The production team walked them through the blocking of the different steps in the lobster macaroni and cheese they would be preparing. They would work as a team to create the dish, while each gave a different cooking tip or snippet into their everyday lives.
“What we’re looking for,” Todd said to Dante, “is for you to be yourself. Talk to the camera as if you were talking to one of your friends. Engage. Engage. Engage.”
Dante nodded.
Just as he was about to walk on set, Ian, Sage, Malik and Quentin showed up in the television studio.
“What are you all doing here?” he asked, looking back and forth at his family. He’d mentioned the taping during Sunday dinner, but hadn’t expected them to show up.
“Did you think we’d miss your big debut?” Sage said. She knew Dante had asked her to stay out of his business, but she couldn’t resist being there to share his big moment and once she’d told Quentin and Malik they were in agreement.
“Sage is right,” Malik said. He’d even dressed up for the occasion by pulling his dreads back in a ponytail and wearing slacks and a polo shirt instead of his usual jeans and dashiki.
Quentin was no different. His bald head looked freshly shaven and he was wearing a pullover sweater and dark jeans. “We’re not here to get in the way,” Quentin began. “We’re just here to support you.”
Adrianna came up behind Dante and touched his shoulder. “You’re lucky to have your family here, so enjoy it. Some of us are not so lucky.”
“Oh, I’m not upset,” Dante protested, smiling at his family. “Just happily surprised. Now step back so we can get to work.”
“Break a leg.” Sage gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“Thanks, kiddo.”
“So are you ready to begin?” Todd asked, coming forward. “We are on a tight schedule.” He glanced down at his watch.
“Absolutely,” Adrianna and Dante said almost in unison.
“Ever the taskmaster,” Ian commented from the sidelines. “Let’s go.” He ushered Sage and the rest of the group to the back of the studio.
Dante and Adrianna walked on set and took their places.
“All right.” The director gave the signal. “We’re taping in one, two, three…”
“Welcome to Easy Entertaining. I’m Dante Moore.”
“And I’m Adrianna Wright.” Adrianna smiled at the camera.
“And we’ll be showing you how to turn a simple meal into a knockout with your family and friends,” Dante said, reading from the cue cards.
“Today, we’ll be making lobster macaroni and cheese,” Adrianna added. “It’s a simple dish, but has lots and lots of flavor.”
The taping continued smoothly with Adrianna focusing on chopping the shallots and garlic for the cheese base while Dante sautéed the shallots and garlic in some butter.
“Add some salt and ground black pepper for taste.” Adrianna came over to the stove and added pinches of each to the pot. “Isn’t that right, Dante?”
“That’s perfect, Adrianna.” Dante glanced at her. She was doing well and didn’t seem nervous anymore. He knew she could do it because the kitchen was her element. “Then you add five tablespoons of flour as a thickening agent. What we’re looking for here is a smooth texture in your cheese sauce,” he said as he whisked the ingredients before adding white wine and heavy cream to the mix. After she’d boiled the pasta, Adrianna joined Dante and the stove, topping off his sauté with some paprika and cayenne pepper for seasoning.
“It’s going to give your mac-and-cheese that extra kick,” Dante stated, jabbing his fists at the screen, “by adding a depth of flavor and earthiness.”
They finished as a team by dicing up the lobster and shredding the sharp white cheddar and Gruyère cheese before adding them and the penne pasta to the sauce and placing it in a casserole dish.
“To give it texture, I’m going to add some panko bread crumbs and fresh parsley.” Adrianna sprinkled both across the top of the casserole.
“Then you put it in the oven on three hundred fifty degrees,” Dante said. “And voilà. Lobster macaroni and cheese. For my extended family, I’ve found that this recipe is sure to please even the most discerning palate for Sunday dinner.”
When it was done, Dante took the casserole out of the oven and spooned some onto a small plate. Adrianna came over with two forks and they each took a bite.
