A Special Lunch

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"No, no they wouldn't," I said. "Bread and water, that's what they get."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“Sounds appropriate,” I said, grinning.

The waiter returned with our food, setting it in front of us and then bowing away. “This looks delicious.”

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"Yes, it does," I said in agreement. Picking up my spoon, I took a sip of my soup. "Mmm," I said. "It's perfect."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

I chose a spear of asparagus and dipped it in the sauce before sampling. “Oh, this is very very good.”

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"I'm glad you like it," I said. Setting my spoon down for a minute, I picked up my fork and speared a cube of melon. It was sweet and juicy and I let out a slight moan at the flavor. "Mmm."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“It seems the reputation here is well earned,” I said between bites.

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"You can have some fruit, if you want," I said, as I continued with my soup.

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“Thank you,” I said, smiling and then took a small cluster of grapes. “Have some vegetables if you like, there’s quite a lot here.”

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"I'll have a few, thank you," I said, pushing over a little plate so he could put some veggies on it without dripping sauce.

[Fisher nó Bryony]

I put some of the vegetables on her plate, giving her a little sampling of each. “The chef here is very talented, I will have to make sure and come back.”

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

I grinned. "Do you invest in restaurants also?" I asked him.

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“Sometimes,” I told her between bites. “I like to not put all my interests in one place, too much risk for losing everything.”

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"A wise move," I replied.

[Fisher nó Bryony]

I nodded as I chewed and swallowed. “Yes, often people put all their money and interests in one place and are so surprised when they lose it all.”

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

I nodded. "I recall a few years ago, one of my father's barons insisted on putting all his lands into the growing of wheat. He was hoping to have more straw in order to feed his sizable stable. It was a dry season, though, and he ended up losing nearly the whole crop. Not only did he have less straw, he had to sell off his horses because they became too expensive to feed."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“That’s just what I’m talking about, but some people just cannot be dissuaded from such actions. It takes such a tragedy to make them understand,” I said, then took a drink of water and leaned back in my chair.

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

I took another sip of my soup. "It's very typical," I said. "People have an 'it can't happen to me' attitude, when invariably, 'it' happens."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"Some people don't even learn then. They assume it can only happen to them once." I shook my head slightly at the folly of some folk.

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

I finished off my soup and pushed the bowl slightly to one side before beginning on the vegetables. "Very sad," I murmured, before segueing into another topic. "What's a restaurant you have in invested in?"

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“There’s a place called Dawn’s, have you ever been there?” I asked.

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"No, I haven't," I said. "What kind of restaurant is it?"

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“Just a little place in the temple district. It’s incredibly intimate and private,” I told her.

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

I laughed. "If you tell everyone about it, it won't be intimate anymore," I said.

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“Ah, but I don’t tell everyone about it,” I said, chuckling. “Just a few, just enough deserving people to keep the clientele up.”

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"Ah, but how do you know that I won't go blabbing about it around town?" I asked with a sly smile. I wouldn't, but it was flattering to be 'deserving'.

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“Because I trust you, dear Comtesse,” I said, smiling.

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

"I'm honored," I replied. "And I'll have to see this 'Dawn' for myself."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“I highly recommend it,” I told her, smiling. I finished my water and set the empty glass on the table, thoroughly satisfied.

[Rosalie de Merteuil]

Finishing the vegetables, I began to earnestly dig into my fruit. "I'm glad we came here," I said. "I picked it on a whim, I'm glad my hunch was correct."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

“Your hunch was very good,” I agreed, smiling as I took another cluster of grapes from her fruit. “What areas do you invest your money in?”