“She’s at work.” Luna looked up at my brother, who had come up behind her and was towel-drying his hair.
“She had to hang back to run some tests on her new chip,” Beck explained, “but she says hello and she regrets that she’s missing dinner.”
“Next time,” I said.
I always preferred when Ainsley was around. She took some of the heat off when it came to my parents constantly fretting over me. I thought buying my own place last month and settling in would have given them peace of mind that I was doing okay on my own, but they still weren’t convinced.
They worried about the neighborhood I lived in, about my transit to work, about how my boss treated me, about my bank account, my haircuts—everything. Beck had gone to work when he was young and made billions for himself. We’d both been given healthy trust funds, but I didn’t have the mind to open a massive tech start-up in Silicon Valley. I had enough to buy a place, invest in some stocks, and set some aside in high interest savings accounts for my future.
I’d realized the problem was just that my parents had no concept of money. They’d been wealthy all their lives and never had to struggle, and they perceived my status as teetering on the brink of collapse, which simply wasn’t true.
If I needed a new car, I could make that happen, I just didn’t like replacing things that still had life left. It was a matter of principle. I didn’t like waste or excessive consumption. I wanted to be responsible and do my part when it came to sustainability and the environment.
But most of all?
I wanted to build my own life, not take handouts from Mom and Dad and build the life they wanted for me.
After Beck and Luna dried off and got dressed, we all sat down at the table outside and were served our meals by the house staff. A delicious lemon and herb salmon filet on my plate made my mouth immediately water. The cheesy risotto on the side and the roasted vegetables complemented the fish perfectly, and I ate ravenously, not helping my case to convince my parents that I wasn’t in fact broke.
Mom watched me. “Nobody is going to try to take the food off your plate, Gabriella. You can breathe between bites.”
“I’m sorry.” I dabbed at my lips with a cloth napkin and sipped my water, forcing myself to slow down. “I didn’t get a lunch break today. My boss was relentless. Every time I thought I had a chance to take out my lunch and eat at my desk, he’d start barking more orders. Eventually I just gave up.” I took another bite. The perfectly cooked fish melted on my tongue. “And this is just so good.”
Luna, who sat directly across from me and beside my brother, scrunched up her nose as she pushed the risotto around on her plate. Beck quietly encouraged her to eat it, promising she’d like it once she tasted it. She took a small bite, smiled, and continued eating while my brother tucked her in closer to the table.
“You need to quit that job, Gabriella,” Dad said, shaking his head.
“This boss of yours has no respect for your time,” Mom added.
Beck gave me a sympathetic look and kept his comments about the matter to himself. He did, however, try to save me by changing the subject. “Ainsley and I have narrowed the wedding venue down to three locations.”
Mom lit up and put her cutlery down. She clasped her hands together under her chin. “Do you have pictures?”
We spent the next half hour talking about the wedding. Luna chimed in every now and then, excitedly chattering about how excited she was to wear her new dress and shoes, which were apparently a mini replica of her mother’s bridal gown. She talked about dancing with her best friend, Penny.
After dinner, the kitchen staff returned to clear our plates. Dad tried to refill my wine, but I declined, opting instead for water since I would be driving home soon. Beck hung around for another half hour or so before announcing that he had to take Luna home for bedtime. Luna pouted and resisted, but my brother wasn’t hearing it. He stressed that sleep was important and that, if they were lucky, Ainsley might be home by now and they could hang out for half an hour before they put her down.
Mention of her mother got Luna up and moving, and we all walked them to the front door and stood under the exterior light while Beck buckled Luna into her car seat in his new SUV. It had sleek lines and was some sort of Lamborghini. I didn’t know much about cars, but I felt a pang of jealousy looking at his quarter of a million dollar vehicle parked beside my coupe, which was dying a slow, tragic death.
We waved goodbye and Dad closed a hand on my shoulder. “Want to stay a little longer? We have dessert.”
“Real dessert?” I tipped my head to the side. “Or healthy dessert?”
He chuckled. “The latter, but it’s good, I promise.”
“While that is tempting, I think I should call it a night. I have a bit of a drive ahead of me and an early start tomorrow.” I also had a load of laundry to do, lunches to prep, a kitchen to clean, and a bed to make, and it was already ten to nine.
And it was all to prepare for a week at a job I hated, working for a man with no compassion or self-awareness.
Lucky me.
“Are you sure you can’t stay?” Mom reached for my hair again, remembered she’d already told me I should cut it, and let her hand fall to her side. All the gold bangles on her wrists jingled. “We’d like to talk to you. And give you something.”
Uh oh. “I really have to run.” I started backing away from the orb of light above the front door and toward my car.
My parents followed. Dad reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.
Double uh oh.