“Hmm, delicious…” Dante stated, rolled his eyes upward. “This has just the right creaminess thanks to the different cheeses.”
“And the right amount of spice thanks to the paprika and cayenne pepper seasoning,” Adrianna responded.
“As you can see you don’t have to be a chef to complete the recipes we’ll be showing you on Easy Entertaining. All you need is a desire to cook and fresh ingredients,” Dante concluded, and he and Adrianna both smiled broadly.
“And cut!” the director yelled.
“That was perfect,” Ian said from the sidelines. “I knew I made the right decision when I hired you both. That taping was great.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Todd stated. “It had the right balance of naturalness while still giving cooking tips.”
“It was better than perfect,” Sage gushed as Dante came off set. “You were magnificent.” She rushed over to give Dante a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Yeah, man, you were great on camera,” Quentin added. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a couple of shots of you in the kitchen.” He held up his camera perched around his neck and glanced in Ian’s direction for approval. “I would of course be willing to sell them to CRAZE for your promotion of the new show.”
CRAZE was a lifestyle magazine that Lawrence Enterprises had launched last year and Quentin had already sold several photos to the publication.
“That sounds like a fine idea, Quentin. You have my permission.” Ian nodded.
“Where would you like us?” Dante asked, including Adrianna in the “us.” She was the second half of the team and he wasn’t going to let his family exclude her because they weren’t happy about their renewed relationship.
“Of course.” Quentin nodded. He’d heard the tone in Dante’s voice and knew he didn’t appreciate the exclusion even if it was an oversight on his part. “Let’s take some test shots behind the counter.”
“No problem.” Dante and Adrianna returned to the set.
Quentin took several shots of the pair in front of the counter and near the stove. “Think I’ve got it,” he said after a short while. “You’re both naturally photogenic. The camera loves you.”
“I’m banking on that,” Ian said.
“How about we go celebrate?” Malik spoke up. “It’s not every day our brother becomes a household name.”
Dante laughed at the pronouncement. “I’m not there yet.”
“But you will be,” Malik returned.
“That sounds like a fine idea,” Sage replied.
“How about my place?” Quentin suggested.
“Does Avery even cook?” Dante inquired.
“Very funny.” Quentin chuckled. “We can order in. Would 6:00 p.m. work for everyone?”
“Fine with me. See you all there,” Sage and Malik agreed on their way out.
After everyone had left, Adrianna and Dante hung back on set. They were both quiet, silently soaking up the moment.
“That was pretty amazing, wasn’t it?” Dante finally said after several long minutes.
“It was.” Adrianna hadn’t felt nervous at all because as soon as she glanced over at those compelling brown eyes or the confident set of Dante’s shoulders, she’d eased and breezed through the taping.
“I couldn’t have done it without you.” Dante brought her hand up to his and kissed it and released it quickly before anyone saw him. “And wouldn’t want to.”
In just a short time, the feelings he’d felt for Adrianna had been resurrected. He was trying to push them down because his mind cautioned him to take things slowly.
He’d risked his heart with her before and nearly lost his soul forever.
“Me, too.” Her eyes were bordered with tears.
Chapter 9
When Dante and Adrianna made it to Quentin and Avery’s town house on the Upper East Side, the celebration was already in full swing. Sage, Quentin, Avery, Malik and Peyton were already there.
As he walked in, Dante was still surprised that Quentin had chucked his loft for a town house, but he guessed that’s what happened when a man got married and started a family. His priorities changed. Dante wanted the same one day. He didn’t know if that would happen with Adrianna or with someone else but he wanted a family. He wanted someone to love him unconditionally, for better for worse and who wouldn’t leave.
The town house was elegantly decorated with Avery’s touch in classic muted tones, but yet had Quentin’s flare. His colorful photographs were remarkably decorated throughout the downstairs and gave the décor punch.
