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I lost a cheating boyfriend and landed the job I wanted today.
Life is looking up.
Chapter 6
Bianca
“If I’m totally honest, I should have walked away from Kieran weeks ago,” I confess to my sister. “We got along great in the beginning, but then the spark fizzled.”
Vivi drags a hand through her shoulder-length brown hair. “You met Kieran on a blind date a few months ago, Bianca. You’re the one who told me that those relationships never work out long-term. You just proved your own point.”
I hate when my younger sister throws my words back in my face. “What’s going on with you? Have you met anyone lately?”
The scowl she gives me is the only answer I’ll get to that question.
“When are mom and Thurston supposed to get here?” I glance at the entrance to the restaurant that Vivi chose.
Sérénité serves French cuisine, which happens to be my sister’s favorite. I would have thought she’d pick something I adored for this celebratory meal.
It was Vivi’s idea to break out the bubbly and our stepfather’s credit card for this mini family reunion. She’s eager to toast to the fact that I dumped Kieran. She’s assured me she won’t spill the beans to our mom and Thurston tonight. I’ll tell them when the time is right.
I left out all the details of why I pulled the plug on the relationship when I told Vivi it was over. I don’t want to recount what I saw this afternoon to anyone. I hoped that the shower I took when I got home would wash the mental image of my boyfriend fucking another woman from my mind, but it didn’t.
Time will do that, and a glass of wine tonight will help.
“They’ll be here soon,” Vivi reassures me with a hand on my arm. “They’re excited to see you. You’ve been so busy lately.”
She has been too.
My sister works as an event planner at Howerton House. It’s the premier venue in Manhattan for luxury weddings, conferences, and galas.
She loves her job almost as much as I love mine.
I haven’t told Vivi that I got the promotion. I want to find a moment alone with my stepfather to discuss his part in that before I make a grand announcement.
My sister jumps to her feet when she sees our mom and Thurston on the approach. My mom, Angela Marks, is dressed as she always is in a pantsuit. Today it’s a soft lilac that’s a shade lighter than the dress that Vivi is wearing.
Thurston’s three-piece suit is dark blue. It’s his signature look, along with the bowtie around his neck and his perfectly groomed gray hair.
Since I’m wearing a red sheath dress she bought for me, I get a nod of approval from my mother. Sleek and elegant are two of her favorite words. She wasn’t able to indulge in her love for designer brands before she married Thurston. Now, she takes full advantage of his generosity.
“Beauties,” Thurston says as he takes Vivi for a hug before he steps closer to pull me into his chest. “How are my girls?”
I glance at my mother. A broad smile lights up her face.
That’s enough for me. It’s always been since my dad died. Her hugs became less plentiful after he was buried. Her goodnight kisses disappeared. She wove a cocoon around herself that only Thurston has been able to break through.
“Let’s sit.” Thurston gestures to my mom. “Vivi can tell us why we’re gathered here together.”
“Surprise!” My sister screams in my ear as we all take our seats. “Bianca got promoted today.”
Well, damn.
I look at Thurston, but there’s not an ounce of shock in his expression. I’d call it smug satisfaction. My mother, on the other hand, is clapping her hands in excitement.
I turn to look at Vivi. “How did you know?”
Her blue eyes wander my face, trying to find a hint to how I feel. “Paige told me.”
I should have seen that coming. They met last month when the three of us had lunch. Paige and Vivi hit it off. I didn’t realize they kept in touch, but my sister makes friends with everyone she meets, so this isn’t shocking.
Thurston calls over the waiter, who has been hovering a few feet away from us. My stepdad orders a bottle of his favorite champagne for the table. It’s the same champagne he popped open on my twenty-first birthday, and the day Vivi was hired at Howerton House.
Our special occasions have always been as important to him as his son Grayson’s are. Grayson is a professor at NYU and an award-winning poet. When my mom married Thurston, Grayson was twenty-one and in college.
The waiter departs with a smile on his face. Thurston’s been here before. The staff knows that he tips incredibly well.
“John made the right decision.” Thurston beams. “You’re going to excel, Bianca. I’m confident you’ll do well.”
