Mason had taken one of the two private rooms of The Armitage. The restaurant was in an old historic brick building in Jackson Square and served the best cocktails in the city.
They started with medallions of Japanese octopus on a bed of farro. The next appetizer was white sturgeon caviar served with hard-cooked egg, crème fraîche, and red onion. A bartender came in to mix the martinis and serve them directly from a sideboard right next to their table.
"I need to stop eating or I won't have room for the main course," Ines said, eyeing a small plate of crab cakes.
“A tiny bite won’t hurt,” Mason said. He raised one eyebrow slightly in encouragement.
She shot him a dirty look but picked up a crab cake. “You’re not helping,” she mumbled, with her mouth full.
“I like watching you eat.”
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