Dinner First, Me Later?

by Candy Halliday

But she did lean over and give Jake a hug.

  Chapter 30

  On Saturday morning, Alicia stood with Tish, Jen, and Zada at Tish’s dining-room window. They were all staring across the street at the long black limo that had just pulled up in front of Jake’s house.

  “I still wish Jake had put his foot down,” Tish said. “He should have informed Ranatta that she could change her plans to next weekend, instead of making Dani change her party.”

  “And what kind of example would that have been setting for Dani?” Alicia reminded Tish. “Ranatta has told Dani her whole life what a worthless bastard Jake is. Jake did the right thing by proving that he isn’t.”

  Tish wasn’t appeased. “I don’t care. The woman is evil.”

  “I agree,” Alicia said. “But Ranatta will be gone by Sunday, and Dani can have her party next weekend.” Alicia smiled slightly and said, “But to cheer her up, Jake did go ahead and give her the present we picked out for her.”

  “Did she like the bracelet?” Jen asked.

  Alicia smiled. “Jake said she loved it. He called me when Dani was in the shower to tell me.”

  They all three kept staring through the window.

  “Well?” Zada said, shifting Lizzie to her other hip. “Is the witch going to get out of the limo, or what?”

  “Who the hell drives around in a limo?” Tish asked, shaking her head. “I mean, seriously. This woman has major issues if you ask me.”

  “There she is!” Jen exclaimed.

  They all stepped closer to the window.

  “Oh, my God!” Tish said. “Do you know who she looks like?”

  “Who?” Zada asked.

  Tish said, “The actress who played evil Alexis on that old prime-time soap opera, Dynasty.”

  “You’re right, Tish,” Jen said. “And just like Alexis, we already know Ranatta is evil.”

  Again, Alicia didn’t disagree.

  Ranatta’s hair was cut short and sassy, but dyed way too black to be real at her age, and she was dressed with the same flair as the costumes you would expect to see on a soap opera. Her tailor-made suit was bright red. The jacket was cut short, and cinched at the waist. The skirt was dramatically straight, but with a row of pleats at the hem, showing off Ranatta’s still-model figure.

  They watched Ranatta’s hips swish expertly toward the house with that definite model walk, as if Jake’s sidewalk were a high-fashion runway.

  When she walked up on Jake’s porch and rang the bell, Tish said, “I wish Jake would open the door and punch her in the nose so hard she’d land flat on her back in your front yard, Alicia.”

  “You know Jake would never do anything like that,” Alicia said, but she laughed at the thought.

  “I didn’t say Jake would do it,” Tish grumbled. “I said I wished that’s what Jake would do.”

  Jake opened the door, and Alicia had to fight back the tears, Dani looked so sad.

  “Look at that!” Zada gasped, shifting Lizzie back to her other hip. “No hug. No nothing. The bitch just turned her back on Dani and started back to the limo.”

  They watched as Dani followed along after Ranatta. When Dani stopped, looked back at Jake, and waved, all four of them got a little misty-eyed. But they remained at the window, watching as the limo slowly circled the cul-de-sac and drove out of sight. Just as Jake had remained standing in his open doorway, Alicia noticed, waiting until the limo disappeared down Owls Roost Road.

  Jen put her arm around Alicia’s shoulder and gave Alicia a hug as they started back through the dining room to Tish’s kitchen. “What are your plans to cheer Jake up?” Jen asked as they all sat down at the kitchen table. “You can’t let him sit in the house all day being depressed.”

  “I haven’t made any plans,” Alicia admitted. “I kept hoping Jake would ask me to come over after Dani left. Or say he’d come over to my house. But he didn’t. That tells me he prefers to be by himself right now.”

  “Maybe the sad princess should give the lonely knight a call,” Tish said and grinned. “That should cheer him up.”

  “Tish!” Jen scolded. “Believe it or not, sex isn’t always the answer to every problem.”

  “It is at my house,” Tish argued.

  “Jen’s right, Tish,” Alicia said. “Sex is the last thing on Jake’s mind, or mine right now.”

