“I don’t mind it here. This is Dani’s favorite cheesesteak place. I should pick her up something before we leave.”
Frank scowls.
Gotcha.
“He’s in a bit of a mood tonight,” Mom tells me. “Don’t mind Frank. Ryan laid into us yesterday.”
“Oh.” I frown, my brain kicking into high gear to figure out what had gone wrong so I could fix it before it blew up into a huge problem. “About what? I told him I’d pay for his wedding—whatever they want. And I met with the VP of StreetAI where Claire works and mentioned that she ought to be fast-tracked for a promotion.”
“They’re fine,” Mom assures me. “He was mad about you.”
Fuck.
“I didn’t do anything to him.” The words come out in a rush.
“I know you didn’t do anything,” Frank snaps. “He’s mad about…” He hesitates.
I wonder suddenly if my mom knows about his little surprise visit.
“He’s mad about brunch,” Mom admits. “He thinks that I wasn’t welcoming enough. Ryan thinks that I’m going to scare off Dani. Me! I’m the fun mom. Everyone likes me. We’re the neighborhood hangout house. We had all of Max’s hockey team over this weekend, for god’s sake. And he thinks Dani doesn’t like me.”
“Of course she likes you,” I promise Mom.
“See,” Mom says to Frank. “See? Ryan’s just catastrophizing. He’s just like your dad.”
Not Dad-dad. Frank-dad.
“He wants you and him to have kids at the same time. Thinks it would be fun for cousins to grow up together, and I’m ruining the plan.”
Children with Dani?
Horrible idea.
Though they probably would be cute. Those baby pictures of her with all the curls and the gap-toothed smile…
“Look, I know we’re worried about you and relationships for obvious reasons.” Mom takes a deep breath. “But Ryan thinks that maybe we jumped the gun. He thinks that Dani is good for you. He says you look more relaxed when you’re with her. She’s been posting photos of you.” Mom shows me her phone.
There’s a candid shot of me and Dani at the Svensson Investment party. There’s the one of her and me on the couch when she’s got half the pastry in her mouth. Then there are several drunken selfies of her and me at dinner with her grandmother. And of course the shots of the dinner with her parents.
Damn, it almost does look like we’re in a real relationship.
Mom gives me a guilty smile. “She obviously likes you a lot and sees something good in you—and not just your wallet, since she’s from a good family.”
Keep your face neutral.
“And so we were thinking”—she grabs Frank’s hand—“that you should invite her to the house this weekend for the cookout with all of the family. She can meet everyone.”
“I don’t know…”
“We’ll make a better first impression,” Mom promises. “I’m the cool mom, remember? I can be fun!”
“You’re serious about her, right?” Frank demands. “This isn’t some casual thing, and then you’re going to break her heart?”
“No, of course not. I could never hurt her.”
I’m certain he can read the lie on my face.
17
