Spencer finally relents, but I think it’s because Finn threatened to withhold sex. We compromise on doing the world’s laziest shoulder groove.
“I keep replaying it,” I blurt, still moving, because motion makes confessions feel like part of the dance. “With Pierre. Every time I try to push it out of my mind, my brain is like, ‘Nope!’” I hang my head. “How could I have been so foolish? How did I not see the signs? I don’t know, it’s stupid.”
“It isn’t stupid.” Finn’s voice turns careful, like stepping on glass. “The kind of people who want to love sometimes… open the door too wide. That’s not a flaw. That’s an invitation to love. He abused it. That’s on him.”
I laugh, snort. “I took the door off the hinges and put out a welcome mat that said ‘Please Manipulate Me.’”
Jules skates by in socks, grabbing our hands and forcing us into a three-person spin, followed by immediately collapsing onto the couch.
“Okay,” I announce to the ceiling. “Here is my grand plan: I’m still going to publish a cookbook, but instead of using my family recipes, I’m going to use the recipes of myfound family.”
Everyone stops dancing. Finn grins at me, wide.
I spit out the story as fast as I can. “My old boyfriend Pierre stole my grandmother’s recipes and landed a cookbook deal using them.”
“What the fuck?” Alex says. “Who would do that?”
“Right?” I say sarcastically. “So I came back home with my tail between my legs. But—” I hold up my hands. “I’ve come to terms with it. That and the whole fancy chef thing were never really me. But I don’t wanna stop cooking. It’s still what I love doing, and… I still want to publish a cookbook. Dom actually had this great idea…”
“Ohhhhh,” they all say in unison at the mention of Dom.
I roll my eyes. “Shut it… Anyway, he had this great idea to still showcase family. Myfoundfamily.”
Spencer gives me a gentle smile. “Well, I think it’s a great idea. Plus, I don’t care what happened in Los Angeles, I’m just glad you’re here and agreed to be the chef at Dragonfly. Wait! You’re still gonna be the chef at Dragonfly, right? I mean, I know I won’talwayshave you, but…”
I hold up my hands. “I’m not going anywhere. I like where I am.”
He smiles, and I can see the relief wash over his face.
“But you and everyone in this room owe me a recipe.”
“Deal,” they all say.
Then one of the three yahoos sets off a rogue confetti cannon, making the ceiling fan sneeze glitter. What the fuck?
Spencer howls, “GREEK CHORUS FORMATION!” and the room surges back to its nonsense.
I look over at Finn, and he just shrugs. “I love him.”
“Who’s watching Mazie?” I ask, wondering how Spencer’s head is gonna fare in the morning.
“Olly and Jasper.” Finn snorts. “Jasper refused to come upstairs. He said, ‘Not until she apologizes.’”
“What could she possibly have done? She’s a baby.” But then I remember the other night, and there are endless possibilities.
“Oh, the last time they babysat her, she pooped on him. I guess it was explosive.”
“Ewwwww,” I say, and we both chuckle.
“So, how are things going with you and Dom?”
“They’re going good,” I say, ducking my head, being all shy, which is not like me at all.
Finn bumps my shoulder, grinning. “Just good?”
I try not to let my smile give me away.Jesus, I’m like a high-school girl with a crush.
“He took me to meet his aunt last week,” I admit.
