"I think we're in opposite rotations. I haven't talked to her, but she keeps scowling at me."
A caterer passed through the kitchen, fixing her cuff. She did a double take at Manning and stopped. I didn't blame her. In a short-sleeved black t-shirt, the way he'd crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps were front and center. "Anything I can help you find, sir?"
"Tup-"
I stood up straight. "We're fine."
She looked startled by my presence, then nodded and continued outside.
"Take it on easy on her, all right?" Manning said. "This isn't easy for her."
"The caterer?" I asked.
"Tiffany."
"Oh. You mean because one day of the year isn't about her?"
He jutted his chin at me. "The past year has been about this, Lake. This party, your future. Your sister feels invisible."
"Tiffany, invisible?" I laughed. "Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?"
He didn't even smile. He was seriously defending Tiffany to me.
"Whatever," I said, turning to hide my disappointment. This must've been how Tiffany had felt when Manning had scolded her at the Fun Zone. I didn't like it. I went to the pantry, grabbed a bag of chips, tore it open, and paused. My ears heated with my frustration. I whirled back to him. "It's not like I asked for all this," I said. "She hasn't even congratulated me once."
He glanced out the sliding glass door. "I'll talk to her, but it'd be good if you made more of an effort."
I went over to a cupboard. "Here." On my tiptoes, I tried to grab for plastic on the top shelf, but I couldn't reach. "You don't want to keep Clancy waiting."
Manning came up behind me, gently pressing his hips against me as he easily nabbed a container.
He was close. So close. His heat at my back melted my anger. I knew at any moment, he could take it away, so I asked, "How many?"
"How many what?" he asked, his voice low.
"Containers?" My throat sounded as dry as it felt. "Clancy looks like he eats a lot . . ."
"Not sure, but I can't reach any more. You'll have to move."
Move? I couldn't. I didn't even blink. I'd barely been in his presence ten seconds. I couldn't take it, catching a moment alone with him here and there, once every few weeks, months even. I wanted to soak this in. Manning stayed there, too. There was so much I wanted to know, so much to ask, but before I could, he put his hands on my hips. "Sorry, Birdy," he murmured, squeezing me gently before moving me out of the way himself.
He took down a stack of tubs and lids, and we turned at the same moment to find my dad across the island, looking at us.
"Lake, we need you outside," Dad said.
"I'll be right there."
"Now." His tone startled me. He'd been on cloud nine since the night of my honor roll ceremony, buying me USC gear and embarrassingly expensive electronics for my dorm, telling me how proud he was at every turn. After graduation, we'd all driven home for the party and found a black Range Rover in the driveway with a bow on top.
"Manning," Dad said as I slinked away, "let's you and me have a word when the party dies down. About the job."
"Yes, sir."
Job? What job? While trying to keep my eyes and ears on the kitchen, I walked right into a conversation between my aunt, uncle, and Tiffany.
"Fashion design, maybe," Tiffany said, beaming. "Or business. You can never go wrong with a business degree-"
"There you are, Lake." My dad's brother, Darryl, was more relaxed than my dad. He and my Aunt Roberta had driven down from Northern California just to watch me graduate.
My aunt wore silver bangles that chimed when she put her arm around my shoulder to pull me into the circle. "Look how tall you are. You girls have grown so much in the past couple years. How tall are you now, Lake?"
"Five-eight, I think."
"My word," Uncle Darryl said. "You might have to do some modeling on the side to help with that private tuition."
Tiffany's neck flushed. She was the model in the family, not me-God forbid there were two of us, even though we'd been mistaken last year for Niki and Krissy Taylor. Tiffany had taken it as a sign that she was supposed to be a model. Not me, though. "I'm almost five-eight, too," Tiffany snipped.
"Is that so?" my aunt asked. "Maybe Lake's legs are a bit longer. She gets that from your grandma."
I could've sworn Tiffany's head ballooned, and not with ego. Just as I braced myself for an explosion, Manning appeared at her side. He whispered something in her ear, and she took a breath. It was the first time in recent history, maybe ever, that Tiffany hadn't let her anger get the better of her and spat out a nasty comment.