I needed to remind her that she’s mine and I’m hers. I don’t care any less for her just because our relationship is a secret.
“Dad, this is my friend Victoria,” Talia says.
I’m forced to look away from Isaac and Jules. He hugged her and is now holding on to one of her hands, a full ten seconds after the hug ended. She’s laughing about something he said.
“Hey, it’s nice to meet you, Noel,” Victoria says.
“Likewise.”
I smile and shake her hand. None of this is her fault, and I don’t want to make her feel bad.
“So, we’re doing drinks for like the next half hour while I finish up dinner,” Talia says. “The bar area is stocked; help yourselves.”
“Shall we?” I say to Victoria.
“Please.”
Lucien and Talia had a long, shallow cabinet with open doors and wall shelves built in when they bought the apartment. They keep it stocked with bottles of alcohol, glasses, a custom-sizedrefrigerator holding bottled beer and a custom-sized wine fridge filled with wine.
“So Talia tells me she’s one of four kids,” Victoria says as she gets a wineglass.
“That’s right. Another one of my daughters came with me tonight.” I point her out in the kitchen. “That’s Audra.”
“What a beautiful name.”
“Thanks. Then there’s Chase and Chloe, my teenagers. How about you, you have kids?”
“I have a sixteen-year-old daughter, Faith.”
Isaac is leading Jules over, grinning at her. “I already know—vodka rocks.”
“Perfect.”
No, it’s not. She drinks water but pretends it’s vodka. On the rare occasions she does order alcohol, she never drinks it. I think it has a lot to do with her fucked-up mother.
Isaac pours drinks for the two of them, and Jules introduces herself to Victoria.
“I heard you own a boutique downtown.” Jules smiles at her warmly.
“I do, yes.”
“I’m a style influencer. I think that means we’re best friends now.”
Victoria laughs. “Oh, I know who you are. I would absolutely love it if you dropped by the store sometime.”
“Done. Let’s film some content together.”
Jules makes sure there’s never a gap in their conversation, and I’m sure I’m the only one who notices that even though she puts her drink to her lips every five minutes or so, the amount of liquid never goes down.
I grab one of the glass tumblers her whiskey is in and add some ice, then fill it with water from a bottle on the counter.
“I’ll top you ladies off,” I offer, taking Victoria’s wineglass and Jules’s tumbler.
I only add a few drops to the already-full whiskey, but no one’s paying attention. After I refill the wineglass, I pass it to Victoria, giving Jules the water and keeping the whiskey for myself.
Jules gives me a grateful look.
“Okay, we’re ready,” Talia announces a few minutes later. “It’s assigned seating, so we can all get to know someone new. Just look for your name.”
