Just a Taste (24 page)

“Y
ou’re rushing,” Anthony
said sharply to Little Ant as they finished frosting the last of the cupcakes. What had started out as a day of spending quality time with his nephew had turned into one of those days where he felt like punching a wall.

He couldn’t believe Vivi had short-circuited on him like that. All those months of them flirting, dancing around one another, taking their time, making sure—and for
what
? So she could schiz out on him and decide that she had to throw everything she had into Vivi’s? It didn’t make sense. And all that crap about him not being over Angie? Total smokescreen. She knew he was over Ang. She knew he would never play with her heart that way, would never have proceeded if there was even any question of him not being ready for a relationship. The damn sister was behind this somehow. He knew it.

He watched his nephew frost the last cupcake before the kid threw him an imploring look about licking the remaining frosting from the bowl. “Go ahead.” The plan was to leave the cupcakes here, and Theresa would swing by and pick them up tomorrow before Little Ant’s game. He was walking to one of the sinks to wash the last of the cupcake tins when out of the corner of his eye, at the back door, he saw Vivi.

“I need your help.” There was true desperation in her voice as she hurried toward him.

Anthony was immediately concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s the DiDinato brothers.” Her bottom lip was quivering as she held back tears. “They’re threatening to take everything away. They said Natalie hasn’t paid them. They said if you come and stand up for me, they’ll give me a few days to write a check. Will you come with me?”

He pointed a warning finger at his nephew. “I know exactly how many cupcakes we frosted, so don’t even think about stuffing your face while I’m gone, my man.”

Little Ant’s face fell. “But…”

“You can have
one
.”

Little Ant’s face brightened. “Cool.”

Vivi was practically charging toward the back door. “Slow down,” Anthony called after her. “Nothing’s going to happen, apart from you maybe getting hit by a car.”

Vivi slowed, waiting for him to catch up. “I can’t believe Natalie did this to me. She said she paid.” She glanced up at Anthony guiltily. “I know this is asking a lot of you, especially after—”

“Save it, okay? Later, after everything is straightened out, I’ll make you feel bad. But for now, let’s just get this put right.”

Vivi nodded gratefully, her expression still anxious as they crossed the street. Anthony had grown up with the DiDinatos; there was no way they’d be so quick to destroy work they’d busted their balls to complete. This was their time-tested money extracting technique. It was thuggish, but it usually worked.

“Hey, guys.” Anthony’s smile was broad and friendly as he stepped over the threshold to Vivi’s, greeting the two brothers with whom he’d spent hours shooting hoops in his youth.

“Hey, Ant.” Shovel-faced Joey gave him a hug. “Long time, no see.”

“Whose fault is that? You know where the restaurant is.”

Both Joey and Ricky chuckled. Because of Vivi, who had her arms locked tight around her waist and was rocking back and forth on her feet expectantly, the atmosphere felt slightly strained. Anthony wished she’d stand still; she was making him feel jittery. He tried to convey that to her with a look, but it didn’t register. Vivi kept rocking away, waiting for him to say something. To save her.

“I hear there’s a problem?” Anthony asked casually.

“She and the sister owe us some money,” said Joey. “They’re two months overdue.”

“How much?”

The brothers exchanged looks, as if uncertain whether to reveal the sum. Anthony was puzzled. They couldn’t think
that
was unethical when they were standing here ready to dismantle Vivi’s like two thugs, could they? That would be too hilarious.

“Fifteen K,” Joey finally volunteered.

Vivi inhaled sharply, whimpering under her breath. The color was draining from her face so quickly Anthony was afraid she might faint. Without blinking an eye, he pulled out his wallet, extracting the one blank check from his business account that he always kept with him in case of emergencies.

“You got a pen?” he asked Ricky.

Vivi flew at him, pulling on his arm. “You can’t do this! I can’t let you do this!”

Anthony put his hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “This gets it over with here and now, all right? Suppose your sister gives you the runaround? What are you going to do then? Who would you rather worry about paying back? Them or me? I know you’re good for it, Vivi.” He took the pen from Joey. “DiDinato Brothers Construction, right?”

Joey nodded. Anthony wrote the check and handed it over to them.

Vivi began to cry. “I don’t know what to say.”

