Chapter 2
Dell moved through her dress fitting and emergency cake tasting like a woman on a mission. Jason ran front of house at Pergo,
so they basically had the same schedule. He normally would have been with her to finalize details, but he had someplace to
be this morning and told her he’d see her later at work. Mariana followed on Dell’s heels, plying her with caffeine and screening
her calls.
Her lace mermaid gown with a chapel train had been tailored to love her every curve. The sight of her in it left Mariana nodding
in approval.
They settled on red velvet cake, which was not an ideal replacement for passionfruit, but they were working with limited options
and a very apologetic baker. At least they were getting a discount.
By the time she arrived for lunch at a classy spot near city hall with exposed brick walls and loud, splashy paintings, she
was hardly hungry thanks to all the cake but knew she needed to put in the face time with her future mother-in-law.
Evelyn Moratto was a powerhouse of a woman.
Dell often wondered if that was the reason the two of them got along while everyone else in Dell’s life seemed to struggle.
They were alike in their drive and ambition.
Tommy had gotten his olive skin from his Italian American father.
His mother was fair, blue-eyed, and wore flawlessly coifed waves of blond hair like sunlight grown from her head.
The two of them were already seated when Dell arrived at the restaurant. One of Evelyn’s security-detail members occupied
the table behind theirs in the crowded dining room, casually reading a newspaper. Evelyn and Tommy appeared to be deep in
conversation, but when Dell approached, Evelyn rose from her chair.
“Dell, sweetheart. So lovely to see you,” she said, and pulled Dell into a hug, which smelled like springtime florals and
power. Her perfectly tailored pantsuit sleeve rubbed Dell’s arms in a soft swath of luxury as she leaned in and returned the
hug and air-kiss.
“Hi, Evelyn,” Dell said, and felt the tiny swell of familiar appreciation she always got when around a kindred old-name spirit.
Evelyn wasn’t old—she was the same age as Dell’s mother, in fact—but the name felt aged even for a child of the sixties, much like Verdella. The small, shared similarity was another thing that drew Dell to her.
“Hey, baby,” Tommy said when he stood and pecked her cheek. He wore a slick suit without a tie and smelled like the dark,
spicy cologne she’d gotten him for his birthday.
She kissed the air in return and sunk into the chair he’d pulled out for her. “Hey.”
“We already ordered, since schedules are tight today,” Tommy said with a casual wave of his hand. “I got you the seared ahi
salad and a glass of pinot gris.”
Dell’s lips pressed into a tight line. Some women couldn’t stand beard hair in the sink, or smelly socks on the floor, or the toilet seat being left up, but her number one pet peeve was being robbed of choice in any culinary experience.
Ordering for her was the most egregious thing he did.
If she couldn’t break him of the behavior, it might become grounds for eventual divorce.
“Thanks,” she said tightly. “I would have gone with a pinot noir.”
“Noted,” he said, and winked at her. “At least I remembered to have them hold the walnuts.”
At least, Dell thought. If her future husband was going to remember one thing about her dietary preferences, she preferred it be her
deadly allergy to walnuts.
Tommy leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the crisp white tablecloth. His watch peeked out from his sleeve
in a blink of gold. He worked in the mayor’s office, and in the way Jason and Mariana were attached to Dell’s hips—though
not currently, because Jason could not promise to behave in present company and Mariana had calls to return—Tommy was adhered
to his mother like glue.
“Dell, darling, how did the dress fitting go?” Evelyn asked. She turned her full attention to Dell and brightly smiled at
her like she was truly interested in her response.
Evelyn always called Dell pet names like darling and sweetheart and occasionally honey in moments of solace. Dell loved it.
“Really great!” she said. “Everything is coming together.”
“Excellent. And the cake?”
“Finalized as well,” Dell said with a nod. “Crisis averted.”
Tommy sighed like he was tired and had been the one running around confirming details all morning. “Does anyone even care
about the cake? Won’t they all be sloshed on the free booze by that point in the night anyway?”
Dell gave him a tight smile. “The free booze is a selection of handcrafted artisan cocktails. We’re not serving J?ger shots and spiked punch like it’s a frat party, Tommy.”
