“Pistachios?”
“Look, mister. My family is very frugal, and they love a good deal,” she warns me. “You cannot show up just flinging your money around. It’s going to be home-cooked meals and nosy neighbors. It’s likeLeave It to Beaverif it was fifty stories above New York City.”
I pace in front of her in my study as she talks.
“Now, my mom—she’s very into all her charity clubs, so really lean into that charity work you’re doing with the Haven Foundation. And my dad comes from a trust-fund family. Old, old New York money, so don’t make any loud noises. Just nod and smile when he tries to give you something. And Gran is… well…” Dani speaks rapidly. “You met her at dinner. She grew up rich, too, but she likes to pretend that she’s from the Bronx. But if you can just make sure that you smile and stay charming and don’t try to start an argument about ’70s fashion, then I think it should all be okay. It has to be fine.”
I can’t take it anymore, can’t stop the yell that erupts. “Shut the hell up! I get it!” I roar at her. “You think I’m not good enough for them. Trust me, though—I’ve had enough practice. I won’t embarrass you in front of your family.”
She gives me an odd look.
“Are you kidding me? You’re a billionaire—they love you.” She looks sad. “They’re going to thinkyou’retoo good forme.”
15
DANI
“Ireally think we should just meet at a restaurant,” I tell Mom desperately.
She peers over her glasses at me. “Danielle Lockwood. We’re not going to make your boyfriend pay for a dinner that we’re inviting him to.”
“I can pay!”
“Men don’t like it when you pay.” She swats me with a towel. “This is your one chance at having a husband and family. Don’t ruin this for me. Bitsy’s daughter is a year younger than you, and she’s pregnant with her second.”
Mom pushes up her glasses then turns back to carefully peeling the leaves of a Belgian endive.
“T-minus one hour!” Dad calls as the front door slams.
“Do not tell Graham that you bought all this cheese at Costco,” Mom warns Dad as he unpacks his bag.
“Not only was it Costco, but this d’Affinois was on sale.” He beams.
“Give me that.” Mom grabs the cheese. “Honestly, Hank. I need you to take this seriously. We need everything to go perfectly for Dani. This is going to make or break her future.”
“It’s notPride and Prejudice, Aunt Linda,” Piper tells her. She’s carefully cutting squares from a baking dish for potato pavé while Lulu begs for scraps. “Dani’s not going to be destitute if she doesn’t marry Graham.”
“I’ll never hear the end of it from the ladies at the DAR if your cousin ruins this relationship.”
“I think Graham’s actually pretty infatuated with her. Some might say pathologically obsessed.”
I shoot Piper a look.
Fortunately, Mom isn’t paying attention.
“Really.” Momtsksto Dad as he blots the branzino and prepares to take the fish to the balcony to pan-fry it. “You’re going to leave them whole? I thought you were doing fillets.”
“We’re trying to impress the man. Nothing’s more impressive than a whole branzino.” Dad holds up a fish.
“Vivienne doesn’t like it when you serve her the whole face of an animal.”
“Colette’s mom is coming?” I gasp.
“Dani, don’t shout.”
“But why is she coming?”
“Because your brother is coming, and so is Colette, and Vivienne is family. Her husband is out of town on business—it’s the polite thing to do.”
