Lush (8 page)
ming at how they’d turned out.
18
“I have such great timing,” Daisy sang as she
19
entered the kitchen. “Don’t know what it is, but I can smell that
20
I’ll be having at least four.”
21
Daisy was not only Mary’s best friend on the planet, she also
22
served as a manager for Mary’s catering business. Oh, they both
23
told one another she’d only do it until things evened out and
24
Mary could fi nd a replacement, but for the time being, both
25
women liked it that way and that was what counted.
26
When Daisy’s art career fully took off, Mary would hire a
27
manager behind Daisy’s back so she wouldn’t feel guilty. But
S28
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Lauren Dane
01
until then Mary knew it would keep Daisy working only one
02
job other than her art instead of four.
03
“You’re my best taste tester anyway. Everyone else just says
04
things are yummy. You’ll tell me if something is greasy or needs
05
something.”
06
Daisy rolled her eyes as she grabbed a shrimp puff from a plat-
07
ter, popping it in her mouth. “First of all, you’ve never made any-
08
thing your whole life that could be described as greasy. I bet if
09
you made a bowl of grease as an entrée, it wouldn’t taste greasy.”
10
Mary smiled, satisfi ed and proud. She worked hard at what
11
she did, but most of it her mother liked to say was Mary’s nat-
12
ural talent with food. It was her art. She just instinctively knew
13
how to make things people loved to eat and drink.
14
Not that it wasn’t nice to hear that reinforced by her friends
15
though.
16
“There’s a second thing. Lay it on me.” Mary began to core
17
the green peppers and get rid of the seeds. The kitchen fi lled
18
with the scent.
19
“This shrimp thing is awesome. I’d totally let this shrimp
20
thing feel me up. Levi and I are hosting his parents. At his house
21
of course.”
22
“Yes.”
23
Daisy’s grin was quick. “Like that? I haven’t even said what
24
I needed yet.”
25
“You want me to make dinner for them. Something ele-
26
gant and classic without being too heavy. Something with a twist
27
because you are not classic, but exotic and delicious. You want
28S
them to know this but not in a negative sense. I’ll get you a few
29N
menu ideas. When is it?”
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Daisy hugged her. “You’re awesome. How do you always
01
know?”
02
“Because I love you, silly.”
03
“I’m so lucky.”
04
Mary grinned back. “We both are. Now you have Levi too,
05
and that makes you even more lucky. His mother likes you
06
already, which we both know was the biggest hurdle. No one
07
cares what his dumb bitch sister-in-law thinks anyway. We’ll
08
get Jules to make you a dessert that knocks their socks off.”
09
“I’ve never had a boyfriend like this.”
10
“That’s because he’s not your boyfriend.” Mary tipped the
11
green pepper into the bowl with the cilantro, tomato and diced
12
onion. “He’s your signifi cant other in the best sense. He’ll be
13
your husband one day. The daddy to your kids. My god, they’re
14
going to be ridiculously beautiful kids I’ll spoil rotten.”
15
“Marriage?”
16
“Take that shock out of your voice. I know you too well. Of
17
course, marriage. He lets you continue to live in your little house 18
because it makes you happy and you can both pretend things
19
aren’t totally serious yet. But they are.”
20
“Whoa now. Marriage is a ways off. Yes, we love each other.
21
But he’s got issues and I’m still young. We have time.”
22
Mary used the hand blender to quickly pulse together the
23
ingredients for the salsa- style dipping sauce.
24
“Sure you have time. But he’s not some guy who’ll be content
25
to date you forever. He knows your value. Knows you’re amaz-
26
ing and he will want you under his roof. He’ll want you to marry
27
him and have his babies. He’s traditional that way. And you
S28
want that too, even if you try to tell me you don’t.” She put some
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01
of the sauce into a little bowl, pushing it and an empanada to
02
Daisy. “Taste.”
03
“More cilantro. You should open up like a counseling busi-
04
ness you run while you prepare food. What about you? When
05
do you fi nd your forever?”
06
Mary shrugged. “I will when I’m supposed to. Right now, I
07
have Luxe up and running. I’ve got jobs lined up for months.
08
I’ve got the supper club booked for nearly a year. Profi ts are up.
09
My friends are getting married. My brother has fi nally admit-
10
ted he’s in love with Jules. I’m not opposed to forever. I want it
11
and all. Just not right now. I feel like I’d shortchange a relation-12
ship in favor of my business. I want all my energy on that and
13
I don’t want to have to feel guilty about it.”
14
Daisy nodded. “Fair enough. The dinner is in two weeks.
15
There’ll be six. Well, I guess eight if you count me and Levi. His
16
brother Jonah and Jonah’s daughter will be there as well as two
17
of his other brothers. Mal and his
wife
are conveniently
18
unavailable.”
