“Whoa!” Haynes puts down his fork, leans back in his chair. “I said I’ve met himonce. I’m not sure I could pull off something like that.”
Ellie’s body deflates. She looks down, slumps her shoulders, like she used to do when she was little.
“That’s a big ask, honey.” I reach out to stroke her arm. “Your dad doesn’t even know Eli Manning.”
“But surely you know someone who does.” There is pleading in her eyes when she looks at her daddy.
“I love that you girls are thinking like this,” I say. “You’re right to want to change things. Why don’t we throw out some other ideas?”
“Hang on,” Haynes says. “You girls might be onto something. Eli Manning was just nominated for the Walter Payton humanitarian award, the best award in the NFL, in my opinion.”
Ellie and Cali look at each other with their mouths hanging open. Then Cali’s cute little face lights up. “We were thinking if we could sell a ticket to each girl in the sorority, at twenty dollars apiece, that’s right at nine thousand dollars. Surely that would pay for the staff’s health insurance.”
“It would pay for a lot more than that,” Haynes says. “I’ll have to run some numbers, but if each girl was assessed, I don’t know, say, two hundred dollars a year, it would not only give the staff health insurance… I’d be willing to bet it could start a retirement fund, too.”
“Butwewant to raise the money. We don’t want to ask our parents for it,” Ellie says.
Haynes and I look at each other. We’re both thinking the same thing. Our daughter’s head is screwed on the right way. “That’s awesome, Heart. I’m so proud right now.” These are the moments we parents live for.
Haynes puts his knife and fork down on his plate. “I’m proud of you both. The amount of money it would take to give everyone on the staff yearly benefits would be the equivalent of a discarded pair of Jimmy Choos at a frat house.” Glancing at me, he winks, proud of his quip.
Ellie gives a mocking glance at Cali, then back to her father. “Dad. Since when did you become an authority on Jimmy Choos?”
“Another inside joke,” he says, then sips his beer.
Turning toward him, I place my hand on his arm. “Actually, it would bemore like a discarded pair of Nine Wests. Jimmys go for at least eight hundred dollars a pair.”
Haynes chokes. For a minute I’m not sure he’ll be able to catch his breath. His face turns beet red. “I did not need to know that,” he says, coughing out his words.
“Okay,whatever.” Ellie waves a hand in front of her. “So. Dad. Can you call Eli’s manager or his agent?”
“I can do better than that. A buddy of mine knows Eli well. I’ll get in touch with him and we’ll see where it goes. You never know. Maybe Eli and Abby will feel the same way we do.”
“Daddy. This is freaking awesome!” Ellie gets up, throws her arms around her father.
Haynes pats her on the back. “Don’t get too excited yet. We’re a long way from a ‘yes.’ Besides, anything could happen.”
Cali winces. “Like Lilith Whitmore? Can she stop us?”
“Not unless she wants mutiny in the House,” I say. “By the way, what does Annie Laurie have to say about all—?”
“Not interested,” Ellie blurts before I can finish my sentence. Then she sits back down and twirls her hair again.
Haynes and I glance at each other.
“Why is that?” he asks.
“Because she’s a clone of her mother,” Ellie says. “She does everything her mom tells her to do.”
“What about all the other Alpha Delts? Were they in favor of it?” he asks.
“Yes. Every single person,” Cali says. “The rest of our pledge class is all over it. And so are the active members.”
“Then I’d like to see Lilith Whitmore try.” A puckish smile crosses Haynes’s lips.
“Everyone agrees the staff works so hard taking care of all of us, the least we can do is reciprocate by taking care of them,” Ellie says.
“Absolutely.” I secretly slip Daisy a bite of steak. “It’s a beautiful thing to think that you young girls will be the ones to bring about change.”
