23. Chapter 23 #2
I didn’t expect upscale. I should have had a clue when Daisy mentioned a Summoner record would pay for dinner.
We were ushered past the long line out front and into the restaurant.
AND58th Sushi was very upscale. The whole restaurant was minimalistic, with low lights shining up from the floor and paint splattered across walls.
We sat at a high table in the back. Daisy went about ordering us some wine, and I took a moment to glance at the menu.
Rolls went upwards of $100 each. My jaw clenched.
His family didn’t have to worry about me gold digging away Summoner’s fortune if they ate like this regularly. It was clear they didn’t need my help.
“So, I have no idea what to get.” I looked over the menu.
“I can order for us. If you don’t mind.”
“Sounds good to me.”
My phone buzzed.
Summoner OMG: I didn’t get a chance to say thank you for earlier.
Poppy: I had fun think we can do it again sometime?
Summoner OMG: I think that can be arranged. Also, thanks for emailing me your first chapter. I’m looking forward to reading.
Poppy: Don’t get your hopes up too high it’s a first draft
Summoner OMG: Too late! :)
Daisy nudged my shoulder. “Texting dad?”
My cheeks on fire, I slipped my phone back into my pocket. “No…Maybe.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to be bashful around me, Poppy. Except the sex stuff. I don’t want to hear about any of that.”
“Your family hates me, so you’ll have to forgive me for being a little gun shy.”
“Fair enough. But I think you’ll find there isn’t an Elliot family groupthink. We all love Dad and want him to be happy. I guess we just have different options on what he needs to be happy. Honestly, I’m team Poppy. We can get shirts made!” Her smile was soft and honest.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”
“Of course! Hey, is that your friend?”
I looked up to see Shay trying to get my attention. I beckoned her over with a wave. Like always, she looked like an earthy goddess in a flowing skirt and a sheer tank top.
“Poppy!” She pulled me into a hug.
It was good to see her again. She held me at arm’s length, giving me a lingering sweep with her eyes.
“You look great, girl. You could use my help with a twist out, but anyway, I’ve missed you.”
My brow knitted together.
“You have?” I asked.
“Yeah, I have. Why wouldn’t I?”
I clenched my fists in my lap as I faced her genuinely confused expression. She opened her mouth to speak, but I quickly interjected, “It doesn’t matter. I love you and I missed you. Now, seriously, let’s just have dinner.” I motioned toward the open chair beside me.
Without argument, Shay sat down. Thankfully, a waiter brought over our wine at the perfect moment of distraction. The moment he placed a full glass in front of me, I slurped it down. The sweet red filled the void between confidence and anxiety inside me.
“Daisy, this is Shay. Shay, this is Daisy,” I introduced the two with overactive, sweeping gestures across the table.
The two shook hands.
“So, how did you two meet?” Shay asked.
“She’s fucking my dad,” Daisy snorted.
I coughed and light filled Shay’s eyes.
“I need the tea on that!” she grinned.
In-person, I would get to see how Summoner’s inner circle maneuvered around his non-existence. Daisy took a sip of her wine and closed her menu.
“I’m kidding. My dad is dead. Poppy and I connected because of a possible Popbyte article about a show I’m producing. But word around the set is she was getting cozy with a director.”
My dad is dead.
The heaviness in my chest grew as I processed the way she effortlessly lied.
It was straightforward. Direct and mostly truthful.
To everyone, Summoner had vanished and was most likely dead.
His friends and family leaned into it. They had to.
Their lies protected him, yet kept him trapped in a prison created by his anxiety.
He was still here, but half a life was equal to death.
Daisy and Evan didn’t get to have dinners out with their dad. A trip to the record store had to be cloaked in secrecy. So many insignificant moments had been stolen from not just Summoner, but also his family and friends. That’s what a life with him would be. Quiet and locked away.
I refilled my glass and sipped down more wine. Daisy and Shay’s conversation about TV shows fizzled in my ears. It was unrealistic to hope for more than that. Now had to be enough. That was all I could have in this situation.
But I love him…
Just as I drowned my sadness in gulps of wine, the waiter arrived with a massive platter of sushi, distracting me from my tangled thoughts. Shay’s eyes widened and I couldn’t even make fun of her because my eyes were as big as fucking basketballs.
“It’s almost too perfect to eat,” I muttered.
“Almost,” Daisy shrugged and pulled apart her chopsticks.
We destroyed several plates of hundred-dollar sushi, and it was the best sushi I’d ever eaten.
“Fuck!” Shay groaned and slumped back in her seat.
“I want to keep eating, but I literally can’t. I think I’ll explode. Pieces of Poppy all over the restaurant.” I sighed.
Shay laughed. “I won’t be helping to clean that up.”
“Don’t tell me you two are finished?! The night is still young!” Daisy exclaimed.
The weekend became a whirlwind of rich girl partying.
Daisy dragged Shay and I all over New York.
My memory was a hazy patchwork of zipping across the city.
The paparazzi even snapped us at one point.
It was insane. High-end cocktails at one restaurant.
House music night at a basement club. Dancing until the sun came up at a rooftop bar.
I think we slept for a few hours in a penthouse somewhere.
All I know for sure is that bidets are hilarious.
And mimosas at every meal are always a good idea when you’re not paying.
At one point I mentioned to Daisy I needed a swimsuit for a trip her dad wanted to take me on.
She cackled with delight and dragged us all to a high-end boutique.
Both Shay and Daisy played hype man as I squeezed myself into several swimsuits of different styles and colors.
She eventually bought me a high-rise yellow one piece.
The price tag was in the $500 range. Our weekend ended with karaoke in Hell’s Kitchen, belting out Megan Thee Stallion and twerking at 4 am.