“Okay, I helped with dinner, Uncle Louie, so you gotta like it,” she announces.
I don’t stick around to hear what else is said. I find Antonia in the kitchen. “Hey, Sammie turned up with Lailani. Did you know she was coming? Need me to call down to the kitchen for an extra plate?”
“Oh, I invited her,” Antonia replies. “Jazzy wanted her here. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s your home. You can invite whomever you want, babe.”
“I’m glad you said that, because Professor George is stopping over tomorrow for a private tutoring session,” she tells me as she pours a few glasses of whiskey.
Private tutoring?
“Great, I’ll get my lesson plan ready. I’ve been waiting to teach someone this medieval torturing technique I read up on. It’ll be the hands-on kind of lesson.” I smirk.
“I was joking, and you can’t kill my professors,” Antonia huffs.
“Actually, I can. But because you asked so nicely, I won’t. Unless he gives me a reason to.” I pick up the tray of drinks. “Ilove you. This dinner, whatever you’re stressed about, it’s going to be fine.”
“I just want it to be perfect. I don’t want to embarrass you,” she says.
“Antonia, you are one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. Having you as my wife is an honor. I’d never be embarrassed of you.”
“Thank you. I know it’s ameproblem and not ayouthing. It’s just… I don’t know… My self-esteem took a blow and it’s hard to move on from that sometimes,” she explains.
“It is my problem. It’s my fault. I did this to you. And I’m sorry. I really am. Whenever you doubt anything, just ask, Antonia. I will never lie to you again. I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Now, are you ready to throw the best damn dinner party Vegas has ever seen?” I ask her.
“I am.” She smiles. “Oh, Charlotte mentioned that Evie’s in town. I invited her too. I thought she would have tagged along with Charlotte and Louie, though.”
“We’re going to need an extra place setting.” I groan, already knowing that if Evie is going to be here, then Emmanuel likely isn’t too far behind her.
“Why?”
“Trust me. You’ll see.”
By the time we get out to the dining room, Jazzy is telling everyone about her new school and how she gets to wear a uniform.
“Is it an all-girls school?” Louie asks.
“What does that mean?” I hear Jazzy say.
“It means boys aren’t allowed to go there,” Louie tells her.
“Nope, there were boys. But it’s okay. Antonia told me that boys don’t have germs,” Jazzy proclaims.
“Antonia told you that, did she?” Louie looks at my wife.
“Louie, stop telling my daughter bullshit.” I set the tray of drinks down on the table. Which is now almost full. Antonia’s friends Luna and Georgia are sitting at one end, talking to Charlotte and Lailani.
“It’s not bullshit. Boys do have germs. But you don’t need to worry, princess, because I have guns.” Louie smiles. “Any boy who goes near you has to get through me first.”
“Charlotte, give this one his own kid already, please,” I groan.
“Sure, I’ll get right onto making that happen.” Charlotte rolls her eyes at me.
“I’m not opposed to making it happen,” Louie says. “Jazzy could use some cousins.”
