[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
good, she said flatly.
The waiter reached around Lola to grab her plate. Lola leaned
back, her napkin sliding off her lap. She reached down to get it
and hit her head on the corner of Stella s chair. Ow! she cried.
Are you all right? her mom asked, resting a hand on Lola s
thin leg.
I m fine, she grumbled, readjusting her hair so it covered
her ears.
Two waiters circled the table, dropping off plates of swordfish
50
à la plancha, rib eye with sautéed porcinis, and pan-seared sea
scallops. Winston clinked his fork against his crystal champagne
glass.
Dad, Cate hissed, looking around the crowded restaurant.
A couple and their teenage son turned away from their dinner to
look at them. The boy, in a navy blazer, stared at Winston, then
at the girls. Cate sank a little lower in her burgundy velvet chair.
Girls, we have an announcement, he said, bringing Emma s
hand to his lips and kissing it twice. I am so glad we re all here,
together, in New York. Emma and I spent the summer talking
about this and planning this, and now it s finally happened.
These last couple days have been incredible.
Cate coughed loudly incredible wasn t quite the word she
would have used.
Stella sneered at Cate.
Andie rolled her eyes.
And Lola let out a shuddering sigh.
Emma tugged at the chain around her neck and smiled at
the girls. It s lovely that you re all getting along so well. You re
already treating each other like family like sisters.
Cate felt like a fish bone had gotten caught in her throat. Stella
was not her sister not even close. She was a fungus. A bacteria.
A leech she needed to have removed. Andie might be annoying,
but she was relatively harmless.
Emma unclasped the chain from around her neck and some-
thing heavy slid into her palm. I didn t feel right wearing it until
we told you girls. She smiled.
We re engaged! Winston blurted out. Emma laughed playfully
51
and opened her hand, revealing a glittery ring with a diamond
the size of a gobstopper. It looked like something out of a twenty-
five-cent machine too big to be real.
As Winston slipped it on Emma s finger, Cate felt like she
was watching some bad romantic comedy. This wasn t her
father. That wasn t Emma s ring. And this definitely wasn t her
life.
Cate touched the coral Fendi pashmina around her shoul-
ders her mother s pashmina. Sometimes it felt like Cate was the
only one who remembered her.
Now, Emma, I have a surprise for you, Winston said. I
spoke with Gloria Rubenstein that wedding planner you
loved. And she said there s an opening at the boathouse in Cen-
tral Park . . . next Sunday.
Sunday! Emma let out a small, surprised laugh.
Cate s stomach lurched, like she was in a cab that had stopped
short at a light. She turned to Stella, who was biting her lip so
hard it looked like she might draw blood.
I know it s soon, Winston explained, but I can t wait a year
to marry you I don t even want to wait a month. A waitress
near the door was ignoring her tables, hugging a stainless steel
water pitcher to her chest, waiting to hear Emma s response.
What do you think?
Cate glanced at Lola, who was covering her mouth with her
bony hand.
I think that s the most romantic thing I ve ever heard, Emma
replied, wiping the tears from her face. The waitress set the steel
pitcher down on a table and clapped until the manager, a thin
52
man with an unusually large head, rushed over and whispered
something in her ear.
Emma wrapped her thin arms around Winston s side, a tear
falling down each cheek. Cate felt like she might cry too.
Girls, Emma explained, looking around the table, I know
it might seem fast, but we ve been thinking about this since we
met. We both just sort of knew everything was right.
Stella pushed a bloated scallop around her plate with her fork,
annoyed. If Winston and her mum just knew something, they
certainly hadn t bothered to tell anyone else.
And now here we all are. Emma looked at Winston, a dreamy
expression on her face that Cate wished she could Photoshop
off.
Winston matched Emma s expression and Stella had to
cough to keep from gagging. We re hiring a wedding planner,
of course, but we d love for you girls to get involved, too, he said.
Stella, since you re such a fashion guru, why don t you pick out
the bridesmaid dresses for you and the girls?
Cate felt like Winston had thrown his tumbler of ice-cold
Pellegrino in her face. Stella was the fashion guru?
Emma tucked a golden strand of hair behind her ear. Andie,
maybe you could help me pick out the flowers for the tables, and
Lola, you could help decide on the band.
Andie straightened up in her chair and offered Emma a small
smile.
Cate rolled her eyes. If Emma Childs had asked Andie to
wash the kitchen floor with her tongue, she would have jumped
at the opportunity.
53
And Cate, Winston added, you could do a tasting at Greene
Street Bakery and pick out the perfect cake for us.
Cate gripped the seat of her chair, digging her manicured
nails into the silk fabric. She hated desserts and had ever since
she ate her first chocolate chip cookie. Had her dad totally for-
gotten? She touched the Fendi pashmina again, a knot creeping
up the back of her throat.
Cate? Winston prompted.
That . . . sounds great. Cate tried hard to smile. Lola was
chewing nervously on a piece of her hair, and Stella was biting
her nail. Andie had dissected her scallop into ten tiny pieces.
Nobody was looking at anyone else.
So it was official. Their parents were officially getting mar- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
good, she said flatly.
