37. Dani #2
“But, like, am I crazy?” I ask Graham as I set out a glass carafe over a candle with more of that delicious tea. “She literally told me we had to go to Cabo!”
We hadn’t talked at all about his relatives not wanting him at the party. At the end of the day, we’re not really dating. We’re not really friends. I don’t actually know his situation, and I’m not sure he wants to let me in enough to find out.
That’s probably the not-fun part of being in a relationship: dealing with all the emotional baggage the other person brings in.
And while, sure, I have my own stuff to deal with, Graham’s is a whole other level.
Even if he did open up, I just don’t know what to say or do to make it any better.
And Graham doesn’t seem like he wants me to, so I just try to be nice to him—pet his hair, rub his back, make him the foods he seems to like.
Let him sleep with me as much as he wants, though that one’s maybe for me.
“Sorry, I know you don’t care. It’s just dumb girl stuff.”
“No, I want to hear about it. I like hearing about your life.”
“It’s not even my life—it’s Colette’s!” I throw up my hands. “Maybe Piper is right, and I should just quit, but then my mom will kill me, and that’s not going to work.”
“Just take her to St. Moritz.”
“That is way too expensive. Also, do you really think I should be skiing?”
“Put it on my credit card.” He kisses the top of my head.
“Absolutely not. Colette does not get to reap the benefits of my fake relationship that I had to struggle and sacrifice for.”
Graham snorts. “I think you would be reaping the benefits, since you wouldn’t have to spend any more time spreadsheeting potential trips.”
“This isn’t your problem.”
“I have to deal with horribly difficult problems at work all day—ones that cannot be solved by throwing down a credit card. So let me have the win. Let me save you.”
“Save me from the bachelorette party from hell?”
“You’re not hiring a stripper, are you?” He frowns.
A laugh escapes me, and I clap a hand over my mouth.
“Oh, you’re serious. Um, no. I think I would die if I had to see a stripper.
Besides, Gran dated a stripper once and just—no.
What if he shows up? That would be so awkward.
Besides”—I wrap my arms around him—“none of them would be as amazing as you. Or as sexy. And I’d also say as rich, but I’m trying not to objectify you too much. ”
Graham spins me around in the sun-filled living room.
“And we don’t have to use your money.”
“Use it.” He slips the credit card down the front of my shirt then kisses me there. “That money’s not free. I’m going to make you pay for it later.” He winks.
The doorbell gongs throughout the house.
“Probably much later.”
“That’s fine. I charge interest.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask as he follows me to the door. “I should have asked you if Piper can come over before inviting her. I can tell her not to—that we can plan elsewhere.”
“I don’t want you elsewhere. Don’t leave your cousin waiting.”
“Piper!” I hug her. “Crisis averted. Graham’s come through with a miracle.” I wave the credit card at her.
“Are you sure we don’t have a limit?”
Graham shrugs as he picks up his laptop from the table to head to his study.
“I’d rather you spend more money than go somewhere potentially dangerous. Besides”—he smirks—“I don’t think Colette’s going to be that impressed with something on the level of a homemade pickle fountain.”
“You watch. That’s going to be your mom’s favorite thing about the party.”
He kisses my cheek. “Of that I have no doubt.”
Piper stares at him. “That’s really generous of you. Also, Colette doesn’t deserve it.”
“Of course not, but I don’t want Dani spending more time on her than necessary. I want all of her free time to be spent with me,” he says simply. “And I’m willing to pay for it.”
“Do you think your mom’s going to like this anniversary party?” I whisper to Graham when I’m lying half on him in bed. “I guess I don’t know her that well. And apparently, I’m not as good at party planning as I thought I was, since I’ve fucked up Colette’s party.”
He kisses my hand.
“The party’s going to be beautiful.”
“Yeah, but will she love it?”
“Honestly?” His green eyes are anxious in the dark. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t eat anything until Mom and Dad get here!” Hannah yells at the younger boys.
I’m putting the finishing touches on the pickle fountain, and it burbles away happily.
Two of Graham’s relatives, I think on his mom’s side, sidle up to me as I’m checking my to-do list one more time.
“So you’re the gal he convinced to go out with him.” The heavyset man chuckles. “We just assumed that, you know, with everything—and given who his father is—he’d have the decency not to put a poor innocent girl through what his mother went through.”
He’s been drinking.
I went ahead and had the bar open for guests as they arrived.
“Since you’re new in this family, we didn’t know if you knew who his real father is.” His voice lowers. “And it’s not my brother-in-law.”
Ah, so on Frank’s side, then.
“Graham has been a perfect gentleman. Don’t worry.”
“If he were a perfect gentleman, he wouldn’t have shown up for this party,” his wife says flatly.
“I think that his mom really wants all her kids here.” I’m in my diplomatic-hostess mode.
“Hmm. I wouldn’t want him here if I were her.” Her eyes flick to Graham, who’s talking to more relatives I don’t know. He’s standing, nodding along and not listening, because he’s looking at me.
I know him well enough now to know when he’s relaxed.
And he’s not relaxed.
“And her poor parents,” the woman continues. “I heard that they just can’t stand to be in the same room as him—especially since he looks so much like his father.”
Her husband adds, “I don’t know why she forces her parents to interact with him, after everything she put them through. We’d never accept that kind of behavior from our daughter. And do your parents know who Graham is?” the man asks pointedly.
“My father’s great-grandfather is one of the founding fathers of the military-industrial complex,” I tell them, “so we weren’t exactly throwing stones out of our glass tower.”
The older woman gives me a sour look.
“You know, we have signature cocktails. Have you tried one yet?” I pointedly direct them to the bar.
“What were they saying?” Graham asks bluntly when he comes over to me.
“You know,” I tell him lightly, “just complaining that they can’t eat yet.”
“Hmm.”
My phone beeps.
“Hannah says your parents are almost here. Claire? Can you get everyone gathered? Let’s drop the lights.”
We all gather close to the entry.
We can hear Graham’s mom saying, “I know I let all the kale die last year, but this time I really think we can manage a garden, and—”
She screams and grabs Frank as we all shout, “Surprise! Happy anniversary!”
Aurora immediately bursts into tears and buries her face against Frank. Her parents rush over to her as she sobs.
Graham looks crushed.
“Shit,” Ryan mutters. “This is not what I thought would happen.”
“You see?” someone yells at Graham. “Told you he shouldn’t have been here.”