Several bottles of champagne and glasses were already set out on the dining-room glass table. The dining-room set was classic black-and-white and it looked like several of his favorite appetizers from Dante’s were on display for the family to nibble on.
“Did Sage call you to arrange this?” Dante asked Avery as she carefully arranged each platter on the table. She was a perfectionist very much like him.
“Who else?” Avery asked.
Dante shook his head. Sage certainly knew how to take charge. It was one of the many things he loved about her. Dante strolled over to give Sage a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, my dear.”
“For what?”
“For getting all my favorite food here.” He motioned to the table.
“You’re welcome.” She gave him a pat on the behind. “Don’t you know I’d do anything for you?”
“I do. Where’s Ian?” Dante asked, glancing around.
“He’s running a little behind, but he’ll be here.”
“To the man of the hour.” Malik came forward to give Dante a flute of champagne.
Malik noticed Adrianna standing alone by the dining-room doorway. She looked uneasy in a roomful of people, some of which she’d once called friends, so he handed her a glass of champagne. “And to the lady of the hour.”
“Thank you, Malik.” Adrianna smiled as she accepted the glass with shaking fingers. She hadn’t been nervous during the taping of the show that had been a walk in the park compared to this. Being around Dante’s family who were clearly ambivalent about her presence in his life was disconcerting. If she left, no one would probably even notice.
“They did a fabulous job, baby.” Quentin squeezed his svelte wife, Avery, as he came to her side. After a few short months, she’d already lost all her baby weight. “You should have seen them. They made cooking in front of a bunch of cameras seem effortless.”
“Well, what can I say?” Dante leaned back. “I have a gift.”
“Oh, someone’s getting a big head now.” Adrianna chuckled from the sidelines.
“He deserves it,” Sage pronounced, channeling her gaze in Adrianna’s direction. “He’s worked hard for everything he’s earned.”
The group suddenly became silent at the implication that Adrianna had not had to work for the opportunity she’d earned.
Despite Sage’s comment, Adrianna maintained a stiff upper lip for the rest of the evening. She stayed close to Dante’s side, nibbling on appetizers and drinking champagne, but she was never fully comfortable.
The situation became much worse when Avery brought out her three-month-old baby girl, Bella.
“How’s my goddaughter?” Dante asked, taking Bella from Avery’s arms and holding the infant in the crook of his arm. He just loved holding the little girl. Whenever he held her he felt hope for the future and knew that anything was possible.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Avery asked, turning to Adrianna. Like any new mother, she was absolutely biased where her daughter was concerned.
Avery looked up and noticed the grief-stricken look on Adrianna’s face. “Are you okay?” Avery asked.
Adrianna shook her head, unable to speak. Just seeing the baby brought up all the old emotions, all the guilt she felt at losing her and Dante’s child. They should have had a little boy or girl of their own with Dante’s light brown eyes and her smile, but because of her lies that precious gift had been taken away and she’d never fully recovered from the loss.
Adrianna watched Dante coo and make baby noises at Bella and felt a tug of guilt so strong she had to look away. She couldn’t let him see how deeply affected she was.
As if she sensed her weakness from across the room, Sage focused on Adrianna’s response to Bella and commented, “Do you have a problem with babies?”
Dante glowered at her. “Why would you ask something like that? Of course Adrianna doesn’t have a problem with little Bella here.” Dante took Bella’s tiny hand in his and watched the infant grab hold of one of his fingers.
Adrianna watched the pure joy that crossed Dante’s face at just holding his goddaughter. She could only imagine how he would have been as a father. He would have been warm and loving and completely unlike her own father, but she’d denied him that chance. “Excuse me, something is in my eye.” Adrianna lowered her head. “Where’s the powder room?”
“Down the hall and to the left,” Avery offered and Adrianna quickly rushed off.
“Sage!” Dante whispered and Sage mouthed “What?”
“I’ll go,” Avery said and headed toward the powder room.
