Denise Lambert Timeline & Summary
MoreDenise Lambert Timeline & Summary
- Denise is the youngest of the three Lambert children.
- She spends a summer working with her father at the Midland Pacific Railroad. She works hard and is liked by pretty much everybody she works with—everybody except Don Armour.
- Denise is seduced by Don Armour, an older coworker at Midland Pacific.
- The Midpac is purchased by the Wroths at the end of that summer. Although Alfred initially accepts a job with the new company, he suddenly decides to turn down the job without explaining why.
- Denise moves to Philly and falls in love with cooking. She becomes a chef, and even marries one, though their marriage ends in a divorce after Denise decides she is attracted to women.
- She gets together with a coworker named Becky immediately after the divorce. The relationship doesn't last long, however.
- Soon after the break up, Denise gets a call from a man named Brian Callahan. He wants to open up a new chic restaurant called the Generator with Denise as his head chef.
- Brian wants to take Denise on a food-tasting trip to Europe, but Denise, knowing that he's hitting on her, asks to meet his family.
- Denise visits his home the following weekend, where she meets Brian's wife, Robin Passafaro, and their two daughters.
- Denise has a miserable time in Europe, and although Denise isn't terribly attracted to Brian, she becomes upset when he doesn't make any moves on her.
- After a few days, he finally pulls her into his hotel room and starts to kiss her. Denise stops him when she can't stop thinking about Robin.
- Denise gets to work when she returns. On a whim, Denise calls Robin and asks her if she can visit the Garden Project, an urban garden that Robin runs.
- Robin is still cold to Denise—until Denise tells her that she isn't into men. Robin immediately becomes friendly and the two women bond.
- Denise spends the next few months seducing Robin, and it finally works.
- Their affair becomes hot and heavy, and Denise has never felt for someone like she does for Robin.
- Ultimately, they're forced to break up after Brian almost catches them mid-coitus.
- The Generator is doing really well, however—the food is receiving rave reviews from major publications.
- One night, Brian invites Denise to a big Hollywood party and they end up sleeping together. Denise is startled awake by a pounding on the door; it's Robin, tearfully begging to come inside.
- Although Denise convinces her to leave, Robin sees Brian's car across the street and storms into Denise's bedroom.
- Brian comes down a few minutes later and fires Denise.
- Denise sinks into a deep depression. Robin forgives her, but Denise becomes emotionally abusive and their relationship falls apart once again.
- Denise heads back to St. Jude for Christmas.
- While caring for Alfred during one of his intense hallucinations, Denise hears him rambling about a man that sounds a lot like Don Armour. He keeps on talking about something on the bottom of his desk.
- So Denise goes into his lab and looks under the desk; sure enough, she sees a few words carved into the wood: " DA <3 DL."
- It turns out that Don Armour blackmailed Alfred into quitting so Don could take his job. Denise is crushed by the revelation.
- Once Christmas is over, Denise moves to Brooklyn and works at a new restaurant.