  “What about dinner?” Zada mentioned, placing Lizzie in her stroller. “Take Jake out to a nice restaurant.”

  “I really would love that,” Alicia said, thinking over Zada’s suggestion. “Jake and I have never had dinner out at a nice restaurant, just the two of us.”

  “Then call him and tell him you’re taking him out to dinner, Alicia,” Jen urged. “I’m serious. I can’t stand the thought of Jake sitting over there being so down in the dumps all weekend.”

  “Okay,” Alicia said, smiling. “Maybe I will invite Jake out to dinner. But not with a phone call. I have a better idea.”

  “And this,” Ranatta said as the limo pulled out of the entrance to Woodberry Park, “is where you’ve chosen to live instead of Beverly Hills?” She let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry, Danielle, I just can’t comprehend such reasoning.”

  Dani looked to her right at her grandmother. She had already decided that she was not going to put up with a bunch of Natta’s crap. Ruining her birthday party came with a price tag just as expensive as Natta’s favorite boutiques on Rodeo Drive.

  “You don’t have to understand, Natta,” Dani informed her. “I happen to love it here.”

  Ranatta’s head snapped to the left in Dani’s direction, but she didn’t say a word.

  “I also love this,” Dani said proudly, holding up her right arm. “This is my birthday present from Jake.” She pointed to the lone ladybug on her charm bracelet. “Jake chose this ladybug as my first charm because that was his pet nickname for me when I was little. Each birthday he’ll get me a new charm. Next year I hope the charm will be a horse. Jake and I are looking for horses to buy right now. We’re going to keep the horses at the farm Grandpa Sims left Jake.”

  If Natta was amused, she didn’t let on. She looked back to her right, staring out the window. Dani decided she could ignore Natta just as well as Natta had always ignored her. She looked out her window, too, wondering if Natta had already figured out that she wasn’t the obedient little girl she used to be.

  In the past, she’d always jumped when Natta said jump. She’d always been terrified that she was going to disappoint Natta in one way or the other. Well, she had a HUGE surprise for Natta.

  She didn’t like to be disappointed either!

  Ranatta glanced over at her again, then reached over and took hold of Dani’s right hand. But it wasn’t the bracelet she was looking at when she held Dani’s hand up.

  “Well,” she snipped. “I see my instincts were right. With the shape those nails are in, it’s obvious you haven’t had a manicure since you got here.” She sighed and added, “And if you haven’t had a manicure, I know you definitely haven’t had a pedicure. That’s why we’re spending the day at Chicago’s finest spa.”

  It was the closest thing Dani knew she was going to get in the way of an apology for not calling since the day Jake had answered her cell phone. Ranatta Harper didn’t apologize to anyone for anything. Her grandmother always did exactly as she pleased because she was Ranatta Harper and because she could.

  Dani also knew Natta was waiting for her to say something about their day at the spa, but Dani didn’t.

  “It’s going to be ridiculously expensive, of course,” Natta pointed out, “but the spa I’m taking you to is definitely top rate.” She reached out and picked up a strand of Dani’s hair next, and immediately pursed her lips. “Nor,” she said, “does it appear that you’ve been to a stylist, looking at these horrible split ends. Not that I expect you could find a proper stylist in godforsaken New Hope, Illinois.”

  “I’m not having my hair cut,” Dani said defiantly. “I’m letting it grow below my shoulders.�
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  “And what about the extra pounds you’ve put on since I’ve seen you?” Natta said sarcastically, looking Dani up and down. “Are you also planning to gain more weight?”

  “I weigh exactly what I weighed when I left LA,” Dani said, trying not to let Natta upset her, but the woman had a way of getting on her last nerve.

  “I guess we’ll see about that when you get on the scales at the spa. Won’t we?” Ranatta threatened.

  Dani didn’t answer.

  She kept looking at Dani and finally said, “Well, Danielle? Don’t you have something you want to say to me for taking you to the finest spa Chicago has to offer?”

  She meant “thank you” of course.

  Dani said, “Yes. There is something I want to say.”

  Ranatta smiled, anticipating her answer.

  “I can hardly contain my freaking excitement.”

