"And now?"
"I'm older and marginally less stupid."
"I think that's still to be determined."
As he gave her a sexy smile, she felt a catch in her throat, and a shiver ran down her spine. She needed some space, some air. Putting down her napkin, she said, "I'll be back."
She headed into the nearby restroom and found Caroline reapplying her lipstick. She caught her gaze in the mirror. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"I am. The food is incredible," she said, moving to the sink to wash her hands.
"Ceylon never disappoints." She capped her lipstick with a click. "How long have you known Max?"
"Not long," she said vaguely.
"Mm." Caroline studied her reflection in the mirror and turned to face her. "He never brings dates to business events."
"Is that what this is? It seems very social."
"With Dominic, everything is business." Caroline paused. "I know who you are."
"Who I am?" she echoed.
"You're an FBI agent. I looked you up online, and then I confirmed it with Dominic. He said Max told him he was bringing you, but I don't understand why."
"I'm trying to find out who planted the bomb that injured Ms. Barkley."
"And you're going to find that person at this dinner party?" she challenged.
She didn't flinch at Caroline's accusatory tone. "I wanted to get some insight into Dominic's world. There's a possibility one of his enemies went after Samantha."
"He mentioned that, but it seems unlikely to me. And it's not like Samantha and Dominic are really that close. They've been dating a few months. It's not like Dominic is in love with her."
She wondered if Caroline was trying to convince her or herself.
"Have you worked with Dominic for a long time?"
"I've known him for almost ten years and worked for him for the past two. He's brilliant, one of the smartest men I've ever worked with."
"What do you think about Richard Greco?" she asked. "He caused quite a scene, and his dislike of Dominic was palpable."
"Richard is a wild card who has a short temper and drinks too much; that's one reason Dominic has been leaning away from working with Richard. He enjoyed a good relationship with Joseph, but the son is an entirely different matter."
"Richard told Dominic he'd be sorry for cutting him out. Do you think he's capable of hiring someone to plant a bomb in a café and hurt someone close to Dominic?"
Caroline didn't act surprised by the suggestion. Instead, she seemed to consider the idea. Finally, she said, "Maybe. I guess that is possible. It seems extreme, but Richard is going to lose a lot of money. Still, I would think he would go after Dominic before Samantha."
"Samantha was a lot easier to get to. Dominic has a ton of security."
"Well, they didn't stop Richard from bringing drama here," she said sharply. "Something Dominic needs to address with his team and with Max. I know this party wasn't his responsibility, but with everything going on, he needs to be on top of his game." As the door opened and two women walked in, she said, "It was nice chatting with you. Have a good night."
She smiled, reapplied her own lipstick, and then left the restroom.
When she got back, she found a beautiful chocolate dessert waiting for her.
"That took a while," Max said. "I was about to eat yours."
"That would have been fine. I'm stuffed. I ran into Caroline and had a little talk with her. She knows I'm an FBI agent."
