Chapter 37
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
Dimitri
It’s a Four Families dinner, plus Alana. This time, we’re at Thiago’s house. Over the past two years, he’s bought his family home, increased security, and updated the flooring. He’s come into more money than the rest of us. The gaming company is really taking off.
The grandparents sit out on the back porch and the kids are in the basement, which leaves my generation in the kitchen. It’s loud and chaotic—wine glasses clink on the countertops, instrumental versions of pop hits play through a Bluetooth speaker, and Lance can’t keep his hands off Izzy. He’s always touching her, like he’s in a constant state of magnetism.
Waverly brought the tattoo artist she’s been seeing. I’ve got an appointment with him to clean up the Octopus tattoo. She officially bought the hotel and I suggested she update the cameras and put better locks on the doors. I do feel a little bad about fucking Katya on what would be Waverly’s desk. I’ve been debating if I should say anything about it.
“Uh oh, here comes trouble,” Lance says, taking a swig from his beer.
I follow his gaze to see what he’s looking at. It’s the kids.
Shae strides into the kitchen, clutching a laptop to her chest, her chin held high. She leads the way for the rest of the group. Maria, the youngest, struggles to push a bowl of chips out of the way to make space on the counter. Drew, Izzy’s son, helps by moving the bowl, some dip, and a plate of cheese—grabbing a few bites on the side. Ian stands behind Shae, peering over her shoulder as she sets up the laptop and faces it toward us.
“Can we have your attention, please?” Shae says.
While I wasn’t talking and easily gave her mine, the rest of the adults continue their conversations.
Maria isn’t having it. “Excuse me! Shae would like your attention!” she bellows.
The room quiets, conversations fading into silence. Drew shakes his head and Ian rolls his eyes, but the two of them are clearly on board with this.
Shae presses a button on the laptop, and the screen flashes on. A title appears: “Why We Should Go to the Amanda Chase Concert.”
Shae clears her throat. “Over the course of this very professional presentation, you will learn five reasons why we should attend the Amanda Chase concert.”
Ian presses the spacebar, advancing the slide as Shae paces. “Reason one,” she intones, like she’s been speaking to eager audiences for years, “Amanda Chase is a lyrical genius, and her music is studied at the top universities in the world.”
Ian presses the spacebar again, and an image of a man in a cap and gown pops up with a speech bubble saying, “I’m smart, and I like Amanda Chase.”
A few chuckles ripple through the room.
Shae seems undeterred. “Reason two: Amanda Chase raises more money for charity than most other musicians. Seeing her concert would literally benefit the world.”
The next slide features an animated frog hugging the planet. I don’t get it, but Ian and Drew laugh like it’s the funniest thing they’ve ever seen.
“Reason three: Family bonding,” Shae announces. “I plan to bring Ian and Drew, and Maria wants to bring Olivia.” A picture of the kids at a pool over the summer appears. “As we get older, we might start to drift apart. This will create one shared memory for all of us.”
Pulling at the heartstrings. Not sure how effective that’ll be.
The next slide shows Amanda Chase holding a bunch of awards, with a few extras digitally added, floating around her head. “Reason four: She’s an excellent role model,” Shae says. Maria takes over, pushing the spacebar herself. “Reason five: Shae and I share a birthday month, so it can be our gift!”
The screen shows a dancing present with giant eyes.
Shae stops and watches the adults. There’s a second of resignation on her face as her fingers hover over the keyboard. She reaches to press the spacebar again, but Maria grabs her hand. “No, don’t!”
“We have to. Aunt Alana isn’t convinced,” Shae replies, tipping her head toward Alana, who’s sitting at the counter with her usual unimpressed expression.
Maria whimpers into Drew’s chest. “Please don’t.”
Drew places a hand on Maria’s shoulder. “Sorry, but we’ve got no choice.”
Maria turns and letting out a muffled wail. Drew pats her back and glares at Thiago across the room. “I’m sure Santa will still bring you something.” The overprotective iciness in Drew’s voice shoots across the room like a dagger, and a warning toward Thiago.
Shae exhales and presses the spacebar one last time. A Christmas tree appears, shaking its... well, I assume it’s supposed to be its ass. Cartoon tree anatomy is confusing.
“And this can be our Christmas gift too!” Shae declares.
Maria cries softly into Drew’s chest. He pats her shoulder. “It’s okay.”
Shae closes the laptop with finality. “This concludes our presentation. We will now take questions.”
