CHAPTER FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR – OLD FRIENDS?

"Do you remember that little Italian place in the Village?" Serena asked, leaning towards Marco. "The one with the amazing tiramisu?" Marco nodded, his expression guarded. "Vaguely." "Oh, come on," Serena laughed, touching his arm. "We practically lived there our senior year of college." Jasmine felt a twinge of jealousy, which she immediately tried to squash. She knew Marco had a past, just as she did. But something about Serena's behavior set her on edge. "So, Jasmine," Steve said, mercifully changing the subject. "Marco mentioned you're an artist. What's your medium?" Grateful for the distraction, Jasmine launched into a description of her work, her passion for art momentarily overshadowing her discomfort. As the dinner progressed, Jasmine couldn't shake the feeling that Serena was deliberately trying to exclude her from the conversation. Every time Jasmine spoke, Serena would interject with another story about her time with Marco. "Oh, Marco," Serena said, her voice tinged w