  Ranatta lost the smile. “Let’s get something straight right now, Danielle,” she said, pointing a long, red talon at her. “Jake may let you get away with being insolent to him, but I won’t tolerate it! Do you hear me, young lady?”

  Dani refused to answer.

  “And the very comment you just made to me,” she added, “tells me exactly the type of behavior Jake has been teaching you.” She settled back against the seat, her nose held indignantly in the air, more angry than Dani had ever seen her.

  Dani didn’t care.

  Until Ranatta added, “I’ll be sure my attorney points out to the court exactly how rude you’ve become since you’ve been living with your father.”

  Dani was tired of her threats. “Then I guess I’ll have to tell the court that Jake didn’t teach me that type of insolent behavior. You did, Natta. Or have you forgotten that you told me you wanted me to be as rude as humanly possible when I went to live with Jake?”

  Ranatta’s eyes narrowed. “So? What are you implying, Danielle? That you’re so clever you’re going to turn things around? Point a finger at me for your insolent behavior? Choose a father you’ve lived with for only three months over a grandmother who’s taken care of you your entire life?”

  Dani kept quiet.

  “This is exactly what I knew would happen,” Ranatta said. “I knew the minute you arrived in Chicago, Jake would do his best to turn you against me.”

  “That is so not true!” Dani exclaimed. “Jake has never said one bad thing about you to me. Never.”

  “Of course, he hasn’t,” Ranatta snapped. “Jake is a master of deceit, Danielle. He wants you to believe he is the good guy. And me? I’m just the evil grandmother. But I expected you to be smarter than that. Who do you think raised you while Jake was off chasing women?”

  “Jake isn’t like that anymore,” Dani said. “He doesn’t even have a girlfriend.”

  “He’s fooling you, Danielle,” Ranatta warned.

  “I don’t believe you,” Dani argued. “Jake really loves me, Natta. He admitted he couldn’t do a thing about the past, but he promised he was making me his top priority now.”

  Ranatta threw her head back and laughed. “His top priority?” She looked back at Dani and spit out the words, “That’s really what Jake told you? That you are his top priority.”

  “Yes. And I believe him,” Dani said stubbornly.

  She raised an eyebrow. “And what about your neighbor? This Alicia who lives across the street?”

  Dani frowned. “What about her?”

  Ranatta said, “Where is this Alicia on Jake’s list of priorities?”

  Dani was getting angrier by the minute. “I told you months ago, Natta. Alicia is my friend. Not Jake’s!”

  Dani expected Natta to argue. It surprised Dani when she didn’t. And her grandmother really surprised her when she reached over and took Dani’s hand in hers. “For your sake, Danielle, I hope you are right,” she said. “I hope I’m wrong about Jake. I hope that finally, after thirteen years, Jake really has made you his top priority.”

  Touched, Dani leaned over and kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “Thank you, Natta. I don’t like it when we fight.”

  Ranatta patted her hand. “I just want you to remember one thing. If Jake does disappoint you, you are always welcome to come back home and live with me. Because I do love you, Danielle. Whether you believe it or not.”

  “I love you, too, Natta,” Dani said, truly amazed.

  In fact, she felt like jumping up and down. Once Natta had seen that she was serious about staying with Jake, Natta wasn’t even going to try to change her mind. Who could have ever believed that would happen?

  She even came right out and said she loved me!

  Natta had never done that before.

  Ever!

  Natta didn’t do I love you’s. Natta said when people went around saying I love you all the time, it lessened the true meaning of the phrase.

  Dani smiled and settled back against her seat.

  “Thank you for thinking of the spa, Natta,” Dani said.

  She and Jake were starting over.

  Maybe she and Natta could start over, too.

  Jake had taken out his frustration with his weed-eater all morning after Danielle left with Ranatta. When his yard work was finished, he’d taken out his frustration throwing things around in the garage and straightening many things that didn’t even need straightening.

  By one o’clock in the afternoon, Jake had finally worn himself out. He stopped for a break, but as he made himself a sandwich, he realized that his good friends and neighbors were pretty damn perceptive. Everyone in the cul-de-sac had left him alone all day—even Alicia.