“‘Thank you’ might be good for a start,” Anthony said gently. But Vivi didn’t move. Her eyes were frantically combing his face, searching, waiting for some hitch, some catch, some rider he would attach to his largesse. When it became clear none was forthcoming, she lapsed into complete incredulity and asked, “Why did you do this?”

“This is what friends do for each other, Vivi. They help each other out.” Shamefaced, Vivi looked away from him. “I’m gonna go back across the street now. But if I were you, I’d find your sister, pronto, and find out what the hell is going on.”

“H
ave you been
waiting long?”

Vivi said nothing as Natalie stopped short at the sight of her sitting in the lobby. As a matter of fact, Vivi
had
been waiting a long time—three and a half hours to be exact. Over that time, Vivi had gone to get coffee, read the
New York Times
from front to back, and gracefully ignored the occasional disapproving glances from the doorman, who clearly doubted she was in any way related to, or waiting for, Miss Natalie Bocuse, the same Miss Bocuse who had just breezed through the door laden with designer shopping bags of all shapes and sizes. Seeing Natalie’s bags, imagining what might be inside and how much things might have cost, Vivi had a fantasy of setting them on fire and just walking away. Instead she focused all her attention on being civil toward her sister, at least until they were behind closed doors.

Natalie came closer, lowering the larger bags to the foyer’s marble floor. “Vivi? Is something wrong? Why didn’t you call my cell?”

“What we have to talk about can’t be discussed on the phone.”

Vivi watched with interest the rapid transformation taking place on Natalie’s face, from rich girl returned from doing some fabulous shopping to “Oh,
merde
” alarm.

“Would you like me to help you with those?” Vivi offered, gesturing to the larger bags. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors—clearly Natalie hadn’t been shopping for place settings for the bistro.

“You don’t have to.” Natalie picked up all the bags herself, gesturing for Vivi to follow her to the elevator. Vivi was glad when Natalie pushed the up button and the doors slid back immediately. Tension was mounting with each passing moment. Vivi noticed her sister’s hand trembling slightly as she rummaged through her purse for her keys. Opening the door to her apartment, Natalie seemed to momentarily relax, perhaps thinking that now that she’d reached the shelter of her home, things would be fine. Vivi pitied her.

She followed Natalie inside, but when Natalie gestured for her to sit, Vivi refused. She pointed to the small village of bags Natalie had constructed on the floor by the door.

“Have fun?”

Natalie swallowed. “I bought you something.”

“You’re taking it back. You’re taking it
all
back.”

Her eyes tracked Natalie as she gingerly moved toward the sofa. “I know what you’re thinking,” Natalie began nervously.

“No, you do not. But we’ll get to that in due time. For now, the only thing I want from you is the truth, Natalie. Can you handle that? Or do you need to dash out and buy some with the money we’re supposed to be spending on the restaurant?”

Natalie flinched as her eyes began filling. “Vivi, please.”

“Please, nothing,” said Vivi, exasperated. “Would you like to hear about the morning I had, while you were shopping?” She folded her arms across her chest. “First, I broke up with my boyfriend.” Natalie’s lips parted in surprise. “That’s right, it’s already over. That should make you happy, eh, to know you were right in advising me to be cautious about him? At least now I can dedicate myself totally to Vivi’s, just the way you’ve been, right?”

“Vivi—”

“Let me speak.” Vivi stood in front of her, strangely gratified when Natalie pressed herself hard against the back of the couch as if she thought Vivi might strike her.
I wish I could,
Vivi thought.
I wish I was one of those people capable of such things.
But she wasn’t, and so she’d have to make her point using the only weapon she had: words. “After wounding Anthony, I left Dante’s, and guess who I saw? The DiDinato brothers. They’d broken into Vivi’s and were about to begin tearing the place apart. Do you know why?” Natalie moved to cover her face with her hands, but Vivi slapped them away. “
No!
You look at me when I’m talking!”

Natalie’s breath hitched. “I—I’m sorry.”

“Answer my question. Why do you think the DiDinatos were there?”

“I don’t know.”

“Stop lying!” Vivi shouted. “Please, please, stop lying!”

“I don’t know how!” Natalie shouted back. “I swear, Vivi, I don’t.” She covered her face with her hands and began to cry.

“Oh, dear God.” Vivi eyes traveled to the high cathedral ceiling as she let out a disgusted breath. “Do you want to know what a fool I am? I’m actually feeling sorry for you right now. Can you believe that?”

