He jerks a thumb at the woman. “This is my obnoxious sister, Daphne.”
“Daphne.” I stick my hand out and she finally releases me and then shakes my hand.
“Don’t fall for it. He acts like he’s so unimpressed, but he literally begged to come with me to meet you.”
Jack sighs. “Why couldn’t you have been a boy?”
Daphne snorts. “Our four older brothers aren’t enough men in the family for you?” Then her eyes light up, and she focuses back on me. “They’re all single, by the way, including Jack.” She gestures to him like she’s a game show host or salesman and he’s a prize, look at this brand new car!
“Is he? What about Molly?” I ask.
Daphne points at me. “You’re good. They’re just chatting, or whatever. It’s not serious. He’ll totally drop her for a sugar momma like you.”
She’s kidding. I think.
Jack’s eyes fall shut. “I can’t handle this anymore. Vivien, it was nice to meet you. We don’t need to date, I am not a crazed fan, and I’m going to go check on the candy stock because we haven’t done inventory in a week, and that is why I wanted to come here with you, not to embarrass ourselves in front of Vivien Hart.” He mutters to himself under his breath as he walks away, disappearing behind the concession counter into the back room.
Well, that was entertaining. And distracting enough that I forgot about the fact that I’m a recluse who has mostly forgotten how to talk to people. Maybe it helped, eating breakfast with Spencer and Quinn this morning, greasing my rusty conversational skills.
There is also something about Daphne that’s very disarming. Maybe because she seems to say whatever is in her head without any filter or forethought.
I step closer to Daphne. “So, what is it you don’t want Dalton to know?”
Daphne appraises me. “You are quick.”
I shake my head. “Compliments aren’t going to deter me.”
“That’s why we’re meant to be friends.” She blows out a breath. “I don’t want my older brother to know that I quit one of my jobs.”
“This job?”
“No, not this one.” She huffs. “Beverly would haunt me.”
I wrinkle my nose. “How many jobs do you have?”
She groans. “Too many. He thinks I need a husband and a pack of kids, but I’m only twenty-eight. He’s thirty-one, and he’s still single and childless.”
“So why is he so hard on you?”
“Because she still lives with our parents,” Jack calls from the back.
Daphne winces. “That’s not entirely false.”
“It is entirely true,” Jack yells.
She stomps a foot. “I don’t live there when I work out of town, and I’m the only one Dalton thinks needs to be barefoot and pregnant. What about the rest of you?”
“Still can’t get pregnant.”
“Semantics! Anyway.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder. “Enough about me. Did you have a look around? Let me show you all the business things so we can get the boring stuff over with.”
I follow Daphne, pointing to the reel room. “That one is locked. Is there a key somewhere?”
“No. I haven’t been able to get in there since she passed. I was hoping you would have it.”
“You didn’t get the key? You got in somehow.”
“I only have a key to the front door.”
