37. Dani
DANI
“You have to write my thank-you letters. Here’s the list my mom made,” Colette orders. “You need to check with your mom, though, before sending anything off.” She dumps a notebook on my desk.
“She got so many nice presents, Dani,” Maya reminds me. “Don’t leave it too long.”
“Though when you get married, you probably won’t need a couples shower. Graham will just buy you anything you want.” Greta titters.
“That’s a little far in the future. I’m just working on your bachelorette party, Colette.” I rub the back of my neck.
“I’m counting on you,” Colette lectures, “not to fuck it up. This is important. It’s my last time being a single woman. It needs to be special.”
“Absolutely. I want you to have an amazing time,” I assure her.
“Everyone I’ve talked to has said that they’re worried you can’t pull it off, but I told them that you can, so don’t let me down. I mean, Maya was saying that you were going to take us all to Cabo, and I was like, no way. Dani’s not doing that. She knows me better than that.”
“Oh, no. Uh, of course not.” I feel sick. “I’d never do Cabo. I know you better than that, Colette.”
“Hmm.” She knows that I already booked excursions, a hotel, and restaurants for Cabo. I’m not going to admit that, though. “And where is the data for the Turner account? Just because you’re dating a billionaire doesn’t mean you can slack off,” Colette snaps at me.
“I mean”—Maya snickers—“her boyfriend is a major client, so, like, she could slack off because she could just tell him to take his business elsewhere.”
Colette huffs off.
“What does she mean we can’t go to Cabo?!” I shriek at Piper in the far-away upstairs bathroom.
“She’s just doing it to fuck with you. Don’t you have text messages from her about Cabo? Bring receipts. Treat her like a difficult client.”
“But she’s my friend,” I wail.
“Some friend.”
“Her bachelorette party has to be perfect. My mom will never let me live it down if it’s not.
” I try to keep my hands off my face. I’m already breaking out.
“I was looking at other options last minute. Maybe we could go to St. Lucia? There are openings at a fancy hotel I found. But I don’t think it has the nightlife Colette wants. ”
“There’s always Vegas.”
“Colette will kill me if I take her to Vegas. Ugh. I just don’t think St. Lucia is a good idea, but I already booked everything. She told me last year that it had to be Cabo—she was very insistent. Here.” I finally find the text message. “See?” I show Piper. “See? Cabo.”
“You don’t have to plan her bachelorette. You could just opt out since she wants to act like a five-year-old.”
“We agreed when we were thirteen that we would plan each other’s bachelorettes.” I slump against the counter.
“I thought you and Graham weren’t serious.”
“We’re fake serious. Serious in the context of our fake relationship.” I switch to the text message thread with Graham. “He keeps texting me pictures of Lulu. His cleaning lady brought her a hand-knitted outfit.”
“She looks like a little Victorian child.”
“I know! He took her with him to the office today. Also, he wants to know what I want for dinner.”
“That doesn’t sound fake serious,” Piper says pointedly.
“His half-siblings are coming over.”
“The hot brothers?” Piper perks up.
“No, the mom’s-side siblings. It’s another planning session for that anniversary party.
” I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face and smearing my makeup.
“Which now I’m not even sure I have time to do because I have to replan the bachelorette.
If you’re tired of living at my parents’ house, you could come over to Graham’s and stay there and help plan. ”
“As much as I really resent third-wheeling, Gran brought home a forty-year-old divorcé, and it’s painfully clear why his wife kicked him out—so yes, I will heavily consider reaping the benefits of your relationship.”
“There are guest suites, so it’s not like you have to sleep on the couch.”
“Scratch that—have this man’s baby, then I can move in guilt-free and be the nanny.”
My heart starts hammering.
It’s dark outside. Time for Kraig’s shift.
Is he going to show up?
Is he going to be mad?
Duh, of course he’s going to be mad. Graham humiliated him. My fake boyfriend sure seemed like he was going off the deep end at the party.
There’s clearly bad blood there between the stepbrothers.
Though Graham did mellow out at home on Sunday, reading aloud Little Women to me in that deep, rich voice while I put the finishing touches on the Cabo bachelorette party plan that is now trash.
I got lost in the story and tried not to think about how I wouldn’t get to pretend to be Mrs. Richmond anymore once Colette and my brother are safely married.
Later in the week, I sit at my Svensson Investment desk, alternating between trying to come up with a brand-new idea for a bachelorette party that I can pull off in, oh, a week and a half, and trying to fix whatever formula isn’t reconciling in my spreadsheet.
I don’t recognize the security guard, but I give him a wave anyway when he calls, “Good evening.”
It’s still early by investment-banking standards, but I’m too on edge for some reason to be here any longer.
