Page 89 of Forty, Flirty & Framed

"It's brilliant," she declares."I'll call Mrs.Peters immediately.What's her number?"

"I don't have her number."

"Not to worry.I'll get it from Alana.That girl can find anything."

Before I can protest further, she's hung up.

I stare at my phone, wondering how I've lost control of this situation so completely.

Then again, when it comes to Fiona, control was always an illusion.

I text Karina immediately:

Change of plans.Fiona is hijacking dinner.Brace for impact.

Her response comes seconds later:

KARINA:WHAT??Explain immediately!

ME:Apparently I have an unmovable meeting.Fiona offered to host at my penthouse and wouldn't take no for an answer

Three dots flash on the screen.Then vanish.And suddenly…

KARINA:We're doomed.My mother + your grandmother = apocalypse.I'm buying extra wine.

She's not wrong.

---

By some miracle, I finish the quarterly review by 8:45 PM, just as dessert should be starting.

I take the elevator up to my penthouse with the same trepidation I'd feel entering a minefield.

When the doors open, I'm greeted not by catastrophe, but by the sound of laughter—specifically, my grandmother's distinctive cackle mingling with what must be Karina's mother's rich, melodious chuckle.

The dining room table has been cleared of dinner debris and now holds a spread of desserts.

Seated around it are Fiona, looking smugly pleased.

There’s also a silver-haired man I assume is Dr.Finnegan, Karina's mother Nadine, her eyes bright with amusement, and three dark-haired women who could only be the Peters sisters.

A pre-teen girl who must be Charlie sits cross-legged on the floor, engrossed in her phone.

No sign of Karina.

"Ah, there he is!"Fiona announces."The man himself."

All eyes turn to me.

I resist the urge to check if my tie is straight.

"Good evening, everyone.I apologize for missing dinner."

"Your grandmother made sure we didn't miss you," says one of the sisters—the youngest, I think, with streaks of purple in her hair.Susanna, if I remember correctly."She has an excellent slideshow of baby pictures."

"She what?"I stare at Fiona, who sips her tea with the serenity of a woman who knows exactly what chaos she's causing.

"Oh yes," confirms the eldest sister—Viktoria, with the sharp bob and sharper eyes."We particularly enjoyed the ones of you in the bathtub with the rubber duck collection."