Dante pointed a finger at Sage for her to come toward him. He couldn’t believe how insensitive she was being. “I warned you.”
“I only asked if she had a problem with babies. What’s her deal?”
“Don’t be mad at Sage.” Quentin stepped forward to her defense. “You know she can’t help herself.”
“Well, she should try harder,” Dante said, bouncing baby Bella in his arms. “Adrianna is a permanent fixture in my life for the immediate future.”
“I realize that,” Sage returned. “But forgive me if I’m a little bit apprehensive of Adrianna’s intentions toward you.”
“I thank you for caring, but enough with the warnings. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now.”
“Yeah, you have,” Quentin replied. “But we’ve always had each other’s backs. It took you a long time to recover from Adrianna’s deception before and we just want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“No one can predict the future.”
“No, we can’t,” Sage added, “but we can caution you when you’re walking in front of a speeding train…to hang back. Did you see how she reacted around Bella?” Sage nodded to his goddaughter. “She was visibly shaken. Why is that? What is she hiding?”
“Sage, trust me.” Dante glanced at the doorway. “I have some reservations, but I can’t live my life in fear of what might happen. I just have to live life.”
Quentin nodded. “I hear you.”
“Sage, you’re just going to have to accept that I know what’s best for me and your behavior toward Adrianna can’t continue.”
“Fine.” Sage folded her arms across her chest. Her gut instinct as a lawyer told her that something was off with Adrianna. She had intended to find out sooner, but had gotten too caught up with one of her cases, but there was no better time than the present to find out exactly what Adrianna was trying to hide. Sage stepped away privately to call the detective her firm kept on retainer. Patrick Kelly picked up on the second ring. “Patrick, I need you to do me a favor.”
“Are you okay?” Avery asked Adrianna from the other side of the powder-room door.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Sage wasn’t too nice,” Avery responded.
On the other side of the door, Adrianna blotted her eyes with a tissue from her purse. “No kidding.”
“Please open the door, Adrianna. I’d like to talk to you.”
Adrianna glanced at
her reflection in the mirror. She looked a wreck. Her cheeks were stained red and her eyes were slightly puffy from crying. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.
Avery grabbed her hand. “C’mon, let’s go to the kitchen. It’ll be quiet there.” Adrianna followed behind her, but stopped at the doorway.
“Why are you being nice to me?” Was she just trying to reel her in so she could throw her back to the sharks?
“Because…I know how hard the gang can be on outsiders,” Avery responded, leaning against the island in the center of the kitchen. “Trust me, I know. When I had a difference of opinion with Malik about my biological father, it nearly destroyed his and Quentin’s relationship, which I never, ever wanted. So, it wasn’t smooth sailing for me, either, but somehow you’ve got to find a way to make peace with them.”
“How do I do that?” Adrianna asked, pacing the floor as she wrung her hands. “They hate me.”
“They don’t hate you,” Avery replied. “They don’t trust you. There’s a difference.”
Adrianna rolled her eyes. “You could have fooled me.”
“Take my advice,” Avery said. “The best thing you can do to prove them wrong is show them just how much you love Dante. The rest will fall into place.”
Love Dante? Heck, she’d loved Dante her entire adulthood—that wasn’t the problem. It was the lies she’d told that could come back to haunt her that threatened to destroy what they had. Just seeing Bella today had proven that. “You make it sound so easy.”
“It is.” Avery flashed a smile. “I had a rocky start with this family, too, but eventually they accepted me and they will accept you in time.”
Adrianna touched her arm. “Thank you, Avery.”
“You’re welcome.”
When she returned to the party, all eyes were on Adrianna and she felt like a deer in the headlights. Sage was the first to approach her.
“Listen, I’m sorry,” Sage said. She could feel Dante’s eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. She didn’t want to be at odds with him, especially over Adrianna, so she would do whatever was necessary to prove she could be civil. “I was unforgivably rude and I apologize.”
Two to Tango Page 11