in building a case against Milo. The suspect we had in custody, the one we were charging with Christian’s murder, he died suddenly in prison.” Detective Parker said. “The DA’s office had worked out a plea deal with his lawyers; he was willing to testify against Milo.”

“Are you thinking Milo had something to do with his death?” Cassie asked.

“It’s not beyond the realm of possibility.” Detective Parker said. “I’m sorry. This isn’t the outcome you were looking for.”

“Me too.” Cassie said disappointed. “Is there anything else you want from me?”

“No that was all. I wish I had better news. Have a nice evening.”

“You too.” Cassie hung up the phone. She could not say she was surprised of the suspect’s death. Milo seemed to have his hands in everything. Cassie was, however, surprised, and extremely grateful, for the fact that the wealthy and dangerous business man had not set his sights on her. He really did not have a reason to, Cassie knew nothing. But that rarely stopped people like Milo. 

Cassie walked around her apartment in a slightly depressed mood. She was not really sure what she should do with herself. Deciding that music was the way to go, Cassie sat down at her piano to begin to play. She did not get very far into the piece before her phone rang again. Cassie walked over to her home phone sitting on the coffee table. However, it was not ringing. Realizing her mistake, Cassie went in search of her cell phone.

“Hello?” Cassie asked.

“Hi, it’s me. You sound a little down. What happened in the forty minutes between the conference call and now?” Jade asked.

“Detective Parker called.” Cassie sighed. She flopped down onto her sofa and put her feet up on the coffee table.

“It’s been a while since you last heard from him.”

“A few weeks, yeah. He said the suspect they charged with Christian’s murder died in prison.”

“Oh.” Jade said.

“Yeah. Since he’s gone, there is no one willing to testify against Milo. So that’s going nowhere now.” Cassie said.

“I’m sorry Cassie.”

“I know. I am too. Why’d you call?” Cassie said changing the subject.

“Well, after the conference with Sean and Dani, Dani and I talked.”

“Really, Jade?” Cassie whined. “What are you plotting now.” She knew the type of person her best friend was—often unhappy in her own relationships, always meddling with others’.

“I’m not plotting anything. Dani and I got to talking about the restaurant and how Alex plans out his menus to be prepared with seasonal produce.”

“That actually sounds interesting.” Cassie said.

“It was. She invited us to be at the next dinner party to showcase the new items. It’s something they do periodically.”

“And by us you mean?” Cassie asked. She was skeptical of Dani’s invitation.

“By us I mean the team—you, me and Sean. It will be fun.” Jade said. “I’ll text you the details as soon as Dani gets back to me with them.”

“Right. At least that will be something to do.” Cassie said.

“Exactly. Look I really need to get going. I’ll talk to you later okay.”

“Yeah bye.” Cassie hung up the phone and walked back to her piano where she began to play. 

Alex arrived at Luke’s apartment early. Their poker nights were a set ritual that was only missed for work purposes. Alex was in charge of providing sustenance, and Luke provided the place. It was practical for Luke to host the regularly scheduled poker nights. His apartment was in a central location, it was a bachelor pad, since Luke was hardly ever home it was clean and an added bonus was the fact that Luke would never be late. Most of their friends were either married, lived with their girlfriend or were not sufficiently neat.

As he knocked on the door, Alex shifted the case of beer in his hands. He did not have to wait long before the door opened.

“Hey, come on in. “ Luke said. He grabbed the case from Alex in an effort to help out his friend. Both men walked through the open apartment to the kitchen. Luke placed the beer in the refrigerator while Alex unloaded grocery from the reusable bags he was carrying.

“Thanks. I figured an extra case of beer might be handy considering what happened last time.” Alex said.

“Yeah, that was no fun. A bunch of grown men crying over spilt beer.” Luke laughed. “What’s on the menu this evening Chef Alex?” 

“The usual. Man food.” Alex laughed. “Although I did throw in some asparagus for Matt. You know his new girlfriend has him on this vegan kick right.” 

“I heard about that.” Luke pulled a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. “Do you want one?”  He asked Alex.

“No I’m fine.” Alex said. “So I’m supposed to let you know about our next dinner party.” Alex said.

“Really, Dani put you up to this?” Luke laughed.

“You know she did. I have a feeling she might be planning something, or maybe it just looks that way.” Alex said.

“That’s your wife.”

“I know,” Alex laughed. “Which is why I’m certain she is planning something. And to top it off, she’s scheming with a pop-star.” Alex had finished pulling everything out of the bags and was now organizing ingredients by dish.

“What do you mean?”

“Well you know she’s been working with Jade the past few weeks. The two of them have become fairly close it seems.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.” Luke commented.

“I guess. I don’t know if she told you that your friend Cassie is apart of the team she’s working with.” 

“I haven’t really had a chance to talk with Dani in a while. But when I did, I don’t think she mentioned it. That’s kind of crazy. Did she say how Cassie got involved?” Luke asked. He was curious. It was interesting how things seemed to be falling together.

“Dani said something about Jade and Cassie being old friends.” Alex said as he began to cut up an onion. 

“Wow.”

“These are the things you miss when you hole up in that fancy office of yours.” Alex said. “You know, you can get another knife and start cutting up the tomatoes.”

“Sure.” Luke said as he turned and pulled a knife from the knife block in the corner. “Why do you say she’s scheming? You never explained that.” Luke began to cut up the tomato as instructed. 

“Oh, right. Dani invited them to the dinner.” Alex said.

“Don’t you guys usually have a set list for that?”

“We do, but I think Dani’s been wanting to shake it up for a while.” Alex explained.

“I see and adding two celebrities and an old college classmate was the way to go.”

“Exactly.” Alex said. He finished with the onion and moved on to chopping cilantro for the pico de gallo they were preparing. 

As Alex finished preparing the refreshments and Luke set up the poker table, there was a knock on the door indicating the first of their friends had arrived. Luke stopped what he was doing to answer the door.

“Hey guys, come on in.” Luke said. There were three men standing on the other side waiting to enter.

“Thanks Luke. Should I put this in the kitchen?” One of the men asked. He was carrying two six packs of beer.

“Yeah Josh. Alex is in there now. He brought a pack and it’s been chilling in the fridge.” Luke said.

Josh went to the kitchen and greeted Alex. Luke encouraged the other two men to have a seat. Shortly thereafter, Alex and Josh joined their friends at the table for a game of poker.