Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 131459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
“Hey, Tom!” Cadence greeted, setting her drink aside and jumping out of the couch to come to him.
She hugged him without reservation and popped back.
“Do you want a cocktail?” she offered.
“Sure,” he agreed.
“Nora’s Pear Surprise?”
“Lord, don’t call it that,” Nora demanded. “Call it La Poire Surprise de Nora.”
“Oh my God, that’s so much better,” Cadence exclaimed.
Nora flitted out her cocktail hand. “I know, darling. It’s what I do. My gift.”
Cadence turned back to him and lifted her brows.
“I’ll give it a go,” he said.
“Rad!” she cried, then she dashed off.
Nora’s eyes traveled the length of him as she sat insouciantly, one leg crossed over the other in the only cushioned armchair in the room.
Nora was wearing Louboutin heels.
Mika and Cadence were barefoot.
He was beginning to love this crew.
Mika led him to the couch.
“You look fighting fit,” she observed after Mika pulled him down beside her.
“Arizona agrees with you,” Tom returned. “You’ve shaken off the pallor of the city. Soon, you’ll be dripping in silver and turquoise.”
She made a genteel gagging face.
Tom started chuckling.
Mika slouched back, lifting a bent leg to the couch, her knee resting on his thigh. The other leg, she rested its foot on the edge of the coffee table. She then leaned into him.
Tom relaxed into the couch but sat strong for her.
“My God.” Nora raised her empty hand, palm their way, fingers curled like she was holding a ball, and she drew circles in the air. “You’re already a couple. I don’t know whether to start plotting my jealous revenge or order a bottle of Dom delivered.”
“Door number two, but no delivery needed considering you bought two at Total Wine the other day,” Mika replied.
This perked Nora up, and she sat minutely straighter in her chair, asking Tom, “Have you been to this paradise they call Total Wine?”
He was smiling when he answered, “Yes.”
“I could spend a year in there,” she shared.
“Is this the source of the pear juice?” he guessed.
“That, and twelve hundred dollars’ worth of more shit,” Mika told him.
Tom blinked. “Twelve hundred dollars?”
“Dearest,” Nora said slowly. “Two bottles of Dom simply because no home should be without them. So, obviously. However, I, like all civilized people, normally use Veuve for my everyday champagne needs. And we bought some of that as well.”
“And here’s me drinking Freixenet,” Tom replied.
“Good Lord,” Nora snapped.
Mika laughed and said, “Relax, Nora. Tom has a walk-in wine closet. He says he doesn’t know much, but I’ve done an inventory, and he’s a connoisseur.”
They shared an odd knowing glance before Nora purred, “Oo…do tell. Then do tell me why I haven’t been invited for drinks.”
He began to do that, but was cut off when Cadence shouted, “Mom!”
He didn’t know Mika’s daughter well, but he had two of his own, and that didn’t sound like an I-need-help-mixing-the-cocktails-I’m-too-young-to-drink shout.
It sounded alarmed.
He felt that same coming from Mika and Nora as Mika instantly took her feet.
“I’ll be back,” she murmured as she hurried out.
When he returned his gaze to her, he saw Nora was staring at the door Mika disappeared through.
“Am I wrong? Did that sound not right?” he asked.
Nora turned to him. “She’s her mother with Rollo’s looks and her youth returned. God isn’t supposed to work that way, giving you a child you’re completely simpatico with. I know. All three of my children are friendly and sociable and constantly telling me to stop acting so privileged, insular and effete, as if I’m acting in any manner. I am privileged, people annoy me greatly, so I’m purposefully insular, but I have a black belt in effete. Those two are two peas in a pod. Not much riles either of them. Not much throws them either. So, no. You are not wrong. That didn’t sound right.”
He was pushing up to standing when both mother and daughter came into the room.
They each carried a martini glass and an expression he couldn’t read.
He finished standing. “What’s happening?”
“I think you should sit back down,” Mika suggested.
“Why?” he asked.
Cadence offered him the glass she was carrying. Automatically, he took it.
It was harder for Mika to tug him back down to the couch that time, but she curled into him at once when he was seated, still holding her glass, her eyes to her daughter.
“You show Nora, honey, I’ll show Tom.”
With that, she leaned even further into him and pulled her phone out of her back jeans pocket as he heard Cadence say to Nora, “One of my friends just sent it to me.”
He watched as she brought up her texts. He saw Cadence’s name at the top of the string. A video share on the screen.
She hit go.
The screen shifted to YouTube, it took a moment, then the unmistakable set of Elsa Cohen’s gossip show came on.
“Oh fuck,” he muttered.
“Mm-hmm,” Mika agreed.
He watched Elsa clap, jumping happily in her seat.