Izzy is the first to speak. “You don’t want to take your friends?”
Shae tosses her hair over her shoulder. “No, they’d only be using me to see Amanda Chase. The boys are loyal.”
Ian jams his hands in his pockets. “I like Amanda Chase. Uri plays her music every day. I know the lore, and I even have a favorite Kiki song.”
Drew shrugs. “I like Autumn Foxes more, but she’s okay. I wouldn’t mind seeing her.”
Alana places her wine glass on the counter, the sound of glass on marble ringing across the kitchen. “You want four seats together for next week’s Amanda Chase concert?” she asks flatly.
“Well, it would be at least six. Because Maria wants to bring Oliva and we need a grown-up,” Shae replies.
Alana frowns. “It can’t be done. The show sold out in under a minute.”
Maria turns from Drew, her tear-streaked face shining. “But you’re magical,” she says plaintively.
“Powerful, not magical,” Lance corrects.
Shae pushes a crumb around the counter with her finger, her voice small. “What about the VIP section?”
Alana answers without missing a beat. “Those tickets are ten grand a piece. Plus, there are cameras everywhere. Fans will be streaming footage of celebrity guests all over social media. And you want to take the heir to the Olympian legacy there? It’s a security nightmare.”
The kids’ shoulders sink under the weight of her words, and a cloud of despair settles over them. Dreams dashed and crushed by reality and logistics—welcome to adulthood, kids.
“I’m willing to negotiate, though,” Alana says, and suddenly, hope springs eternal.
She lifts a finger to signal silence and takes out her phone. “Macie, hey. Call Siren’s people and see if we can get a meet-and-greet for five kids and an adult, plus a greenroom viewing of the concert.” She hangs up and looks at the kids. “If I can pull this off, none of you are getting birthday or Christmas gifts this year.”
The room goes silent, but cracks with anticipation and excitement. Alana reaches across the counter, grabs a chip, and chews it loudly. Her phone buzzes. She types something, goes back to chewing like this isn’t the single biggest event of these kids’ lives.
“Where’d you get the dip?” she asks Thiago.
“New place down the street,” he replies.
“It’s decent.” She nods in approval. The phone buzzes again. She checks it, types a little more, and sets it on the counter. “Done.”
Maria blinks, her jaw dropping like a fish gasping for air. Ian jumps, grabbing onto Drew, who seems as stunned as Maria. Only Shae manages to find her voice. “We’re going to meet her?”
“Yep.”
“Before her concert?”
“Yep.”
“Like, for real? We’ll all be in the same room?”
“That’s how meet-and-greets work.”
“Breathing the same air?!”
Alana sips her wine, unfazed. “Hell, she might even hug you.”
Shae’s eyes widen. “Will Grae be there?”
There’s a shift in her demeanor as her body stiffens. “Probably. He’s got the same security detail as Siren right now.”
Ian grins. “We can finally see why Uncle Lance doesn’t like him.”
The girls laugh, but Drew’s face tightens, and if he were an animal, his hackles would be up.
Shae asks, “Are you coming with us?”
“No, I don’t interact with celebrities.” Alana takes another sip of her wine.
Drew tilts his head. “But you hang out with Lena Goodlove.”
“Honey Badger,” Lance corrects quickly, shooting Drew a warning glare for saying too much.
“Lena’s different. Like Waverly is. The rules don’t apply to either of them.” Alana waves her hand dismissively. “Now go back to your dungeon and scream for a few minutes.”
The kids need no further prompting. They scurry off, their feet thundering down the basement stairs. A chorus of muffled screams rises through the floorboards moments later.
Alana turns to Waverly. “You wanna go?”
Waverly fans herself, bouncing on her toes. “Oh my god!” But just as quickly as the excitement comes, it fades. “I’m trapped with contractors and inspections, plus the staff needs training on the new reservation system.”
Uri coughs into his hand. “I’ll go.”
All eyes swivel toward him as he shrugs, trying for a casual air. “I can be the cool uncle. Won’t embarrass the kids, take some pictures, you know, whatever.”
Alana eyes him skeptically. “You’re kind of a big fan. You sure you can be cool?”
“As a cucumber.”
She nods. “Fine. You can chaperone.”
Uri’s face lights up with barely concealed glee. One thing’s for sure—he would absolutely die for Alana if she asked. But this? This is Amanda Chase, Uri’s deity of choice.