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We were walking off dinner at the top of the Empire State Building on our third date when my phone buzzed.
I paused in the middle of telling him about Buffy Darlington’s offer to plan her sixty-fifth birthday. She was becoming a loyal client, which was both a blessing and a curse. Her expectations were higher than the building we were currently standing on.
I checked my phone, and my pulse jumped when I saw the caller’s name. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. It’s my sister.”
It was the middle of the night in Eldorra, and I hadn’t talked to Agnes since I told her about my showdown with our father. Did something happen to her or Gunnar?
“Of course.” Dante tucked his hands into his pockets and nodded at the other end of the observation deck. “Take your time. I’ll be there.”
It was hard to reconcile this Dante with the rude, arrogant CEO I’d met last summer, but we weren’t the same people we were nine months ago.
Old him wouldn’t have been this patient or understanding. Old me wouldn’t have held out this long against his charm offensive. And old us wouldn’t be here, trying to rebuild from the rubble of our relationship when it would be so much easier to abandon the project and move on.
“Thank you,” I said, my heart strangely warm.
I waited until he was out of earshot before I picked up.
“You have to save me,” Agnes said without preamble. “Mother is driving meup the wall.”
Relief loosened the knot of anxiety in my chest. “It’s four a.m. your time. Did you really call to complain about Mother?”
“I couldn’t sleep, and yes, I did. She tried to redecorate our house, Vivi.Twice.And she’s been here for less than a week.”
According to Agnes, my mother had gotten into a massive fight with my father when she found out he disowned me. She was currently staying at my sister’s place in Eldorra, which was how I knew things were bad. She hated Agnes’s animal menagerie because they shed so much.
“What do you want me to do? I’m in New York.” I glanced at Dante, his tall frame cutting a striking figure against the city lights. “You shouldn’t be talking to me anyway. Father will be upset.”
“Please. I’m upset withhim, and this fight is between you two, not us.” She hesitated, then added, “That’s another reason I called. He’s here. In Eldorra.”
My stomach plummeted.
“He’s trying to make amends with Mother and says he needs some time away from the office while the board ‘discusses how to move forward.’”
Translation: they were thinking of firing him.
Lau Jewels’s stock value had stabilized since Sunday, but it was lower than it should’ve been. The negative press coverage had done a number on the company.
“You should visit,” Agnes said.
I couldn’t contain a scoff. “Come on, Aggie.”
“I’m serious. We need to stand together as a family now more than ever. Not fight. What he did was awful, but he’s still our father, Vivi.”
“At what point is that not enough?”
If I was confused about my feelings toward Dante, I was twice as confused about my feelings toward my father. Did I want to reconcile with him, or was our relationship irreparable?
Agnes fell silent. “Just give it a chance,” she finally said. “Please. For me, Mother,andyou. Talk it out now that everyone’s had a chance to calm down. Even if you don’t make up, you’ll get closure. Plus, I miss you. I haven’t seen you since last fall.”
“This is emotional manipulation.”
“I learned from the best.”
“Mother,” we said in unison. When it came to guilt trips, Cecelia Lau was a diamond status frequent flyer.
“When’s he leaving?” I stared at the city below. If only I could stay here forever, removed from the worries and uncertainties plaguing life on the ground.
“Monday. I know it’s short notice, but if you can make it, I’d love to see you.” Agnes’s voice softened. “I really do miss you.”