Natalie uncovered her face. “Vivi, please. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. I swear.”

“You lied about paying the DiDinatos, didn’t you?”

Natalie nodded fearfully.

“And you never contacted Theresa.”

“No,” Natalie whispered.

“How about the restaurant furniture? The artwork? The flatware? Linens? The flooring? Did you take care of
any
of that?”

“No.”

“No.” Vivi felt as though an invisible strap were tightening around her body, biting into her flesh. “So what you’re saying is, you’ve been spending
all
the money we were to use for Vivi’s on yourself.”

“Yes.”

“How much is left, Natalie?” Vivi demanded. “And don’t you dare lie!”

Natalie looked at Vivi with watery eyes. “None. We’re in debt.” She broke down in sobs.

The room fell into such a profound silence that Vivi swore she could hear both their hearts pounding.
We’re in debt.
Vivi had the image of herself standing on a castle rampart, the structure slowly crumbling beneath her. She leaned over, hands on her knees, head hanging down a moment as she breathed deeply. When she lifted her head, she couldn’t stop staring at the shopping bags by the door.

“If we’re in debt, then explain how you could be so selfish—or maybe the word I’m looking for is stupid—as to keep shopping”

“I have a problem with money, Vivi.” Natalie reached for a tissue on the coffee table, winding it round and round her index finger until it began to disintegrate. “I thought I’d be able to control it this time.”

“This time? You’ve done this before?” The strap was tightening. Vivi’s flesh was going to begin bleeding at any second.

“Yes.” Natalie couldn’t look at her. “In the past, when I’d run into trouble, Papa would always bail me out.”

“Oh, God.” Vivi felt her legs go rubbery. Fearful she might collapse—or worse, faint—she made her way to the couch to sit down.

“Papa would help me,” Natalie repeated, “but this time”—tears began coursing down Natalie’s cheeks again—“he isn’t here.”

“What about your mother?” Vivi asked tersely. “Did she even have a heart attack? Or did you just fly home to ask her for money?”

“She had a heart attack!” Natalie cried. “Of course she did!”

“Why should I believe you? Why should I believe one word that comes out of your mouth?” Vivi cradled her head in her hands. “You can’t imagine how much I hate you right now,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t say that!”

Vivi’s head snapped up. “How could you do this to me, Natalie? I’ve been dreaming my whole life of owning my own restaurant, and what do you do? You throw away the money from Papa as if it’s nothing!” Tears began blurring her eyes. “You know what your problem is? You’ve never had to worry about money in your life, so you treat it carelessly, as if worrying about how much one is spending is just so bourgeois!

“I trusted you. You’re my half sister. I told myself it was all right that you held the money because you knew more about it than I did, and all would be well. I allowed you to treat me as if I were lesser sometimes because I’m not the ‘legitimate’ daughter! But you know what,
cherie
? Papa loved me and my
maman
more than he ever loved you and your miserable mother!”

“You think I don’t know that?” Natalie choked out. “Momma and I, we were Papa’s ‘show’ family, the ones he trotted out in public to make him look good. At first I hated it, but then I grew to accept it—even like it—because it meant I would at least get to spend time with him. He was always working, Vivi. Do you understand that? He was
always working
, and when he did take time off to relax, he went to see you and your mother!”

Natalie swiped a hand across her eyes to stem her swelling tears. “Do you know how desperate I was for his attention? As a politician’s daughter, I was always expected to look good. It was the only thing he ever complimented me on. Not what I could
do,
but how I
looked
. Because it reflected back on him.

“Don’t you see? Each time I got myself into trouble, I got his attention. And every time he made the problem go away, it showed he loved me.” Natalie’s face crumpled with shame. “I never wanted to hurt you. I could feel myself getting deeper in trouble, but I just couldn’t stop, and the deeper I fell, the more frantic I became to hide it from you. Because I knew, eventually, we’d reach this moment when you’d tell me you hate me and I’d have to face the fact that this time I’d wrecked not only my life, but yours, and there’s no Papa to help us out!”

She began to wail, an eerie keening sound that made Vivi’s hair stand up on end. It was the sound of someone in pure anguish. Vivi froze, unsure of what to do. But then she slid across the couch, taking Natalie in her arms. She was still angry, but Natalie needed to be reassured that she was still loved. Vivi held on to Natalie for dear life, and together they wept until there was no pain left to extinguish, and no tears left to cry.

