Will you people eat, already? jeez.
(I posted Pt. 7 late saturday and am posting this one EARLY on sunday, so if you're following, just make sure you peep 7 before 8.)
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Well she was certainly beautiful, Avalon admitted sourly as she allowed Ben to hold out her chair for her. They’d just been introduced to Maggie Delaney, nee Ramirez, and the girl was perfectly adorable. She was too young for Grey. And too short, too. And probably too nice. But they were certainly well matched in the looks department.
Avalon smiled her thanks at Ben as he moved around the table to sit across from her. She watched Grey hold a chair for Maggie and studied how tense her brother appeared. Tight. Nervous? Hmm. It was a very rare thing to see Grey Delaney anything but at ease; arrogant, and charmingly confident.
The girl looked uptight too. Skittish as a bunny underneath her pretty smile and self-assured carriage.
Genny sat down on Avalon’s left and Grey on her right, and across the table Viola planted herself between her Dad’s seat at the head of the table and Ben. Avalon grimaced. Something funny was going on with Viola and whatever it was, whatever phase the girl was going through, it was really getting under Avalon’s skin.
Ben shot her a look. She chuckled. He was stuck between Viola and the new bride. Awkward conversations on both sides. At least he wasn’t sitting next to goddamn Grey, she thought miserably. She didn’t have a single nice thing to say to him and she’d always made a concerted effort to avoid sitting anywhere near him since as a child she’d been pinched and flicked and teased mercilessly by her older brother.
In her rational, adult mind she knew she would not be pinched or prodded or punished for sitting next to him this evening, but the proximity to her childhood torturer still made her tense and irritable.
“So sorry about the uneven table—“ her mother was fretting. “I asked Grey’s grandmother to attend but she was unable to make it back from her spa trip in time.”
Avalon rolled her eyes. That was a lie. Granny Calder may have been at the spa but if she hadn’t ‘made it back’ it was because she didn’t want to come. Likely she’d heard the rumors around town and decided to stay well clear of this ridiculous charade celebrating a hasty sham of a marriage. Besides, thought Avalon smugly, Granny Calder had never liked Grey.
Before the meal started Genny got up and moved her plate to the other end of the table so that she was sitting across from Vienna. Avalon rolled her eyes and then became aware that there was no buffer between herself and her father. Goddammit.
She wasn’t sure how to act around him after the outburst she’d had when she’d arrived this evening. And he wasn’t helping. He was acting aloof with her and the muscles around his eyes and mouth were tight. Part of her had the ridiculous urge to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss his cheek and say ‘Sorry Daddy!’ like she used to do when she was little and it made everything ok because he couldn’t resist a hug and a kiss; But the other part of her, the adult part, knew she just had to suck it up and deal with it until he forgave her for her behavior and chose to behave normally around her again.
“Everything looks delicious!” Genny enthused, placing some asparagus on her plate and passing the dish to Grey.
Her comment sparked a chorus of various agreeable statements and Velvet glowed at the praise.
“I wish I’d known your favorites Maggie, I would have made some of those along with all Grey’s favorites!”
Maggie smiled and looked around at the banquet of food. Avalon could almost read her mind as she looked from one dish to the next, studiously observing them. She was cataloguing them, taking note. Maggie Ramirez had had no idea that Grey favored any of these dishes.
Interesting.
Avalon could name more than a dozen of Ben’s favorite foods. And she had no doubt Ben could rattle off even more of her faves. But, of course, they’d actually dated for a suitable length of time before he’d proposed marriage.
“What are some of Maggie’s favorites, Grey?” Avalon asked as her brother handed the asparagus dish to her. She decided maybe she’d turn the tables on her arrogant ass of a brother for once in their lives.
His green eyes narrowed slightly at her and then he smiled. “She’s wild about Ethiopian cuisine.” Grey answered, his tone baited.
There was a quiet at the table until Maggie laughed. “He’s teasing you.” Maggie said warmly. “Obviously I was raised on traditional Mexican food, so my favorites have a pretty specific flavor profile.”
Avalon tuned her flawless smile on Grey’s bride. “Oh? And is it difficult planning meals for Grey? Because the only Mexican food he really eats are margaritas and nachos?”
