Daniel turns back to me, resting a hand on my shoulder. “That’s why I came early,” he says, slipping out of his suit jacket and laying it across one of the stools. He starts to roll up his dress shirt sleeves, but he’s ridiculous if he thinks I’m going to let him help with red sauce on shirt that expensive.
“I’ll just get changed then...” Chastity says from the hallway, her voice already retreating.
Alone again, Daniel rests a hand on my waist, standing way too close to me.
“I just need to do a few things. I’m good. Why don’t you help Danny draw some?” I say, pushing him away. My tone comes out sterner than I mean it to, and he picks up on it immediately.
“Is everything okay?” he asks, his voice low and intimate again.
I force a smile onto my face. “Of course, I just don’t want you accidentally getting sauce on your pretty shirt,” I say, pleading with him with my eyes to believe my obvious lie. He looks at Danny, though, who is watching us, and nods to me before sliding onto the stool next to Danny.
“What are you working on?” he asks, using a voice I recognize he reserves just for her. It’s soft, sweet, and doesn’t carry the teasing lilt he uses with me.
Danny explains her drawing, and they chat easily while I drain the pasta and assemble everything in a baking dish. All it needs now is warming the chicken through and melting the cheese. Once I’ve popped it in the oven, I turn and rest against the counter. I wonder whether I should warn him about my sistersor just let tonight play out. Finally, I decide I shouldn’t bias him against them, so we’ll just let tonight play out.
A few minutes later, I plate dinner and am surprised when Gen comes down the stairs herself, hair in a stylish updo and a Ralph Lauren business suit on. My jaw drops. I had assumed we were going to have family dinner in her room again, like always. She’s bedridden.
The smile she gives Daniel, though, isn’t one of a grieving widow. It’s one of a hostess. I grind my molars and am grateful no one is looking at me. Daniel introduces himself; Gen introduces herself, and then Chastity and Grace, who have followed behind her, both wearing elegant dresses and perfume. Who wears perfume to family dinner?
I guess we know what direction tonight is going to go in.
“Mr. King. What a pleasure to have you to dinner,” Gen says, looping her arm through his and tugging him towards the formal dining room that we haven’t used in years.
Daniel looks over Gen’s shoulder, uncomfortable. I can tell he wants to help me, but Gen grips his arm and ushers him to sit at the head of the table. Chastity and Grace take the seats next to him, while Grace points to the other head of the table for Danny, essentially putting her too far away for conversation.
Alone in the kitchen, I close my eyes and let out a tortured breath. I have to give them grace. I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. I have to ignore being a servant in my own home. It’s just the way that it is.
Defeat settles over my shoulders. What can I do? Scream? Throw a temper tantrum? Call them out on their shitty behavior? I can’t imagine how they would react if I called them out.
Keep the family together.
Keep the family together.
Another steadying inhale through my nose and out through my mouth and I serve dinner to my family. I serve Daniel and Danny first, but as I walk past Daniel, he grabs my wrist gently to stop me.
“Thank you,” he says quietly, ignoring Grace, who is talking about some gala or another. I simply nod and tug my wrist away.
After I’ve finished serving everyone else, I sit next to Danny, but I realize that my entire family is in this room. It’s blood family but also chosen family. Is that what Daniel is? Family I choose? I know he, Danny and I make a family unit, even if it’s still in its infancy. There’s a connection there that we’re choosing to nurture every day.
Danny and I chat to each other quietly, but I don’t miss the questions Gen, Chastity and Grace ask Daniel.
“What do you do?”
“I own a club?”
“Oh, what kind of club?”
I tense, not knowing what he’ll say. I’m not embarrassed of The White Envelope, but I also don’t know how they’ll react to his role in a sexy club.
“A members-only club.”
“Wait, a minute. King. Are you related to the Kings of West Hampton?”
I’ve been avoiding Daniel’s gaze this entire time, but I look at him now. I know his family is a sensitive subject for him, and in an instant I’m protective, ready to jump in if I need to.
His charming smile falters just slightly, but I’m not sure they notice.
“Yes. Actually. Charles King is my father.”
