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“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?” she demands.
I go to her and pull her into a hug.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to worry any of you. I can’t even really remember what was going through my head.”
She relaxes into my embrace and shakes her head.
“Idiot. Lottie and Mags told me you were drunk enough to do karaoke.”
“I was?”
She nods. “Yup. You weren’t even in a karaoke bar, but you insisted on getting up on the stage anyway.”
“Great.”
“Did a lovely Beyoncé rendition.”
I have to say, I’m starting to feel impressed with myself.
“‘If I Were a Boy?’” I ask
“‘Single Ladies.’ You danced, too.”
“I didn’t know I was so talented,” I say.
“You’re not. You scarred everybody for life. Maggie had enough brain cells to take a video and send it to everybody in the family chat. That baby will be a staple at all future family gatherings. I especially love the grand finale where you fall off the stage and faceplant into some guy’s stomach. You’re lucky Milo is only ten, otherwise I would have totally shown it to him.”
“We’ll use it as a cautionary tale when we start lecturing him about the dangers of alcohol,” I call over my shoulder as I head to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water.
Madeline walks to the counter and takes a seat, frowning at me.
“What’s with the cheerfulness? You should be dying from a hangover. And Mags said you quit your job. I know Trent is an ass, but you love Mobius.”
I take a long drink of water and think about how to explain myself.
“I do. I did. The old Mobius. The one before Trent. I guess I have to face the fact that it’ll never be the same again, and it’s finally time to move on.”
Madeline studies me quietly for a few seconds before she smiles widely and nods.
“Good. Finally! Frankly, you should have moved on a while ago. You should really consider opening your own place. I’d be there every night.”
“You’d be there because you think family eats for free.”
She shrugs unapologetically. “Don’t we?”
“You do,” I mutter.
“Then it’s settled. You’ll open your own restaurant.”
I roll my eyes and take another sip of water. Thoughts of the future are going to have to take a backseat for now.
I’ve got a date to plan.
9
August
“You know, in hindsight, it might not have been the best plan to offer to cook for a professional chef on your first date,” Ryan says. “It screams failure.”
