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“I’ll send them to my legal department for anything they ask for. Every request gets vetted by them first.”
Daphne sits up and gives me a serious look. “Tell them no. Please. They need to respect boundaries, and our relationship is personal. It’s got nothing to do with money or politics.”
Her tone is imploring, and I realize how important this is to her. I knew her dad or one of his people would ask me for money, and I planned to “donate” some to stay on her parents’ good side. But Daphne’s good side means a lot more to me than theirs does.
“Okay,” I tell her. “I’ll tell them no.”
She nods and murmurs, “Thank you.”
“They really affected the way you see the world, didn’t they?”
“Everything was about money, power and influence. I thought it was because they were wealthy, but I realize now it’s because they’re shallow. You have more money than my family, but you still treat people well. You let Giselle just be a kid, and you don’t think you’re better than people who have less.”
I put my palm on her thigh right beneath the hem of her shorts, rubbing my thumb over the soft, smooth skin.
“I’m not that different from people who aren’t wealthy,” I say. “I have more, but the things that matter most to me are the same as everyone else. That’s why seeing Jada in that car that night hit me so hard. I saw a parent, just like me, wanting to take care of her kids.”
She smiles. “Did I tell you that Jada and her kids made you cookies? She brought them into the office and Hassan texted me about it. We already have so much food here that I told him to keep them, but on the down low. If Jada asked, you got the chocolate chip cookies and loved them.”
“That was nice of them. Did Hassan say how they’re doing?”
“He said Jada hasn’t been late or missed a day of work, and that her boss is happy with her. And the kids are all doing well in school. He goes over to the apartment to check in on them every few days.”
“He’s been juggling a lot while I’ve been gone,” I say. “I need to call my accountant and have him send Hassan a bonus.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate that.”
Daphne gathers her hair and pulls it over her shoulder, exposing the side of her neck. If I had the use of my left shoulder, I’d push myself up and kiss her there. Her neck, her earlobes, her chest,…every inch of her silently calls to me when I look at her.
I hope she doesn’t think she’s moving out of here once I’m fully healed. Now that I know what it’s like to have her all the time, I’m not going back.
“If you need a referral for an interior designer, I know some great ones,” my mother tells Olivier as she looks around his penthouse apartment.
“I’m good, but thanks. I just buy what I like.”
“But…don’t you entertain?” She gives him a befuddled look.
“Not in my home, no. I’m a pretty private person.”
Mercifully, Grandma Jo ends the conversation when she approaches Olivier, smiling. “Give me a one-armed hug, Frenchman. It’s good to see you back on your feet.”
“Grandma Jo!” Giselle calls from the other room, hurrying in to greet her with a hug.
“There’s my Go Fish buddy,” Grandma Jo says, hugging her warmly. “How are you, my dear?”
“Good. Can I take your coat?”
“You most certainly can, thank you.”
My mom turns to my dad and says, “Apparently we missed a lot by not getting an invite to the hospital. Everyone else is like old friends and we’re the odd people out.”
I sigh softly and Olivier squeezes my hand.
“Mom, it wasn’t really an invite kind of thing,” I say. “We were all just worried about Olivier the whole time.”
“I know that, dear, but when people wondered why my mother-in-law was allowed to see Olivier and I wasn’t, I had no answer.”
“Is it really a wonder she didn’t want you there?” Grandma Jo snaps. “You make everything about you, Sandy.”
“Who wants a drink?” Olivier asks.
“I’d love one,” my father says.
Olivier heads for the kitchen, my father following.
“We’re thrilled about you and Daphne, Olivier,” my dad says. “And hoping you have a swift recovery.”
“Thanks.”
“I hope we’ll have some time to sit and talk tonight,” my dad says, which is code for I plan to hit you up for either money or a favor.
I look between my dad and Olivier and my mom and Grandma Jo, not sure which group to tackle first. I feel like I need to mediate my parents’ interactions around Olivier.
He can handle himself, though. I decide to get myself a drink instead. I’ve mostly been drinking water since I started staying at Olivier’s, but time with my parents calls for something stronger.