Maggie laughed readily. “He’s learning.” She said amicably. “He’s developing a taste for Mexican, I think.” Avalon watched the girl’s chocolaty eyes flick beside her to her brother and she thought she saw a ghost of a wink.
“Grey ate Mexican all the time when I was pregnant with him!” Velvet exclaimed with one of her signature giggles. “Jonah had to run out and get me take-out all the time, and this was at this little dive of a place, before Mr. Ramirez moved here and opened Los Tres.” She chatted blithely. “Everyone said I’d get terrible heartburn from all the spices, but, I couldn’t get enough!”
The table broke out into various side conversations about take-out and favorite Mexican dishes for a while. The twins told an amusing story about one time they’d been to Los Tres and confused the waiter by sitting at separate tables but ordering very similar meals—
“Hey, how about you stop acting like a total fucking cunt?” Grey murmured in an undertone to her with an amiable smile in place.
She squared her shoulders and lengthened her neck. “How about you stop expecting us all to clap and smile everytime you pull a ridiculous stunt like this.” She responded coldly and passed the platter of Steak au Poivre.
“Grey?” Avalon and Grey tuned as one to Maggie.
“I’m sorry?” He asked smoothly.
“Your mother was asking about our plans? For real estate?” The girl’s smile was fragile, Avalon noted with narrowed eyes. “And I thought you’d better field that one—“
Grey nodded, but Jonah cut him off. “There’s no need to rush them, sweetheart.” Jonah said with a light laugh. “They both need to finish school, after-all, and what else is the guest house doing most of the time but sitting there?”
Avalon bristled and she felt Ben’s foot slide next to hers under the table—a warning and a reassurance.
Velvet gasped. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean, Oh, no, I want you to stay there forever!”
Everyone around the table laughed indulgently.
“Well, not forever.” Grey said gently. “I thought maybe we’d start looking in the spring, when the weather is more conducive.”
That sounded perfectly reasonable. And it sounded like total bullshit.
“Were you thinking an apartment or a condo or a town house or a house-house?” Avalon asked brightly, scooping some potatoes onto her plate with great zeal.
“We’re keeping an open mind.” Her brother responded deftly.
“Depends on whether or not you want to start a family right away I suppose.” Avalon commented, lifting a glazed carrot to her lips.
“Ohhh!” Velvet exclaimed with a giddy little clap.
“There’ll be plenty of time to worry about all that.” Jonah quelled firmly. “May I suggest the old factory district?” He added, which got Velvet reminiscing about her first home with Jonah and off the subject of Grey&Maggie babies.
“Or the new Cedar Gardens development—“ Ventured Ben helpfully, and he and Grey exchanged comments on the newer development, about the architecture, and about the degree that the homes had been built ‘green’ and ‘eco-friendly’.
Avalon grumbled into her wine at being de-railed again.
“Maggie, did you go to St. Agnes?” Vienna quizzed from the girl’s left.
Maggie nodded, peeling her eyes away from Grey. “For junior high and high school.” She answered
“But your sister goes to C.F.H.S., right? With us? Essie? She’s related to you right? you look a lot alike.” Geneva interjected.
Again Maggie nodded and various conversations sprouted up again around the table. Viola was bending Ben’s ear about something and Avalon was left with trying to either engage her dad in conversation or her brother. One look at Jonah made her stomach twist. He was watching Viola and Ben and he didn’t look pleased. She thought about what Ben had told her about the last poker night and then scowled at Viola’s too-low cut top.
“So where’d you two lovebirds meet?” Avalon said, overly loudly, to interrupt all the side conversations.
“The wine store.” Grey answered promptly. That’s what her mother had told her, so at least they were keeping their stories straight.
“Maggie works part time for your uncle.” Jonah said with a smile.
“What were you doing at the wine shop?” Avalon asked with a laugh. “You never drink wine except on dates—“
Grey stared at her and the cold fury behind his eyes made her tongue freeze.
“He’d actually just stopped in to see Mr. Delaney about something—a bottle of scotch?” Maggie was smiling fondly but Avalon saw her fingers nervously twisting the plain little pendant at her neck. “I didn’t know he was related, so I admit I turned my sales charm on him.”
“Yeah.” Agreed Grey, blinking slowly before releasing Avalon from that icy stare. “I went in to see if I could get my best scotch back from Uncle Nolan and walked out smitten instead.” He said, to which Velvet sighed adoringly. “And with a nice bottle of Chianti I didn’t need.” He said, eliciting laughter from much of the table.
