Rick pulled the phone slightly away from his ear, covering the microphone with his thumb. He offered the Mayor's wife a warm, comforting smile, ignoring the heavy, awkward tension in the room.
"Please, Madam Mayor, don't let it get cold. Start without me," Rick said politely.
He didn't even need to extend the same courtesy to the Mayor. The politician had already surrendered to his gluttony, unable to resist the heaven-defying aroma, and was furiously carving into his plate.
Victoria's confident expression instantly tightened. Her manicured nails dug sharply into her palms. She watched the Mayor scrape the bottom of the plate, licking the truffle sauce off his fork like a starving beggar.
Rick smirked. He effortlessly collected the empty plates and brought out the second course, placing a perfectly glazed duck breast in front of them, ignoring Victoria's furious glare.
