“Nice to meet you, Janine.” I extended my hand, praying she wouldn’t notice my ragged nails.
Of course she did. Her eyes flicked down, sharp as a scanner, before she gripped my hand in an ironclad handshake.
“Nice to finally meet you too.” Her smile was tight, deliberate. “Officially.”
So much for pretending she didn’t remember our awkward first encounter. And then, just to crown my humiliation, I saw her gaze dip to read my T-shirt. Shit.
“Cute.” Her tone was laced with disapproval. She turned back to Sebastian. “Shall we get a table?”
We found a small corner table, dimly lit, which only made me feel more on display. The waiter came, Sebastian and I ordered beer, Janine requested a martini.
“So, Jesse,” she began once the drinks were ordered, her posture impeccable, legs crossing with the precision of a judge settling into chambers. “Sebastian tells me you’re an artist.”
The way she said it made it sound like she was already sharpening her gavel. My skin prickled. I shifted in my seat, feeling like one of Sebastian’s fish behind transparent glass.
Sebastian’s hand found my bare thigh under the table, warm and steady.
“Yeah.” I kept my voice light. “I own a hardware store, but I do art on the side. Hoping one day it’ll pay the bills.”
“A hardware store?” Janine’s perfectly arched brow lifted. “How fascinating.”
Her tone said she found it anything but.
I studied her, marveling at how different she was from Sebastian. He was all warmth and ease, while she was cool, sharp, every word precise. I wondered if she was always like this, or if I just had the dubious honor of her disapproval.
I decided right then that if Janine thought poorly of me, I’d win her over.
I put on my friendliest smile. “Sebastian mentioned you’re a criminal defense attorney. That must be such an interesting—and difficult—job.”
“She’s one of the best in the city,” Sebastian cut in, pride ringing in his voice even over the thrum of pop music.
Janine’s face softened instantly, a flush creeping across her cheeks. For a moment, the stern attorney melted into something almost girlish. Her lips curved into a smile—shallower dimples than Sebastian’s, but the family resemblance was unmistakable. Her approval clearly meant the world to him, and vice versa.
She waved a hand, though her eyes were pleased. “He only says that because many of my cases are high profile and get media attention. But yes, I did get an acquittal today for my latest client.”
“That’s exciting,” I said. “Congratulations. What did he do?”
Janine’s gaze sharpened. “You mean, what was he accused of.”
I forced a smile. “Right. What was he accused of?”
“Rape.”
My stomach dropped, but thankfully the waiter arrived with our drinks, sparing me from an immediate response. I wrapped my fingers around the cool bottle, steadying my expression.
Sebastian lifted his beer. “To my big sis. Congrats on your win today.”
We clinked glasses. I echoed the toast, but my heart wasn’t in it. The word ‘rape’ was still ricocheting around in my head.
Trying for casual, I asked, “So, who accused him?”
“His assistant,” Janine replied. “He’s the CEO of a cosmetics company. She pressed charges three months ago, but there was no evidence strong enough to prove it.”
The words tumbled out of me before I could stop them. “But did he do it?”
Janine blinked, her poise cracking for the briefest moment.
Sebastian cleared his throat. “Jess, it’s not Janine’s job to investigate these things. She just—”
