For a brief minute, I consider canceling. This is nuts, completely nuts to think I can pull off lying to Leandros Kaplan. It’s crazy, what’s even crazier is my now growing fascination to know even more about him. I’m not sure, but I think it’s the same morbid fascination that leads people to swim with sharks.

Stop being so fanciful, I chide as I shut down my computer with a few strokes. It won’t hurt just to meet him, there is nothing that says I have to take the job. He might not even offer it to me. I pull out the engagement ring and wedding band that had been my mother’s. Slowly, I slide them on. They are tight, but not uncomfortable. It feels wrong to use them to lie. I try not to think about it as I grab my purse and leave.

***

When I get to Porters, I’m horrified to find out Victoria has been seated even though I’m almost ten minutes early. The hostess assures me Victoria wasn’t upset I wasn’t here yet, she wanted to put in an order for a chocolate soufflé for dessert. I breathe a sigh of relief, besides their reputation for the best steaks in the city a huge draw for Porters is their amazing chocolate soufflé.

Victoria smiles widely as I’m seated. With her long black hair heavy with grey in a bun, small, slightly round frame, and black silk shawl over her shoulders I’m reminded of a kindly Italian grandmother. Her bright brown eyes, sharp and knowing hint she’s nimble of mind, if not body.

“Hello, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day.”

“Oh, no, thank you for the invitation. It’s lovely getting out of the house. I’m not nearly as busy as I hoped I would be in my retirement. I’m happy to help Leandros in finding a suitable replacement for me. The poor dear, I feel awful it’s taken more than two years and seven different people to find you. Then again, I’m of the firm mind everything happens for a reason, maybe the reason is Leo needed to be reminded things of value don’t always come with a price tag. Tell me, my dear, what is it you were hoping to learn from me today?”

“I—well, I’m not sure exactly. I had an idea and a list of questions but now...”

“My, my, someone has been web sleuthing and uncovered more than they wanted. Can of worms, my dear, all that nonsense on Leo. He’s much more than a few paragraphs someone tossed onto a page.”

I really want to believe that. “So, he’s not as...”