19
Mal Warner’s wife had been atrociously rude to Daisy and
20
thus was on Mary’s we- hate- you- forever list.
21
“It’s unavoidable that we’ll come into contact. Levi loves his
22
brother. And I do too. Mal is a sweet guy. With horrible taste
23
in women, obviously. But I don’t ever want Levi to feel like his
24
has to choose me over his family. I won’t be that.”
25
“You aren’t that. People need to be responsible for what they
26
do or say and to stop hiding behind the excuse that because it’s
27
family no one should ever say anything.”
28S
“Says the gal with the perfect family.”
29N
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Mary laughed. “Not perfect, but we do love each other. You
01
were right about the sauce.” She poured it into a container so it
02
could travel safely and tucked it into one of the big fridges.
03
“You’re still going to New York next month, right?”
04
Adrian was on a summer and early fall tour that had started
05
just a few days after the wedding. For most of it, Gillian and
06
Miles would travel with him. And then Gillian would bring
07
Miles back so he could start school.
08
Next month they had a date at Madison Square Garden and
09
as a big thank- you for all the wedding help, Adrian was fl ying
10
out all their friends to see his shows there. Backstage passes.
11
Swank boutique hotel. He’d even pulled some strings and gotten
12
Mary reservations at a few restaurants she’d been dreaming about.
13
“Hell yes. I wouldn’t miss it.”
14
“Damien’s band opens for them. That’ll be interesting.” Dai-
15
sy’s attempt at innocence made Mary laugh.
16
“Don’t make me sorry I told you.”
17
Daisy grinned, delighted. “It is your duty as my best friend
18
to tell me about hot one- night stands with rock stars.”
19
“It certainly was hot. He texts me sometimes. Just little
20
things here and there. Sometimes pictures from venues, that sort
21
of thing. Oh and he asks for my opinion on where he should eat
22
in whatever city they’re in.”
23
He could have never said another word. She wouldn’t have
24
been offended. She understood the rules. Knew what he was.
25
But the little texts were . . . well, she felt like they had the
26
beginnings of an actual friendship. Which she liked. He didn’t
27
send her pictures of his dick. Didn’t sext her or anything like
S28
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01
that. He asked her about her business and sent her pictures of
02
food and landscapes.
03
Yes, she was looking forward to seeing him next month and
04
would have been lying if she’d said she wasn’t hoping for a repeat
05
of their scorching night— and the following morning— between
06
the sheets.
07
“I think he’s sweet on you.”
08
Mary julienned the carrots for her veggie sushi. “I think he’s
09
a drummer in a rock band who drinks a lot, parties a lot, has
10
a lot of women and shows up in the tabloids on a regular basis.
11
I don’t even really follow the celebrity news and I know these
12
things. I just have no desire for that. At all.”
13
“Well, that’s just one side to him. He could be more.”
14
“Daze, we had hot sex. He knows where all a lady’s parts
15
are and what to do with them. But I’m not one of those women
16
who thinks she’s the one who can fi nally tame that bad boy.
17
That way lies madness. I’m a lot of things, but I am not dumb.
18
I don’t want that. I don’t want to be in the paper. I don’t want
19
to have to worry about my picture online being picked apart by
20
his fangirls. I see what it does to Gillian and Adrian didn’t even
21
have that sort of reputation with women and partying. Anyway,
22
it was fun. I know what it was. He knows what it was. That’s
23
all. Don’t go trying to make it something it can never be.”
24
Daisy shrugged and Mary rolled her eyes, knowing that
25
Daisy wouldn’t let it go until she was good and ready.
26
“Don’t eat those. That’s for an event later today. I made you
27
extra. There’s a tray in the walk-in that has your name on it and
28S
a bag in the pantry for you as well.”
29N
Mary took care of the people she loved. It made her happy
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to cook for them. Made her satisfi ed to know they got suste-
01
nance from what she prepared. Knowing she did it for them.
02
“What would I do without you?”
03
“Eat takeout a lot more. But you have no such worries
04
because you’re stuck with me.”
05
“Thank God for it.”
06
07
08
She needed to run by her parents’ place to check in and take over
09
some food. Her dad met her at the door, taking the bags from her.
10
“What’d you bring me, Bess?” No one else called her Bess
11
but her dad. Her given name was Mary- Elizabeth. When she
12
was little, her father had said Mary seemed such a serious name
13
for a girl like her and he’d taken to calling her Bess. It had stuck.
14
“Gazpacho. Goat cheese tarts. Well, Jules made those.
15
Roasted beet salad. Don’t make a face. Beets are full of wonder-
16
ful stuff and I made them so you should give them a try.” She
17
thrust the totes at him and moved past, toward the kitchen
18
where her mother would be. “There’s salmon patties in the bag
19
as well. Don’t eat them all at once.”
20
“Bless you.”
21
She shook her head, still smiling when she entered the room.
22