Monaco? I wonder as I head downstairs. Or Iceland? That’s trendy now, right? But I really don’t like being outdoors that much…
There’s a black car idling outside of the building. My heart skips, then I recognize it.
The window rolls down.
“I was just going to take the train.”
Graham is looking up from the book he was reading. He helps me with all my bags when I collapse into the seat.
“I don’t want you taking the train this late. It’s dangerous.”
Lulu jumps on my lap, tail wagging, then back onto his.
“Were you a good doggie for Graham?”
“I did recover the diamond,” he says dryly.
“Ugh, Lulu. Were you Mr. Popular with your employees?” I ask him as we drive down the snowy streets.
“She was Ms. Popular. She kept the pigeons off the roof deck.”
“Lulu, you did exercise?”
The dog yips.
“You spoil that dog, Dani.” But he smiles and takes my hand.
When we get back to the penthouse, Graham’s siblings are digging into the Chinese food strewn out on his oversized dining room table.
Lulu runs to beg for treats.
“I feel like the only reason we’re having this meeting is for the free food.” Sean stuffs an egg roll in his mouth.
“I’m okay with that.” Max dumps two-thirds of the lo mein container on his plate.
“Of course you are,” Hannah snaps at the teens. “You guys have done literally nothing for this party. You didn’t even get a haircut! You know how Dad feels about long hair.”
“I’ve got hair appointments for them at the salon next door. All you have to do is show up here. There’s snacks for you after, if you can manage it,” I tell the siblings.
“Food!” his brothers cheer.
“Yes! You ordered the green beans! Thank you, Graham.” I almost lean over and kiss him, then I catch myself.
Fake relationship.
Right.
“Wait, you ordered the food?” Shawn demands.
“I know how to work a phone,” Graham says with a slight roll of his eyes.
“Wait, you called it in?” Max is appalled.
“How else are you ordering?”
“An app, bro.”
Graham flicks a pea at him.
Lulu gobbles it up.
“I don’t think Dani wants a food fight in her home, boys,” Claire chastises. “Also, give me a crab Rangoon before the boys eat them all.”
“Did you add a pickle fountain to the caterer’s list?” Hannah asks me.
“Is Mom still talking about that?” Bridget snickers.
“She invited us to a Pinterest page about pickle fountains.”
“Oh, I just made it myself,” I tell them. “So I’ve definitely got that on my list. I decided to set up a martini fountain right next to it—you know, I like to link my art with Graham’s synergy. I’ve got the brine in the fridge.”
“What about the fresh pasta bar?” Ryan asks. “Sorry for all these last-minute adds, Dani, but Mom was so stoked about the food at the couples shower.”
“So I went over to the caterer in person, and she’s happy to squeeze us in. Apparently, she thought your mom was amazing.”
“Yeah, Mom’s always like that—every stranger is just a friend she hasn’t met yet.”
“Except for…” Bridget grimaces.
Hannah flashes Graham a guilty look.
Ryan clears his throat as Claire looks uncomfortable.
“Well, we will have all the food there, and my grandmother has been sleeping with a bartender who desperately needs money, so he’ll be in charge of the bar.”
“Do you have confirmation from your grandparents’ friends yet?”
“Everyone is superexcited—they’re all bringing gifts even though we said no gifts.” Bridget suddenly seems nervous.
“I already figured I’d have a table for gifts.”
“They also said—”
“Bridgie!” Hannah hisses.
“What?” Graham snaps.
“Nothing.”
“What.”
Hannah looks uncomfortable again. “Well, some of Mimi and Pop-Pop’s relatives didn’t really like the idea of Graham being there.” Her voice rises on the last few words.
Graham doesn’t say a thing.
“I think they’re all talking about it.” Now Ryan looks uncomfortable.
“Yeah, they mentioned to me that it might not be a good idea for Mom to have him there, because, you know…”
Graham’s expression grows darker.
“Yeah, Uncle Gino basically said it would be a betrayal to have him there.” Sean nods.
“I understand. However, Graham is paying for this party, therefore, he will be in attendance.” I’m really channeling my mother here. “He can’t not be at a party he’s paying for.”
“Right.”
“Yeah.”
“Totally.”
“Agreed.”
“Just…” Hannah shifts in her seat. “People are going to be weird.”
“Yeah, like Kraig. He hasn’t answered anyone’s text messages, and he didn’t even show up to this planning dinner, so maybe he won’t show?” Ryan shrugs.
“I might have to travel that weekend anyway,” Graham says quietly.
“It would be weirder if you weren’t there,” Hannah says in a rush.
“Once everyone starts drinking, no one will care.” Max shrugs.
“And we’ll just tell the band to play louder,” I tell Graham brightly, though secretly I’m wondering just what exactly I’m walking into here.