“Oh, the horrors of having your child live with you.” Gran throws her hands up.
“Hank’s trust fund pays the property taxes and the HOA fees.” Mom glares at Gran. “We are not having conversations about money right now. Dani, go get dressed. Our guests will be here soon.”
“Look, girlie.” Gran grabs my arm. “Me and Piper, we’re cool. I made a good impression on your hunky billionaire. But your mom’s going to scare him away.” She pulls out a fistful of pills. “I stole these from Patsy. Look, Patsy, it’s an emergency, okay?”
Gran throws down the receiver on the bed. “They’ll fake a heart attack, and we can call the whole thing off.”
“Gran! You can’t fake a heart attack. Mom will kill me if this dinner doesn’t happen.”
“I don’t know why you’re wasting time on dinners. Graham is crazy about you. Tell him you want to elope so you can start having his babies. Cut out the middleman.”
People really will see what they want to see.
“None of that. You’re hot, you have nice tits when you package them well, you have a great ass, you’re not a gold digger—you’re a catch. You’re my granddaughter, aren’t you?” She slaps my backside. “Graham sees what I see. Now you need to stop being so down on yourself. Stand up straight. Shoulders back, tits out. Out, I said!”
Footsteps thunder down the hall.
“He’s here!” Piper screeches as she bursts into the room. “Graham is here!”
“Wait, how?”
She doubles over. “Did you give him the right time? God, why am I so out of shape?”
“I-I think so.” I rush down the hall—
“—Dani, you can’t go opening the door dressed like that—”
—and wrench the door open.
“You’re early.”
Graham’s standing there with flowers and a bottle of wine. He gives me a confused look. “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.”
“I’m not dressed. You have to leave.” I shut the door in his face.
“Dani!” my mom cries and pinches my arm. “What did I say about being a good, happy hostess?”
She flings the door open. “Graham!” My mother greets him. “So good to finally meet you.” There’s an emphasis onfinally.
She pulls him inside.
“These are for you.” He holds out the wine and the flowers. It’s a floral arrangement that would put a wedding bouquet to shame.
“Oh, how lovely. Such a gentleman! You didn’t have to do that, but I love flowers.” Mom presses her face into the bouquet of cream-and-peach flowers.
“We are running a little behind…”
“We’re not. I had everything timed. He’s early,” I complain.
“And what a gentleman for being early.”
“Well, your father is still butchering that fish. Honestly, a whole fish! Vivienne would be talking about that for years.”
“I can help you with dinner,” Graham offers.
“No, no.” Mom shoos him to the living room. “You’re our guest. Go sit in the living room with Dani.”
“I need to finish the asparagus.”
