Chapter One
Rob
“Do you want me to go with you to see the house today? I can make time,” my sister Anne said as we sat in a nook in our flagship restaurant in lower Manhattan, a neighborhood referred to as Tribeca.
I was in the process of moving to the city again and needed to find a place to live. My sister and her daughter lived in a suburb, and I was hoping to find a house close to them. After having been back in town for three weeks, I was tired of living in a hotel. Looking out the window at the mix of high-rise buildings and restored factories, I’d realized just how much I missed New York.
“No, Anne, I’m good on my own. You and Lindsay have things to do.” I ruffled Lindsay’s hair as she squealed in delight. I loved this little kid as if she were my own, and this last year had taken a toll on them both.
I managed the Dumont chain of restaurants, a business handed down through the family. Over the last ten years, we’d grown into a substantial empire. We had two headquarters: one in New York, one in LA. Anne’s ex-husband had been the CEO of the East Coast restaurants, headquartered in New York. I’d been the CEO of the West Coast branch. After Anne’s ex left not only his family but also the business, I replaced myself in LA and returned to New York. It was good to be back home.
This location was one of our finest; the inside mirrored that mix of architecture typical for Tribeca. It was a combination of glass, wood, and red brick, each used in a variety of ways. The tabletops were made out of glass, the window arches from red brick, and the lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling were a mix of wood and black metal, giving the restaurant an industrial decor.
“Uncle Rob, is it true you’re not going back to LA?” Lindsay asked. She was eight and much taller than most kids her age. She was like a mashup of my sister and me. Anne and I didn’t look much alike. My hair was dark, my eyes green. Anne was blonde with blue eyes. Lindsay had green eyes and blonde hair. Fortunately, not many of her father’s genes came into play. That asshole.
“I’m not, bops. I’m staying here, and I’m looking at houses close to you and your mom.”
Lindsay smiled from ear to ear. She was my weakness. Since the day she was born, I’d had a soft spot for her, and it had only grown over the years. Even when I lived on a different coast, I’d made time for her. Whether on business trips to the city or weekly FaceTime chats, Lindsay knew she could always count on me.
She glanced at Anne. “Can I have fries and nuggets?”
Anne shook her head. “We’re here to taste the new menu, remember?”
Lindsay pouted before focusing on me. “But I don’t like the menus. They taste funny.”
I chuckled but didn’t disagree. Our five-course menus were definitely not for children—too many vegetables and spices that didn’t appeal to their palates. It was one reason why we had a kids menu with the standard fare.
“Fine, you can have fries and nuggets,” Anne said.
Lindsay squealed. Rising from our table, she went to the edge of the private nook, waving at the waiters excitedly. Someone was impatient for her nuggets.
With Lindsay out of earshot, Anne leaned in, whispering, “Rob, are you sure you want to move to the suburbs? You love Manhattan. You used to live in a penthouse on Park Avenue. You don’t have to do it for us.” Now that she and Lindsay were on their own, she thought I was trying to take care of them, which I was... but I wasn’t admitting it.
“I told you, that’s not why I’m doing it.” I put my best give-me-a-break face on, hoping it looked sincere.
“Uh-huh. Just like you’re not moving back to New York for us?”
“The LA business is running smoothly. It was time to come back home. As to why I’m moving to the suburbs, it’s not just to be closer to you two. I’ve grown accustomed to having a yard for the last four years. I want that here too, and that’s hard to find in the city.” I winked, hoping to put her at ease.
Although my arguments were solid, the truth was that I was coming back because Anne had just finalized her divorce two weeks ago, and she and Lindsay were going through a rough time. I wanted to be closer to them to be available to help out in any way I could. I could have just hired someone else here to replace her ex and stayed in LA. It would have been easier, but I never chose the easy way.
Our parents had moved to the south of France after retiring, and we didn’t have any other family in the area. So yes, I was moving to the suburbs primarily for them. I wanted us to be able to get together spontaneously for meals, and it was easier if we lived in the same suburb. The yard was just a bonus; I could take it or leave it.
“You’ve been looking for a place forever,” Anne continued as a server approached Lindsay. “I just don’t want you to do something you’ll regret in the long run.”
“What can I say? I’m picky.” Up to this point, I hadn’t found anything I wanted, and besides, I’d been busy. I’d started looking for a place two months ago, when I was still in LA. The transition was taking more time than I’d hoped, and finding a place to live was not high on the list of priorities right now. I’d like to get settled, but there were pressing issues with the business that needed attention too.
“That you are. With houses and women. You never seem to find the one.”
I wasn’t looking for the one. Life was perfect just the way it was. But I did need a house.
“How are you holding up?” I asked. I just hated to see her going through all this because of that asshole she married.
Anne sighed, looking away. I knew she didn’t like my asking, but I cared about her and Lindsay. “Fine. Just fine.”
My niece returned to the table the next second, proud for having p
laced her order. I couldn’t question Anne anymore. To my frustration, I never managed to get another answer out of her. I could tell she wasn’t okay though. I usually paid zero attention to details, but even I couldn’t miss that she’d lost a lot of weight and had dark circles under her eyes. She lived her life by the motto When you’re going through hell, just keep going. It was kind of our family’s MO as well.
My sister was the forgiving type, whereas I wanted to make that cheating bastard pay for hurting her. I was only staying out of it because Anne wanted her daughter to have a good relationship with her father.
But I wasn’t the forgiving type. It was one of the reasons I had the reputation of being difficult to work with in business circles. As far as I was concerned, that had helped me more than hurt, because I always got what I wanted. Her ex hauling ass and leaving it all without a backward glance didn’t make a good impression on anyone, least of all our financial partners and our employees. It was important to reassure everyone that things were under control.
I was running only the restaurant part of the Dumont empire—a total of one hundred twenty units spread across the country, as well as fifty in Europe. Anne was running the chain of ninety gourmet supermarkets. Although operating under the same brand, they were two separate companies. Anne and I didn’t see each other often for business purposes, because each was run differently with little crossover.
Anne sighed in relief when our first course arrived.
“Let’s focus on all these goodies,” she went on quickly, changing the subject. “They are truly delicious.”
We were the third generation of Dumonts in charge of fine dining. Every time we changed something on the menu, Anne and I did a tasting—it was just how we did things.
Lindsay dug into her plate of fries and nuggets, grimacing when she took note of our asparagus with lemon sauce and fish.
Her enthusiasm was through the roof when it was time to taste the dessert though.
Right now, we were replacing some key ingredients in our trademark Dumont cake: cream cheese with ricotta, honey with maple syrup.
“I’d say this is just what the dessert needed,” Anne said, taking a bite of the cake. “And our maple syrup suppliers will be happy we’re finally using their product in a flagship dish.”
“It’s delicious,” Lindsay said, eyeing my plate. I hadn’t finished my dessert, and my niece seemed overjoyed by it, especially because I pretended not to see that she kept forking the leftovers onto her plate. Anne just smiled, shaking her head.
“I like the changes too.”
After a bit more conversation, Anne checked her watch.
“Lindsay and I have to go. She has ballet, and I’m meeting some new suppliers. When is the showing again?” she asked, grabbing her bag from the desk.
I checked the calendar on my phone.