Tommy chuckled. He held up his hands. “Don’t insult the food or drink. I should know this by now.”
“Yes, you should,” Dell said with a tilt of her head. “And of course the cake matters. We went with red velvet as a replacement, by the way. The color will complement the rose centerpieces.”
He playfully scrunched up his nose and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “You’re so cute. That’s why I left all this stuff to
you. Your eye for detail is impeccable.”
Dell tried to hide her annoyance with his dismissive comment. Instead, she smiled as their server appeared and uncorked a
bottle of white wine. Dell put her hand over her glass before he could pour and looked up at him. “Could I actually get a
glass of pinot noir, please?”
“Of course, ma’am.” He swiftly nodded and whisked off.
Tommy gave her a look saying the move wasn’t lost on him.
“Dell, darling, how are your parents? I trust they are well?” Evelyn asked. She swirled her wine around her glass before elegantly
sipping.
“They are, yes,” she said dutifully.
Jason’s comment from earlier about her marrying Tommy because her parents wanted her to plowed through her mind like a freight
train. The truth was, she’d met Tommy only because of her parents. The two of them had basically been shoved into each other’s
arms at a charity gala—Tommy in a tux, Dell in a gown—while their parents beamed at them from the sidelines. Now they were
about to don more formal wear and link their lives together forever.
Dell grabbed her wine as soon as their server returned to fill her glass and gulped to quell the thought.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Evelyn said. “Your mother is still busy with her charities?”
“Always,” Dell said with a proud smile.
Patricia Rodgers ran several nonprofits, many of which Dell donated her own time and money to. In fact, her entire trust was
destined to be split up among charities someday. She recalled the shocked look on Tommy’s face when she’d told him this, as
if he couldn’t believe someone could be so generous.
She reached for his hand on the table now and gave it a squeeze. “We’re scheduled to volunteer at the South Bay Food Bank
tomorrow, if you’d like to join, Evelyn.”
Tommy shot her a tight smile like he didn’t exactly look forward to getting out of bed on a Saturday morning to volunteer.
He gripped her hand tighter. “You’re going to give them all your money. Do you have to give them our weekends too?” he muttered.
His mother tittered a laugh. “Tom, your wife can do whatever she wants with her inheritance. You’re fortunate to be marrying
someone so generous.”
“Thank you, Evelyn,” Dell said with a note of sincerity. The fate of Dell’s inheritance had been a sticking point while drafting
their prenup. In her mind, it had been no question the money would go to charitable causes, but Tommy had protested. They
should save it. Invest it. Bequeath it to their future children. But Dell had enough money set aside for those things already,
so the bulk of it was going to otherwise good use. She was happy to have her future mother-in-law’s support.
Dell could feel the topic’s remnant tension hanging over the lunch table like a thick fog.
Thankfully, their server returned with their plates, and the topic changed.
Dell told Tommy and Evelyn all about the meal she had planned for Pierrick Moreau that night.
Evelyn nodded along encouragingly; Tommy grunted in approval between bites of his deconstructed cheeseburger.
Then they moved into plans for their honeymoon, which carried them through the rest of lunch.
They’d chartered a small yacht and would be island-hopping through the Indian Ocean for two weeks.
By the time they finished lunch, Dell was smiling over their future.
Her glow was quickly doused when they stepped outside to a small crowd on the sidewalk. Word had gotten out the mayor was
lunching in public.
A chorus of “Madam Mayor!” struck up around them, and a few flashes went off.
Tommy threw a protective arm around Dell’s waist and aimed them away from the throng of reporters and a few activists accosting
his mother.
“What are you doing about rising rent prices?”
“What are your plans to address the drug problem in the south city?”
“When will we see the construction on Van Ness end?”
The shouts and demands hit Dell with a dose of reality and served as a swift reminder of what family she was marrying into.
Tommy slipped his hand into hers and led her away, leaving his mother to do her civic duty. Dell heard Evelyn calm the crowd
with a subtle raise of her voice as she and Tommy climbed into the back seat of the sleek car waiting to drive them to the
next stop in Dell’s busy day.