  Jake was glad they had left him alone.

  He wasn’t in the mood for small talk. And he definitely wasn’t in the mood for anyone trying to console him at the moment. Or give him advice about Danielle.

  He was in the mood to be downright pissed.

  And downright pissed was exactly what he was.

  He’d fulfilled his fatherly duties. He’d put on that no-big-deal face for Danielle, just as Alicia had been correct in pointing out that he had to do. He’d also have to put that no-big-deal face right back on when Danielle got home.

  At the moment, however, Jake was alone. And he intended to be just as damn pissed as he wanted to be, without anyone telling him he couldn’t be just as damn pissed as he was. Amen!

  He had just sat down at the kitchen table with his sandwich when Kiwi barked, alerting him to the fact that someone was at the door even before the doorbell rang. Jake cursed and got up from the table. But as he walked to the door, Jake had already decided one thing. No matter who was ringing that doorbell, in his current frame of mind, he guaranteed that person wouldn’t stay around long.

  Jake jerked the door open and found a dozen red roses with a guy standing behind them.

  “A delivery for Jake Sims,” the guy said, peeping around the vase he was holding.

  “Danielle Sims, you mean?” Jake asked, thinking maybe one of the neighbors had sent Danielle roses to cheer her up.

  The guy checked the card. “No. Jake Sims is what the card says.”

  Jake dug into his pocket, took a five-dollar bill from his money clip, and exchanged the bill for the vase of roses. The guy walked back down the sidewalk and Jake walked back to the kitchen. “Let’s see what we have here,” Jake said to Kiwi.

  He placed the vase on the kitchen table, unclipped the envelope from the holder, and pulled out the card: DINNER FIRST, ME LATER? was all the card said.

  Jake laughed and headed for the phone.

  Chapter 31

  It was six o’clock Saturday evening when the waiter led Alicia and Jake out onto the terrace of The Tree House Café. He seated them at a small wicker table, handed each of them a menu, and took their drink orders. When the waiter walked away from the table, Alicia looked around the terrace.

  She had always loved evenings at The Tree House. Especially early September, like now, when the heat of summer was being chased away by the promise of fall. She loved the twinklin
g minilights hidden in all of the ficus trees, and the spectacular view of Lake Michigan stretching out before them. But Alicia had brought Jake to dinner at The Tree House for a specific reason. And she decided to tell him what that reason was.

  “I have a confession to make,” she said, and Jake looked up from his menu. “I brought you here to fulfill another one of my fantasies.”

  Jake looked around the terrace, then leaned across the table and whispered, “Sorry, Beautiful, but we’d never get away with it. There isn’t a tree out here large enough for us to hide behind.”

  Alicia smacked him playfully on the arm. “I was going to tell you something terribly romantic, you big dope,” she said, pretending to pout.

  Jake reached across the table and took both of her hands in his. “Tell me,” he said. “Tell me something terribly romantic.”

  “I had brunch here with Alfie and Gwen once,” Alicia told him. “You and I had just started seeing each other then. Before I walked out onto the terrace, I saw Alfie lean over and give Gwen the sweetest kiss. At that moment,” Alicia said, “I knew that what I wanted more than anything else in the world was for you and me to be sitting at a table on this terrace one day, sharing a kiss just as sweet as that one.”

  They both leaned forward at the same. And after he kissed her, Alicia’s hand came up to caress Jake’s cheek. It was the sweetest, most tender kiss Alicia could ever imagine.

  Until Dani walked up and stopped at their table.

  Ranatta walked right up behind her. “I’m sorry I had to bring you here tonight, Danielle,” Ranatta said, glaring down at Jake. “But I had to let you see for yourself Jake’s version of top priority.” Her glare turned toward Alicia. “And as for this so-called friend of yours, she and Jake have been seeing each other behind your back from the day you arrived.”

  Dani just kept standing there, her face ashen, her fists clenched at her sides. “Is that true?” She looked first at Jake, then at Alicia. “Is that true!” she screamed, immediately getting the attention of everyone on the terrace.

  “Yes,” Jake said.

  Dani backed away from the table, turned, and ran.