Chapter Forty
Three months later
I don’t complain about monthly family dinners anymore.
In fact, most months they’re weekly. And this week the dinner is at my condo in Santa Monica.
My mom may have agreed to let me host occasionally, but she still shows up with cloth napkins and napkin holders.
Tonight she shows up with an extra set of fancy plates.
“I already have plates,” I object.
“These are chargers. You put them under the plates you eat off of for an extra pop of color,” she says as she puts the leaf in my kitchen table so it will seat eight.
Ever since my mom hired an assistant, she’s had more time to pursue other passions.
Which apparently includes making a “tablescapes” coffee-table book.
So whenever she brings over new tablecloths or weird plates that go under plates, she has her assistant photograph them for her book.
Luckily, I like her assistant, so I’m fine with him joining us for dinner.
“Here are the throw pillows you wanted for Grace’s couch,” Blue says, handing my mom a shopping bag.
I tried to talk some sense into Blue and even told him I’d find him a job at the nature center, but my mom offered him twice what he was making on Love Shack.
And for some unfathomable reason, he loves working for her.
He’s also been helping Matt with his social media while my brother gets his videography business up and running.
I guess frogs and salamanders can’t compete with my mom’s salary and my brother’s abs.
“Why do you need pillows? Aren’t you just taking a picture of the table?” I whine.
“Because your living room has a depressing lack of color,” my mom chides. “It’s all white walls and green plants.”
“It’s soothing.”
“It’s boring,” she says, then looks at Blue to side with her.
Blue holds up a bright yellow blanket. “I think it could also use a throw.” My mom claps her hands excitedly, and I know I’ve lost the battle.
My dad chuckles as he walks into the kitchen. “It’s easier to just say yes and hide them later,” he says with the wisdom of over thirty years of experience.
My dad plates the Greek food we ordered while Matt and Jesse debate some techy video editing software in the living room.
Jesse’s girlfriend, Ronnie, sits next to him on the couch.
Although we’ve all hung out a few times since the finale party, I still don’t know her that well.
She’s really shy, but she always offers to do the dishes, so she’s welcome at Lambert Family Dinner at my house anytime.
The doorbell rings, and I rush to let in Alec. “Finally!” I pull him inside. “They were teaming up on me again. I need backup.”
A couple months ago, I introduced Alec to Blue and they hit it off, just like I knew they would. They’ve been dating ever since and are frequent dinner guests. My mom’s annoyed that I’m one-for-one in matchmaking and she’s 0-for-293,847. So of course I remind her every chance I get.
Alec gives me a hug and hands me a bottle of wine before saying, “Reeling them in is definitely a two-person job.” Then he greets the rest of the fam and gives Blue a kiss hello as I help my mom finish setting the table.
“You know this just means more dishes to wash,” I say to her as I hold up one of her chargers.
“That’s what Ronnie’s for,” my mom whispers back. Then she asks at her normal volume, which is louder than most humans and jumbo jets, “Cassie’s not joining us tonight?”
At the mention of Cassie’s name, Matt perks up and I shoot him a dirty look. “No, someone dropped off an injured spotted owl this afternoon,” I tell her. “She’s staying overnight with it to make sure it’s okay.”
When the table is finally set to my mom’s standards and more artfully arranged pictures are taken, we all sit down to eat, and I dig into my vegan moussaka.
We usually go around the table, taking turns giving work and life updates, but tonight Matt speaks up first. “I have an announcement! I got my first gig!”
“That’s amazing, sweetheart!” my mom exclaims as we all offer congratulations. “Who’s getting married?”
I smile because I already know.
“Madison and TC,” Matt says, and the news is met by happy chatter.
My dad turns to me, “Did you know they’re engaged?”
“Yep. She asked me to be a bridesmaid,” I say nonchalantly, though secretly I’m excited. No one has ever asked me to be a bridesmaid before.
After Madison won the show, I was able to apologize to her in person.
She told me I was already forgiven, and she and TC have been frequent guests at Lambert Family Dinners whenever they’re up from San Diego.
I’ve also gone down there a few times to check out wedding venues with her.
And Ciara and I are throwing her a bachelorette party in a couple months.
“Ooh, I can help you pick out a bridesmaid dress!” my mom offers.
“No thanks.”
“But she has such great taste—” Blue starts.
I look at Alec for backup, and at the same time we say, “No means no.”
Everyone laughs, and thankfully my mom shrugs it off before quickly turning her attention back to the news of the happy couple. “Oooh! I’ll give Madison and TC a tablescapes book! It’s really the perfect engagement present.”
“Hey, you could cross-promote it with all your couples,” my dad says to Matt, which kicks off a whole-family marketing brainstorm.