The waiter reached around Lola to grab her plate. Lola leaned
back, her napkin sliding off her lap. She reached down to get it
and hit her head on the corner of Stella s chair. Ow! she cried.
Are you all right? her mom asked, resting a hand on Lola s
thin leg.
I m fine, she grumbled, readjusting her hair so it covered
her ears.
Two waiters circled the table, dropping off plates of swordfish
50
à la plancha, rib eye with sautéed porcinis, and pan-seared sea
scallops. Winston clinked his fork against his crystal champagne
glass.
Dad, Cate hissed, looking around the crowded restaurant.
A couple and their teenage son turned away from their dinner to
look at them. The boy, in a navy blazer, stared at Winston, then
at the girls. Cate sank a little lower in her burgundy velvet chair.
Girls, we have an announcement, he said, bringing Emma s
hand to his lips and kissing it twice. I am so glad we re all here,
together, in New York. Emma and I spent the summer talking
about this and planning this, and now it s finally happened.
These last couple days have been incredible.
Cate coughed loudly incredible wasn t quite the word she
would have used.
Stella sneered at Cate.
Andie rolled her eyes.
And Lola let out a shuddering sigh.
Emma tugged at the chain around her neck and smiled at
the girls. It s lovely that you re all getting along so well. You re
already treating each other like family like sisters.
Cate felt like a fish bone had gotten caught in her throat. Stella
was not her sister not even close. She was a fungus. A bacteria.
A leech she needed to have removed. Andie might be annoying,
but she was relatively harmless.
Emma unclasped the chain from around her neck and some-
thing heavy slid into her palm. I didn t feel right wearing it until
we told you girls. She smiled.
We re engaged! Winston blurted out. Emma laughed playfully
51
and opened her hand, revealing a glittery ring with a diamond
the size of a gobstopper. It looked like something out of a twenty-
five-cent machine too big to be real.
As Winston slipped it on Emma s finger, Cate felt like she
was watching some bad romantic comedy. This wasn t her
father. That wasn t Emma s ring. And this definitely wasn t her
life.
Cate touched the coral Fendi pashmina around her shoul-
ders her mother s pashmina. Sometimes it felt like Cate was the
only one who remembered her.
Now, Emma, I have a surprise for you, Winston said. I
spoke with Gloria Rubenstein that wedding planner you
loved. And she said there s an opening at the boathouse in Cen-
tral Park . . . next Sunday.
Sunday! Emma let out a small, surprised laugh.
Cate s stomach lurched, like she was in a cab that had stopped
short at a light. She turned to Stella, who was biting her lip so
hard it looked like she might draw blood.
I know it s soon, Winston explained, but I can t wait a year
to marry you I don t even want to wait a month. A waitress
near the door was ignoring her tables, hugging a stainless steel
water pitcher to her chest, waiting to hear Emma s response.
What do you think?
Cate glanced at Lola, who was covering her mouth with her
bony hand.
I think that s the most romantic thing I ve ever heard, Emma
replied, wiping the tears from her face. The waitress set the steel
pitcher down on a table and clapped until the manager, a thin
52
man with an unusually large head, rushed over and whispered
something in her ear.
Emma wrapped her thin arms around Winston s side, a tear
falling down each cheek. Cate felt like she might cry too.
Girls, Emma explained, looking around the table, I know
it might seem fast, but we ve been thinking about this since we
met. We both just sort of knew everything was right.
Stella pushed a bloated scallop around her plate with her fork,
annoyed. If Winston and her mum just knew something, they
certainly hadn t bothered to tell anyone else.
And now here we all are. Emma looked at Winston, a dreamy
expression on her face that Cate wished she could Photoshop
off.
Winston matched Emma s expression and Stella had to
cough to keep from gagging. We re hiring a wedding planner,
of course, but we d love for you girls to get involved, too, he said.
Stella, since you re such a fashion guru, why don t you pick out
the bridesmaid dresses for you and the girls?
Cate felt like Winston had thrown his tumbler of ice-cold
Pellegrino in her face. Stella was the fashion guru?
Emma tucked a golden strand of hair behind her ear. Andie,
maybe you could help me pick out the flowers for the tables, and
Lola, you could help decide on the band.
Andie straightened up in her chair and offered Emma a small
smile.
Cate rolled her eyes. If Emma Childs had asked Andie to
wash the kitchen floor with her tongue, she would have jumped
at the opportunity.
53
And Cate, Winston added, you could do a tasting at Greene
Street Bakery and pick out the perfect cake for us.
Cate gripped the seat of her chair, digging her manicured
nails into the silk fabric. She hated desserts and had ever since
she ate her first chocolate chip cookie. Had her dad totally for-
gotten? She touched the Fendi pashmina again, a knot creeping
up the back of her throat.
Cate? Winston prompted.
That . . . sounds great. Cate tried hard to smile. Lola was
chewing nervously on a piece of her hair, and Stella was biting
her nail. Andie had dissected her scallop into ten tiny pieces.
Nobody was looking at anyone else.
So it was official. Their parents were officially getting mar- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]