Nina pressed her lips together as she suppressed a smile, though the expression spoke volumes about her confidence in his assurance. Instead of answering, she dug into her bowl of gumbo. A few bites in, she chanced upon a pocket of cumin. Nina choked down the rest of the food before reaching for her beer, chugging down two-thirds before relenting, realizing that the liquid did little to ease matters.
Turning to Shae, she wheezed, "I forgot that alcohol doesn't help with spicy food."