The 1970s soul classic “I Just Wanna Stop” by Gino Vannelli plays throughout The Waterfall this evening, giving the decent-sized crowd a smooth, old-school vibe. Behind the bar, Antoine Hall serves a male customer in his forties and the man’s wife before making his way back down to where Jes Choudhury sits, sipping her white wine.

 

"Good news all around, ain’t it? Jolene is free and clear," Antoine mentions.

 

His good friend’s mother had been facing possible indictment for murdering her no-good husband; however, the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office decided not to press charges, citing self-defense, as he had not only abused her for years but also held her and her daughter hostage in the latter’s apartment for several hours with a loaded gun.

 

The beautiful attorney is dressed in a black cap-sleeved top with slacks, her brown hair styled in a half-up, half-down ponytail. "I know, especially since it could’ve gone either way."

 

She had been the one on Jolene’s case, able to gather enough evidence to secure the positive outcome.

 

"Well, with you on it, I knew it would work out," he remarks confidently to his lover.

 

Comments like that make her think of how she’s been fighting her unresolved feelings for Samuel, feeling she doesn’t deserve that kind of praise from him.

 

"And it’s all because of you, too, you know?" she tells him.

 

“Back up—how?” Antoine asks.

 

Jes takes a sip of her wine before responding. "Well, remember when you said I should look into Wade?"

 

"It’s ringin’ a bell."

 

"Well, I did, and then I got the idea to look into his whereabouts in the days before. That led me to the camera footage from where he was staying, and it not only caught him on CCTV but also the guy he bought the gun from—the same one he held on Jolene and Tricia."

 

"I at least get a reward, don’t I?" he teases flirtatiously.

 

"Oh, I think I can arrange something."

 

Jes leans in and kisses her lover. He accepts it easily, just as Mae Jackson walks by, visibly distracted.

 

"Antoine, can you clear table six?" Mae calls out.

 

Antoine frowns in confusion. "Uh, no one’s been sittin’ there for at least forty-five minutes."

 

Mae exhales deeply and apologizes, clearly lost in thought as she notices the table is already cleared. "I’m sorry, I guess I've got a lot on my mind."

 

The couple exchange worried glances.

 

“I ain’t even gotta guess what about?” Antoine says.

 

“Don’t start,” Mae replies. "I’ve already heard it from Esther."

 

"Mae," Jes says candidly, "look, I know that’s not any of my business, but is there a specific reason why you haven’t considered Gus’s proposal?"

 

Mae sighs heavily. "Before you two say it, I know Gus is a good man—he’s one of the best I’ve known in a long time—but… It’s complicated, that’s all." She knows her love for her late husband Horace, is still there and fears that moving on might somehow diminish it.

 

Mae is then grateful for the small influx of customers, using it as an excuse to step away and help.

 

"We gotta do something," Antoine mutters.

 

Jes nods. "Sometimes the best thing to do is the obvious thing… but should we even get involved?"

 

Antoine thinks for a few seconds before answering. "I think we should—and I got the perfect person to help."

 

And just like that, the two of them begin quietly strategizing.