“Where was your first date?” Viola piped up, finally giving Ben a much needed reprieve from her attention.
“The common.” Avalon answered before either of the newlyweds had the chance to respond. “With a picnic and a movie, right?” Grey had a few standard moves that he like to use with virgins. And Avalon had had too many good friends destroyed by his all-too-effective system of seduction, not to know his M.O.
Maggie blushed to her scalp.
“How romantic!” Velvet gushed.
“How’d you know that?” Viola asked suspiciously.
“I asked her advice.” Grey answered for her. The table stared. Everyone knew Grey and Avalon barely tolerated eachother and the notion that he’d go to her for romantic advice seemed more than far-fetched.
“It sounds perfect.” Jonah said gracefully. “Good thinking, asking for a young woman’s perspective.” His eyes found hers and she felt ashamed. She wanted to screw with Grey but she realized it wasn’t exactly fair to torment the poor girl he’d dragged into all this.
Maggie reached for her water goblet and somehow misjudged the distance because she knocked it over forcefully. “Oh!” She leapt up and began sopping it up as hastily as she could. Beside her Ben stood and added his napkin to the effort and soon Jonah and Grey were over there too. “I’m so sorry!” She was mumbling over and over.
“Nonsense!” Jonah soothed in that effortlessly comforting way of his. “It’s only water, don’t give it another thought!”
Ben was making small, friendly jokes, trying to get her to laugh, but he only managed to coax a smile. Avalon couldn’t quite hear over the hubbub of the table, everyone telling Maggie that it wasn’t a big deal, not to worry, don’t be silly, but it sounded as if he was telling her about the first family dinner he’d attended, which had been one minor catastrophe after another. God dammit but he was a nice guy. Sometimes he made her sick, he was so goddamn sweet all the time.
When Grey’d poured Maggie another glass from the water pitcher and resumed his seat, the table split off into separate conversations again.
“Avalon, honey?” Her mother called down the table to her after a few moments of chatter.
“Yes?”
“Wouldn’t now be a good time?”
Dammit. Avalon’s smile tightened and her eyed went cold. “Never better.” She replied flatly, and, with a half a glance at Grey’s glaring scowl she looked across the table at Maggie.
The girl laughed, at last, at something Ben had told her and he looked pleased as punch about it. “Maggie?” Avalon called across the table.
The girl’s newly found smile dimmed a little and she seemed to sit up a bit straighter. “Yes Avalon?—Do you like to be called Avalon, or do you have a nickname?” She said in a mildly apologetic sort of tone.
“Ava,” Ben answered “Or sometimes just Av.”
“Anything is fine.” Avalon said impatiently. “Maggie, Ben and I are getting married in the spring—“
“Congratulations, yes I heard!” The girl interrupted sweetly.
Avalon huffed softly but kept he pleasant smile in place. “Thank you—We’re getting married and of course, now that you’re family, we’d love for you to be part of the wedding party.” She finished, thinking she’d have rather chewed on glass. She didn’t even want goddamn Grey in the wedding, but she HAD to, how could she not?
Maggie’s already large eyes grew larger. “Oh—“
“Oh Maggie! A new daughter in the family!” Her mother exclaimed emotionally. The twins added their enthusiasm about the idea and Viola made some very angst-y comment about Maggie taking her place for her, and Grey cleared his throat.
“Thank you Avalon.” He said soberly. “Now I won’t have to suffer through every picture with Ellery on my arm.” He smiled snidely. Across the table Ben set his jaw, trying not to bristle at the comment directed at his sister and Avalon’s best friend in the world, who was to be her maid of honor.
Maggie nodded and mumbled something about what an honor it would be, and how touched she was, and Avalon forced herself to mostly reign-in her inner bitch for the remainder of the dinner. She didn’t trust Maggie, and she knew Grey was hiding something, something pretty big, but she decided, as she munched on asparagus, which she’d always hated and had always had to endure because it was one of Grey’s favorites, she decided that whatever the secret was it was making Grey’s life fairly uncomfortable and maybe even a little miserable, and while it needled her that she didn’t know what it was, the idea of her brother having to finally endure a life that wasn’t catered to his every whim and desire? She could get used to that.
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