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“I just don’t know if . . . if I want to do that forever. I feel like I need to sit down and really think about my future.”
I wanted to point out to her that that was a luxury most people didn’t have—people like me—but I didn’t want to diminish the fact that she was finally tapping into something that might interest her. Tiffany had some flaws, but those flaws could easily work in her favor if she aimed her energy in the right direction.
Her dad had tried to get her to do just that, and her mom had let her off the hook for too long now. It was a funny, almost rewarding thing, to be the only one who’d been able to get through to her so far.
13
Manning
The Ritz-Carlton sat on a cliff, overlooking a dark expanse of Pacific Ocean. The white-columned and marbled-floored lobby had bouquets of flowers as tall as me.
“I’ve always loved this place,” Tiffany said. “So many childhood memories.”
Well, fuck me. I’d never been in a hotel this nice, and certainly not as a kid. In that moment, I was grateful for the times Cathy had wounded my pride by forcing nice clothes on me.
Charles stood at the opposite end of the lobby while Lake and Cathy had gone to look at the view.
“What took so long?” Charles asked, motioning for us to hurry.
“Manning insisted on self-parking,” Tiffany said.
As long as I lived, no matter where I ended up in life, I hoped I’d always opt to walk an extra two minutes to save a few bucks.
“He’s frugal,” Charles said to her. “You could learn a thing or two about that.”
I was pretty sure it was a compliment, and the first he’d ever paid me. I just wished it hadn’t been at Tiffany’s expense.
We met Cathy and Lake to walk to the restaurant. “I used to bring the girls here for tea time during the holidays,” Cathy said. “Remind me to show you pictures, Manning. The girls were so adorable in matching red dresses.”
Lake and Tiffany, ahead of us, turned to each other and made matching “gag-me” faces as they laughed. I could just picture them—pint-sized, giggling towheads. “What were you like?” I asked.
Both girls glanced back at me. I imagined as kids, they looked a lot like they did in that moment, young and confused and being silly.
“Tiffany was the apple of everyone’s eye,” Cathy said. “At family events, she’d perform for us. When we were in public, people would stop me to tell me how beautiful she was. Then, when Lake was born, I could hardly walk ten minutes without somebody gushing over them. Lake hated the attention, though, always hiding behind her big sister.”
“Lake was shy,” Tiffany said. “Who would’ve guessed?”
“She wasn’t shy.” Cathy looked thoughtful. “She could go up to anyone and start a conversation. It’s just that she endured people fawning over her, whereas you, honey, ate it up.”
“Not much has changed.” Charles patted Tiffany’s upper back, leading her into the restaurant.
The hostess took us to a table in the middle. Charles set down a yellow and red gift bag with “Congratulations!” printed on the side.
“Should we have brought a present?” I asked Tiffany.
Cathy turned to me. “Don’t worry. I didn’t even know Charles had anything planned.”
He sat at the head of the rectangular table and wanted Lake by his side, so I took the chair next to Cathy, across from the girls.
“Champagne for the table,” he said as the hostess turned to leave.
“I’ll let your server know,” she said. “Does everyone have ID?”
“They’re twenty-one,” he said. “Just bring a bottle of your best.”
The hostess hesitated before walking away. “Yes, sir.”
Lake’s eyes twinkled. “Dad?”
“You’ll be an adult soon. One glass won’t kill you.” Charles leaned his elbows on the table, giving her his full attention. “You’ve earned it. I’m so . . .” He swallowed, as if holding back tears.
I glanced at Tiffany as she sank in her seat, fiddling with the corner of her cloth napkin.
Charles shook his head at the table. “I just need a moment to collect myself. I’ll be more articulate when we toast.”
Tiffany opened her menu with flourish. “Can we get anything, Daddy?” she asked.
“Anything you like, princess.” He put on a pair of glasses and, reading over the specials, said, “You should order the porterhouse, Manning. It’s unlike any you’ve ever had. I guarantee it.”
It was the most expensive steak on the menu. I’d never seen the man in such a good mood. In fact, I wasn’t sure he’d ever addressed me by my first name before. “That sounds great.”
Tiffany noticed, too. She ran her foot up the inside of my leg, waggling her eyebrows at me. “You want to get oysters, babe? I hear they’re an aphrodisiac.”
“Tiffany,” Cathy said under her breath. “Don’t say things like that at the dinner table.”
