Page 283 of Valentino

“Why aren’t you staying with us?” Mom interrupts.

“Well….”

“I saw your story on Portugal,” Dad cuts me off as he raises his wineglass. “Fabulous, as always.”

“Haha.” I fake a smile and raise my glass before taking a giant gulp of wine.

Fuck.

There isn’t enough alcohol on earth for this conversation.

“How have you guys been?” I change the subject.

“Absolutely slammed at work,” Mom replies. “But after the next fortnight things will slow down.”

“That’s good.” I take another swig, this wine tastes good.

Really good.

The waitress appears out of nowhere and places meals into the middle of the table.

“You ordered already?” I ask.

“I hope you don’t mind, we’re pushed for time,” Mom tells me. “We have to get back.” She smiles. “But I knew you would want your favorite.”

“Thanks.” I force a smile, wanted a salad today…. But whatever.

They chat away and dish out the meals onto our three plates, all without even so much as a question as to what I would like to eat.

They just assume to know…. Actually, come to think of it, they assume a lot about me. I watch them in a detached state, are they always this way or am I just feeling especially prickly today?

Ugh….

They keep chatting at a million miles per hour, jumping from subject to subject, completely absorbed in their lunch.

I drain my glass and refill it.

Mom tells me all about her Pilates, and Dad tells me all about golf on Saturday.

And me…well, I just sit here wondering how in the hell to tackle this.

“What story are you working on this week, Anna?” Dad asks me.

“Well….” I take another gulp of wine. “A story on Paris.”

“Paris?” My father frowns.

“Uh-huh.” I cut into my lunch as I do my best casual acting. “That’s right.”

“Why are you in Milan if you’re doing a story on Paris?”

“I have some news.” I look between them. “Exciting news.”

“You got the promotion.” Dad smiles. “Didn’t you?”

“Yes…. And no.”

Just spit it out.