27. Dani
DANI
“Dani, please pay attention!”
I jerk in surprise, almost sending a platter of crab-salad finger sandwiches cascading to the floor.
“This bridal tea has to go perfectly for Colette. We’re hosting, and we need to make a good impression,” Mom scolds me. “Now, when you go upstairs to the solarium, make sure that there’s enough ice for the drinks while you’re at it.”
Mom is frazzled. I’m picking up on her nervous energy.
Or maybe I just can’t stop thinking about Graham. Of course, he didn’t call me or text me or anything after that night. I still can’t believe that I had a man’s mouth on my breast, his fingers inside of me.
“Dude, are you okay?” Piper waves at me through the open elevator doors.
“Oh! We’re here.” I push out the cart laden with the tea sandwiches, scones, pastries, and other fancy tea items.
Lulu is moseying around the plants. I need to make sure she doesn’t make a mess. Mom’s right. Everything has to be perfect.
The top of our residential building has a solarium with a big glass dome and little white tables, and residents can keep plants there. It’s perfect in winter, and I wish I was up here with a blanket and a good book instead of setting up for Colette’s bridal tea.
“Are you still thinking about your recent stroll down sex-goddess lane?”
“He said I sucked,” I hiss at her. “Remember?”
Piper starts helping me lay out the sandwiches on the antique, crystal three-tiered tea towers I’d been collecting at thrift stores.
“He was just negging you. You can’t go by what men say. You have to go by what men do. And Graham wants to do you.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t that exciting for him.”
“You said there was, like, kinky choking stuff and he got really possessive.”
“I mean, maybe.”
“Was he hard?” Piper presses.
“I don’t know.”
“I bet he was. Next time you’re with him, grab his dick and see what it feels like.”
“I just… I was hoping my first time would be with someone who, you know, liked me,” I whisper.
“Are you kidding me? You’re making him feral.”
“Yeah, but is this normal? I remember what Kraig said. Graham is dangerous.”
“Kraig also wants to bone you. I bet he’s jacking off in your panties at home right now!” Piper crows.
“I don’t know how I feel about that…”
“Feel amazing about that. All that manifesting we did on New Year’s Eve instead of going out to clubs paid off! You’re drowning in men.”
“There are, like, two men.”
“Sounds like his stepdad might have a thing for you, and you said that homeless guy catcalled you in the train station.” Piper beams. “Progress.”
“I’ve never been in a relationship. I don’t know what a man’s supposed to act like.” I’m fretting.
“I think all men get feral and horny and aggressive when they want to fuck a woman they like.” Piper pokes me in the side. “Though I can’t imagine your dad ever acting like that with your mom,” Piper muses.
“Eww, gross, gross, gross. I do not want to think about that.”
“You need to go back to that penthouse tonight,” she tells me.
“I can’t just show up. Also, I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Hmm.” Piper taps her chin. “I got it. He went crazy for you when you were in his closet, right—wearing his shirt?”
I nod.
“Okay, so you’re going to go over there, you’re going to steal one of his dress shirts, put it on, and walk into his study. He won’t be able to resist. You’ll be an experienced sexual being by sunrise.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“If we really want to make sure he’s going to stick his face in that cherry pie, then send Kraig some text messages asking what he’s doing with your panties.”
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to encourage him.”
“You’re not encouraging him. You just need him aroused enough to send you a photo or something of him jacking off on them.
You know men—they can’t resist sending a dick pic.
And then you can forward it to Graham and be like…
someone thinks I’m worthy of being fucked.
Shoot, you wouldn’t even have to get dressed or leave your couch.
I bet he’d scale the walls to come get that coochie. ”
“I really can’t have Mom walking in on that.”
“Then go to his penthouse. You can’t keep stalling. Oh, hi! Mrs. Belmont!” Piper waves to Colette’s mom.
Vivienne does a judgmental sweep of her eyes over the decorations that Piper and I spent all night putting up.
“This is… quaint.”
“We’re going for a French garden party type feel. Very rustic.”
“It will look great in photos, Mrs. Belmont!” Piper chirps.
“Is this cheesecloth?” She makes a sour face.
“It’s antique lace, Mrs. Belmont.” From my own collection, thank you very much, that I’ve been saving for years for my own wedding.
I smooth the pink-and-white tea dress with the big yellow flower print. I’m wearing an apron, but I’m clumsy with food, and I don’t have anything else to change into.
Colette is visibly unhappy with the party when she and the Girl Squad arrive.
“It’s a bridal tea,” I remind her desperately. “We’re also throwing the couples’ shower at the Yacht Bar. That will be very fancy. This is supposed to be like a cozy English afternoon tea.”
I hold up the books I checked out of the library for research. “See? Victorian afternoon tea. This is a very fine muslin tablecloth. We have the antique china, imported tea…”
“God, stop being weird—I love it, okay?” Colette tosses her hair. She doesn’t. It’s clear by the tone of her voice.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t expect anything else from you. You’ve never been in a relationship before—you’re basically a newbie intern to the ways of marriage. So thank you for trying. I know you did your best. Now, where am I sitting?”
“At the head table, of course,” I tell her anxiously.
I’m a bridesmaid because our mothers are friends, so I don’t get to sit next to Piper. She and Gran are hyping it up at a table far in the corner, while I have to sit next to Hannah at the end of the head table.
“That was sooo nice of you,” Greta tells me, “to DIY all of this for Colette. I’m sure she’ll do the same for me.”