“N-now what?” Natalie asked, hiccupping to a stop.

Vivi dragged her eyes to her sister’s face. She was exhausted. All talked out. All cried out. Please, she longed to say, just let me curl up on your couch and sleep, waking months from now when this is all behind us. But that would be postponing the inevitable, and if there was anything Vivi hated, it was prolonging agony—not only her own but someone else’s. It was better they face their problem here and now.

“I still have some questions,” she said.

Natalie timidly nodded her acquiescence.

“When did you plan to tell me what was going on?”

“I don’t know.” Natalie looked desperate. “I kept thinking, ‘I’ll find a way out of this, I know I will.’ But I haven’t.”

Vivi shook her head. “I don’t understand. Overspending as a way to get Papa’s attention and help made sense when he was alive. But he’s gone, Natalie.”

Natalie flushed with shame, her voice dropping low. “It’s an addiction, Vivi. It doesn’t matter whether he’s gone or not. I reach a tipping point in my brain and I just can’t stop. Half the time I’m buying things I don’t even need or want.”

“You shouldn’t tell me things like that,” Vivi replied coolly, “unless you want me to go back to hating you.” Natalie looked stricken until Vivi rolled her eyes. “That was a
joke
.”

Vivi rose slowly, testing her legs. They felt solid now, able to bear the weight of her continuing conversation with Natalie. “You need to get help.”

“I know that.”

“I’m serious, Natalie. We’re going to take care of this as soon as we can.” Though how they would pay for it was something Vivi hadn’t figured out yet.

She touched Natalie’s arm. “What I said before? About Papa not loving you and your mother? I didn’t mean it. I was just angry.”

“I know that.” Natalie was saying one thing, but Vivi could tell she was glad Vivi had apologized. Vivi wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she hadn’t. It was a terrible thing to say to someone.

“Are you hungry?” Natalie asked meekly.

“Starving.”

“I’ll fix us something to eat.” Natalie jumped off the couch, scampering toward the kitchen. But halfway there, she halted. “Vivi?”

“Yes?”

Natalie ducked her head. “All I have is champagne and caviar.”

Vivi stared at her a moment, then burst out laughing. No money, in debt, but they’d come up with plan B over champagne and caviar. It was perfect.

“I love champagne,” she said with a sigh.

Natalie returned with a tray of champagne, caviar, and crackers. Vivi had never been a big fan of caviar. When she was younger, she thought it proof of her lack of sophistication, but over the years she’d made peace with the realization that it just wasn’t for her. Even so, she spread some on a cracker and bit into it, hunger trumping taste buds. She followed it with a sip of Veuve Clicquot, which tasted gorgeous, the way she imagined the perfect spring day might taste if you could bottle it. Her spirits revived a little. She would figure a way out of this. She knew she would.

Natalie took a sip of champagne and sighed. A look of peace had returned to her features, something Vivi hadn’t seen in a long time. “I’m so relieved to have finally confessed to you. But at the same time—”

“Don’t,” Vivi cut in gently. “Let’s just try to focus on salvaging things.” She had one last question to ask her sister, an important one. She steeled herself with another sip of champagne. “How much in debt are we?”

Natalie swallowed. “I spent all the hundred thousand that Papa gave me, and twenty thousand more that—that we don’t have—using credit cards.”

“Oh, Christ.” Vivi’s pressed a hand against her chest. She used to think her
grandmaman
was being melodramatic when she’d get bad news and her hand would immediately fly to the space over her heart, or when she’d start fanning herself as if she might topple over. But now Vivi understood that it was instinct; shock really
could
induce a galloping heartbeat that made you feel as if you might have a coronary. Vivi breathed deep and tried to calm down. One hundred twenty thousand plus Anthony’s fifteen thousand meant they were one hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars in debt. Oh, God. Her heartbeat surged again, and she took a gulp of champagne to ease it. There, that was better.

“Vivi?”

“I’m all right. I was just doing figures in my head. We owe more than that—Anthony loaned us fifteen thousand dollars this morning to pay off the DiDinatos.”

“Thugs,” Natalie sniffed.

Vivi’s jaw dropped. “We owed them money, Natalie! They are not ‘thugs’ for wanting to be paid for their hard work!”

Natalie hung her head. “You’re right.” She reached for her champagne flute and took a tiny sip. “May I ask you a question?”