“Hey.” Her eyes lit up when she saw me, like she’d been looking forward to seeing me all day. She left the couch and moved into my chest to kiss me, to kiss me the way a lover greeted her man when he stepped through the door. She rose on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck.
I squeezed the small of her back, enjoying the sight of her the second I stepped into the living room. Maybe having her live with me wouldn’t be so bad after all. “You’re in a good mood.” I pulled away and looked down into her beautiful face, relieved she was somewhere safe where no one could bother her again.
“Not particularly. Just happy to see you.”
I looked her outfit up and down, liking her thigh-high boots and her skintight long-sleeved black dress. “You look beautiful in that.”
“Well, of course I do. It’s Louis Vuitton.”
“Then aren’t you glad I bought it for you?”
“Yes…but you really didn’t need to do that.” She pulled away, growing self-conscious when I reminded her I was the one who paid for the clothes on her back.
Not that I was trying to make her feel bad about that. “I have some bad news.”
“What kind of bad news?”
“My family is coming over tonight for dinner. That means I need to start cooking.”
“Your family?” she asked in surprise. “Your brother is back from his honeymoon?”
“Unfortunately.”
“I guess I can hang at a friend’s house until your evening is over.”
I gave her an incredulous look. “Why would you do that?”
“Isn’t this a family thing?”
“Yes. But you live here. Of course you’re invited.”
“Really?”
“I took you to my brother’s wedding, but staying for dinner is too much?” I teased.
“I thought maybe you wanted some private time,” she said with a shrug. “Are you going to tell them I was robbed and I’m living here temporarily?”
“I’m not telling them anything. My private life is none of their business.”
“Well, they’re your family. They’re going to be curious.”
I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to see all the ingredients I’d asked my maid to pick up at the store. I was making grilled lemon chicken with veggies and cauliflower rice. My mother and brother had strict diets too, probably because my father died too young of a heart attack. Simone was a stick, so she didn’t eat carbs either. “I don’t care how curious they are.”
She eyed the food as I set everything on the counter. “Another carb-free meal? So the whole family is perpetually boring?”
“Not boring. Just picky.”
“You aren’t even making real rice. Just cauliflower rice.”
“It’s good. Have you ever had it?”
“No…”
“Then you’ll see how good it is.”
“I guess so. How can I help?”
“I’ll take care of the food. How about you set the table?”
“I can do that.”
I only had an hour to get everything ready, so I watched Monroe prepare the kitchen table, the bottles of wine, and the linen napkins as I cooked the chicken on the stove and prepared the sides at the same time.
Monroe returned to the kitchen. “Does that mean Gold Digger will be here?”
“Is that what we’re calling her now?”
“You’ve got a better name?” she countered.
I grinned. “I guess I don’t.”
She pulled the dishes out of the cabinet then placed them on the counter so I could scoop the food onto each dish. Then she covered each one with foil and placed them in the preheated oven. “They’ll stay warm until they—”
The elevator beeped as my mother’s voice came through the speaker. “We’re punctual, as always.”
“Never mind.” She pulled the dishes out of the oven and ripped off the foil.
I washed my hands before I hit the button on the elevator and allowed them to rise to my floor.
Monroe came to my side. “I’m nervous.”
“You’ve met them before.”
“Yeah, but I really hate Simone.”
“Simone is just a bitch. My brother is the one you should hate.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I know things aren’t great between you, but I know your brother loves you… It’s just hidden under many bad decisions.”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened.
My mother stepped inside with a teal shawl tossed over her shoulder. In nude heels with skinny jeans and a purple blouse, she looked ready for the runway rather than a midweek family dinner. “Something smells wonderful.” She kissed me on the cheek before she turned to Monroe. “Oh, sweetheart. I was hoping you would be here.” She hugged her hard before she admired her outfit. “You look stunning, by the way. I love this.”
My brother came in next, Simone lingering beside him. “Slate.”
“Coen.” I gave him a curt nod, like he was a stranger. I somehow managed to greet Simone even more coldly. “Simone. You guys both look tan from the honeymoon.”
“We laid out in the sun most of the time.” She hardly looked at me because she was staring at Monroe the entire time, her eyebrow raised and her interest engaged. “Someone got a makeover.”