Over the next two hours, plates of food arrived and disappeared, wine replaced cocktails, and conversation sparkled between us. Wit and attractiveness must be Whitney family characteristics.

I told her a lot about Daddy and how his motto was “women don’t belong in the kitchen.”

“So, you don’t cook?” I shook my head. She continued: “I wish I could get Mr. Monroe to adopt that motto.” It took me a minute to figure out she was referring to her husband. Now, that was someone I would love to meet after meeting the wife. We fell into relaxed conversation. She peppered me with questions like I was the subject of one of her magazine articles. Through our conversations, I understood her profession better. I understood how Annabel got people to tell her personal things like what they ate after sex.

“Favorite vacation?” she asked. I told her that some families may take beach trips, some may visit national parks, but mine wined and dined our way through a city. “Ironically, my favorite family trip was when I graduated from high school and all of us, including Griffin, went to New York. I think that solidified my desire to move there. The food was heavenly and exotic to me.” I smiled, unearthing a treasured memory. My father had been in his prime then, not lost in a quicksand of brain inertia.

“That begs the question, what’s your favorite New York restaurant?”

That was easy for me. “I love the whimsy of cotton candy being served at a fancy restaurant like The Four Seasons. But my favorite all-around for food, flowers, ambiance, and the clever names of dishes has to be Bouley. We went to lunch there on that trip. I couldn’t decide between the porcini flan and braised branzino. Who comes up with a name like porcini flan anyway? It impressed me that the waiter brought me both saying, ‘A young lady should never have to decide,’ so I had about ten courses that day. That man has to be a fucking genius to come up with clever names to match his exquisite dishes. It was at his old place, not the new one. But I love the new one too.” Had I revealed too much? I suddenly became cautious. I allowed myself to dive into the memories of that trip as Annabel talked about her many New York experiences.

Back then, prom had just happened. Griffin and I had just happened. How we were able to peel away moments to be together still escapes me. Being the only girl and having my own room helped. I smiled. It juxtaposed the way I ended my New York adventure with Elliott. As we parted, Annabel insisted we must do this again.