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Vivian’s lips lift, though I wouldn’t call it a smile, and nothing else on her face moves a bit. Yup, her face has seen its fair share of scalpels and Botox.
She scans the table, not for attendees for this dinner party but for placement. Seeing the only empty chairs are on the side of the table, she sniffs faintly, as if that’s some sort of rebuff.
On the other hand, Devin seems proud and carries himself in a way to be bigger than he is, coming in gregariously as if we’re all here to see him. As he passes by Cole, he slaps him on the back heartily like they’re best pals, but it’s a bit too hard, and I can see Cole bite back words.
With Cameron, though, he doesn’t take the chance, mainly because Cameron gives him a look that would freeze the alcohol in his refilled glass. Cameron’s wintry smile says very clearlytouch me and you lose your fucking hand.
Devin bypasses Cameron, ignores Kayla, which is a dick move, and sits down with his girlfriend. Once everyone’s seated, Devin between Viv and Bridgette, she speaks up again. “Thank you so much for coming—”
Vivian’s making it sound like she’s the host, and I’m more than a little pleased when her big introduction speech—one I’m sure she worked on before tonight—is interrupted by Gracie running in.
“Daddy!” she shouts, “Look what I got!”
She’s holding up her hand, fingers spread wide, to show off a pink bauble ring on her index finger.
To his credit, Cameron’s lips lift into the first true smile I’ve seen on him and his shoulders drop by inches as his daughter climbs into his lap and gets right up in his face. “That’s beautiful, Gracie. Almost as beautiful as you.” He taps her nose, and she smiles happily in response to his compliment. “Do you want to have dinner with us or hang in the living room?”
The awareness that this type of fancy dinner party is probably boring to a kid is a pleasant surprise. I guess I thought Cameron would be all ‘sit down and be quiet, the grown-ups are talking’ with Grace, but he seems downright wrapped around his daughter’s finger.
“Can I have dinosaur nuggies in here?” she asks, dropping her chin and batting her lashes.
“Of course, you can,” Miranda answers for Cameron.
“Ooh, can I have one too?” Luna asks, joking with the little girl.
“Yum, me too!” I say, playing along. Hell, dino nuggies sound better than that crap Macrosine tried to pawn off on Chance and me. And given the fanciness of the Harrington home, I’m afraid I might need a McDonald’s stop on the way home again
But my comment triggers all hell to break loose as Grace realizes I’m here. “SAMANTHA!” Grace shouts at one hundred and twenty decibels before immediately divingunderthe table to get to me faster.
We all lean back, looking down to see Gracie crawling across the rug right toward me. “Hey, uh, Grace... you could’a just walked around the table, you know?” I say, grinning as she pops up beside me and wraps her arms around my neck tightly.
“Too slow and you need to see my ring,” she states as though the shortcut makes perfect sense now that she’s explained her reasoning.
She holds it up for my inspection, and I hum thoughtfully. “Pink diamond? Very pretty.”
“Pink sapphire,” she corrects even though the ring is obviously costume and not a real stone. Even the metal of the ring itself shines a bit too brightly, clearly cheap plating on an even cheaper base metal.
“I thought sapphires were blue,” Luna says.
Knowing more about everything than most adults, Gracie educates her. “Sapphires can be lots of colors, depending on the minerals where they grow.”
We nod along with her, not sure if she’s telling the truth or making shit up on the fly. It doesn’t matter either way. No one will call her on it.
“As I was saying—” Vivian says, trying again to get to her welcome speech.
This time, the swinging door to the kitchen opens and two staff walk out with plates of food in their hands.
Guess this dinner party is finally getting started... officially.
CHAPTER22
CHANCE
I’m ready to leave.
We’re barely into our salad course and I’m fighting to stay in my seat when all I want to do is stand, take Samantha’s hand, and walk right out the front door.
But I don’t.
