Jane poked him with her elbow. “Didn’t you claim you were a discerning food critic when you were praising my braised lamb with mint sauce?”
“That was different. I know lamb. I doubt André is serving lamb in there.”
“You never know. It might be the seasonal special.” She turned to Shane and Ginger. “André started that recently to experiment and serve stuff that’s not on the regular menu. It’s been really popular so far.”
A maître d’ in a tux greeted them. “Your table’s ready.” He gestured, and a slim blonde in a black and white dress came out. The smile she directed at Iain and Jane was warm, but the one at Shane was inviting.
He merely put an arm around Ginger’s shoulders.
“This way, please,” the blonde said smoothly, leading them through the hall in the back.
The place was packed with people dressed like they were in competition for the “world’s most fashionable” title. Some of them had tried so hard, they ended up in the weirdest stuff Shane had ever seen…but it was probably considered avant-garde or some crap like that.
They climbed the stairs to the upper level. At the end of the hall was a spacious private room decorated with European and Asian antiques. “Nice,” Shane said, looking around. “Very chic.”
“Thanks,” Mark said, coming in with Hilary. Vanessa arrived with Ceinlys—they’d shared Ceinlys’s car—and everyone settled down at the round table. A few minutes later a tall man in a dark suit came in, his movements purposeful and dynamic. The first thing he did was to go to Vanessa and kiss her on the mouth. “How have you been?”
“Good,” she said with a smile as he took a seat next to her. “Shane, my husband Justin. You remember him?”
Shane shook his head. “Sorry. It seems unfair that you guys all know everything about me, but I don’t know anything about you.”
“That’s not true,” Hilary said, opening the wine menu. “I know nothing about you.”
“Me either,” Jane said.
“Is Dane coming?” Mark asked.
“I invited him,” Ceinlys said.
There were various winces and scowls around the table.
“He’s family too,” Ceinlys said.
“Yeah, familia non grata.”
Ceinlys gasped. “Vanessa!”
Justin squeezed her shoulder, but Vanessa crossed her arms. “I told you I wasn’t happy with him.”
“He brought Shane home,” Ceinlys said.
“Ginger brought me home,” Shane corrected.
Vanessa looked at a spot between him and Ginger. “See?”
“Why don’t we order?” Mark said loudly.
Hilary pushed a basket of bread toward Vanessa. “Try the rolls. They’re really buttery. Just the way you like them.”
Vanessa didn’t move, and Justin plucked one and put it on her plate. Tension radiated from Ginger, and Shane glared at his family. What the hell was wrong with them?
“Can we play a game?” he said. “Anybody who says anything mean has to go downstairs and sing ‘Oppa Gangnam Style’ and do that weird horsey dance in front of the diners. I’m sure it’ll make a great Facebook post, complete with video.”
“Shane!” Ceinlys exclaimed.
He raised a hand. “I’m not finished, Mom.” He turned to everyone else. “I didn’t come home to be bombarded with tension the minute I meet and have a meal with my family for the first time in a year.”