Just then the front door opens, and I hear, “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a nightmare.” And in strolls the world’s most handsome lawyer. He’s in a custom suit but has been letting his facial hair grow a little longer because he knows I think it’s sexy. He especially likes when I tug on it.
Andrew says hi to everyone as he puts a pie on the counter. “Here’s the pie you wanted, Rebecca.” Then he crosses the room and leans over to give me the kiss I’ve been looking forward to for the past eight hours. My mom thanks him as he takes the empty seat next to me at the table. His seat.
With the crazy hours he’s been working at his new job and my team putting in overtime on saving our next endangered species, the arroyo toad, we were barely seeing each other.
So it just made sense for him to move into my condo.
We’ve been living together for a few weeks now, and there’s no better way to wake up in the morning than his kiss.
Well, except for the other ways he often wakes me up . . .
Andrew digs into the plate I made for him. We used to wait for him to get home to eat, but he made me promise we’d start eating without him since his commute time is so unpredictable.
In exchange, I send him my favorite science podcasts to listen to while he’s stuck in traffic. I lean in and whisper, “Which one did you listen to today?”
“The one about the mating rituals of silk moths. You’re right, it’s fascinating.”
I beam up at him. “You’re such a nerd.”
He smiles back at me. “You love it.” I really do. Then he asks the table, “Did I miss the weekly updates?”
Matt gives Andrew a bro nod because they’re gym buddies now. “Nah, you already know all of my updates.”
“I have some good news,” I tell the table. Andrew raises a teasing eyebrow because he knows what I’m going to say, and he knows that it’s not my good news.
Technically, it’s Javier’s good news, but I’m even happier than if it were my own.
After he saw my apology video, he agreed to meet me for coffee after Love Shack wrapped.
We cleared the air, then spent the next three hours hanging out like old pals.
I’m so thankful he forgave me because he’s quickly become one of my closest friends. And to my delight, one of Andrew’s too.
“Well? What is it?” Blue asks.
“Javier got the part!” I announce.
“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe he’s doing a movie!” my mom exclaims happily.
“Which one?” my dad asks with a mouth full of souvlaki.
“It’s a rom-com that Nancy Mayor is directing,” I say, trying to remember the details.
“Nancy Meyers?” Matt says, correcting me. “That’s huge!”
“Yep,” Andrew says proudly.
“Wow,” Jesse says. “I guess being on Love Shack worked out for him.”
I’d say so. His likability on the show skyrocketed his acting career.
A week after the finale, he booked his first big gig on some soap opera that everyone but me has heard of.
According to my mother, “His charisma oozes off the screen.” I texted him to stop doing whatever he was doing to make my mother say “ooze.” He texted back the meme of my obstacle course fail.
Javi and Ciara reconnected after the show.
Of course, she made him suffer for a week or two before she finally forgave him, but they’ve been dating long-distance ever since.
They’re hoping they won’t have to do that much longer, though, because Ciara is thinking of opening another tattoo parlor in LA.
The four of us used to go out on double dates whenever Ciara was in town, but we quickly learned that the paparazzi are even more annoying than Bruce the camera operator. So now we opt for quiet game nights at home.
Blue clears his throat. “I have an update too.” We all turn to look at him, and he smiles at me before he says, “I heard from friends in the Teamsters union that the labor complaints Grace made—”
“And continues to make,” Andrew adds with a smirk.
Blue nods with a small laugh. “—And continues to make, have caused such a PR nightmare that the producers are meeting with the studio and a union rep to negotiate better contracts for the cast and crew. They’re hoping they can set a positive precedent for the entire reality TV industry.”
“Wow, that’s great, Gracie!” my mom says, looking at me proudly.
Andrew squeezes my leg affectionately. “My rabble-rouser.”
I can’t help but smile. While I didn’t go on the show to clean up the reality TV industry, it’s a pretty great unintended consequence. And I don’t plan on backing down until I see those changes made. Luckily, I have access to a damn good lawyer.
We gossip a little more about the other contestants as we eat. According to Blue, Beth Anne quit her dad’s marketing firm and started her lifestyle brand, “Bless Your Heart.” She already has more followers than Jesse. Good for her.
No one has kept in touch with Cowboy Bill, but that won’t stop Alec and me from protesting the shit out of his company’s proposed pipeline through Exceptional Value Wetlands.
And my dad tells us that he reached out to Shantae to see if she wanted to be the spokesmodel for his new inspirational clothing line for women. She politely declined.
We finish eating, and as we wait for Blue and my mom to take some perfectly curated pictures of the pie Andrew brought, I lean over and kiss him.
Andrew smiles at me. “What’s that for?”
“Because I can.”
And because I still can’t believe I accidentally found love on a reality dating show.