I sip my boiling hot tea from the delicate cup and pray that I don’t drop it on myself.
“You’re doing way more as a bridesmaid than you need to be,” Maya tells me. “I mean, Hannah’s the maid of honor, and Colette’s sister is matron of honor, and I know Hannah doesn’t even know what’s going on.”
Hannah giggles. “She’s right, I don’t!”
“But you don’t need Colette to plan anything when you and Graham get married,” Nora adds. “He has so much money he’ll hire you a wedding planner.”
“Graham would pay for a much nicer one. It would be super high-end.” Maya nods.
“Nothing is too expensive for his boo!” Greta sips her champagne. “He’d probably literally fly us to London for a bridal tea in a castle.”
They giggle. Colette looks even more furious as she overhears us.
“I let Dani help plan my wedding as a favor,” Colette tells the table. “Dani loves to do wedding stuff. It’s because she doesn’t think she’ll ever have a wedding. She’s still a virgin.”
“Oh!” Colette’s sister gasps. “I thought you were dating that billionaire. How are you still a virgin?”
Now the whole table is looking at me.
“Oh, well… I’m not, I—”
Colette flashes a mean glance at me then tosses her hair and smiles.
“Dani was a virgin all through college.”
I want to sink into my seat.
“You were?” Colette’s cousins, who are in town, look at me like I’m a dodo bird that’s just appeared at their table.
“Wait, is it, like, a weird religious cult thing?”
“No, her brother obviously had no problem,” Colette says. “Dani’s just weird.”
“Were you, like, scared or something?” Colette’s sister presses.
I’m sweating. It’s soaking my dress.
“Um, no. I just was waiting for the right person. And then I found him, and now I’m just like everyone else.”
“So how was it? Your first time?” Colette’s cousin asks.
“It was great.”
“Really?” Colette’s sister wrinkles her nose. “Mine wasn’t.”
“Well, you’re not getting railed by a billionaire,” Colette says sourly.
“True.” Colette’s sister smirks at her. “Funny. You always said you were going to marry a billionaire. Guess Dani stole your man.”
Smoke curls out of Colette’s nostrils. Not really, but it would be less intimidating than the expression she’s wearing.
“Where did you guys do it?”
“How big is he?”
“Did you actually, you know…?”
All the girls giggle.
Did I actually, you-know what? I panic internally.
“Oh, I was pretty drunk.” I force out a laugh. “So I barely remember.”
“Convenient.” Colette stares at me.
Everyone laughs, and I laugh along so that everyone thinks I’m in on the joke.
“You’re not over there that often, though. The doorman and I were talking about it,” Colette says. “How you’re still at your parents’ a lot.”
“Graham doesn’t already have a mistress, does he?” Maya asks, wide-eyed.
“When he wants you to do a threesome,” Colette’s cousin says, draining her champagne, “I call first dibs.”
“A threesome?” I squeak.
“Yeah, I dated a billionaire for like a month, and he was all about that. When you have that much money they just get kinkier and kinkier. A threesome is nothing.” She shrugs.
“He probably already has someone in mind. Dani can’t be the only girl he’s sleeping with,” Colette snaps. “Don’t confront him about it, obviously, Dani. I mean, the fact that he even wants to sleep with you? You should be flattered.”
“It’s probably because he’s bored. He wanted something different for a little while.” The cousin steals her sister’s drink.
“You think there’s really someone else?” I ask.
Could that be it? Why Graham doesn’t want me? I never actually considered it. Never actually asked him if me being his fake girlfriend was going to mean he couldn’t be with the love of his life.
I’m a bad person.
Maybe I ruined his chance at one true love.
“There’s definitely someone else.” Nora nods sagely.
“But don’t make waves. You don’t want to lose all your perks.” Colette’s cousin pours everyone more wine. “Like, he’s taken you on big trips, right?”
“Uh, of course. Right,” I lie.
“But speaking of trips, so for the bachelorette”—I hastily change the subject—“since everyone’s here, I thought we could run over the itinerary.”
“I’m so glad you’re planning this,” the matron of honor says, “because I do not have the time.”
After the bridal tea, I wolf down the last of the sandwiches.
“Man, you really went through the wringer at the bridal table.” Piper winces then sucks in a breath when I chug the last third of a bottle of champagne.
“It’s fine. I’m grateful Colette gave me the push I needed.”
“To do…?”
“I’m going to go lose my virginity.”
“What am I doing here?” I whisper to myself as I stand outside of Graham’s front door.
I have to lose my virginity. I lied to everyone that I did, And look at what happened the last time I lied to those girls. I ended up getting kidnapped.
I’ve put that vibe out into the universe.
It’s Graham, Kraig, or the homeless guy in the subway station.
Graham it is.
I press the doorbell before I can chicken out.
Footsteps race, then the door is flung open.
“Daniiii!!! I didn’t know you were coming!” Bridget grabs my hand and drags me into the dining room of Graham’s penthouse while I protest.
He stands up when we enter the room.
“Graham, you should have told us your girlfriend was coming over!”
“It was a surprise,” I babble. “Um, surprise! I’m here!” I clear my throat while all of his siblings stare at me.
“I thought maybe we could…” I gesture helplessly and look at his siblings so I can look anywhere else but those intense green eyes. “I don’t want to interrupt your sibling get-together. Oh! You have all of your siblings here.”
I swallow as Kraig stands up.
“Dani.” He hugs me. Two arms.
“Stay.” Kraig pulls out a chair for me. “You’re going to make this party-planning session a lot more pleasurable.”