Page 19 of Trick of Light

As Rod and Maxine sat down, a familiar face streamed out of the kitchen and smiled at him. “Rod! Hey!”

It was Ben, Doug’s roommate. Rod had seen him just yesterday when he’d gone to their house to check on them again. Ben grabbed two menus, placed them on the table before them, and smiled confusedly at Maxine.

“Maxine, this is Ben,” Rod stuttered, “and Ben, this is Maxine.”

They shook hands as Maxine’s smile widened. “I didn’t realize you knew people who worked here, Rod!”

“Rod knows everyone who works here!” Ben announced as Rod’s heart sank. “I can recommend the Bordeaux tonight if you’re interested in wine. And Rebecca made a special carbonara tonight. It’s exquisite, honestly.”

“The Bordeaux sounds nice,” Rod said as Maxine shrugged. He wanted a glass of wine to calm his nerves. He yearned to return to the bubbling goodwill of the earlier part of their date.

When Ben returned to the kitchen, Maxine gave Rod a confused smile. “You know everyone who works here?”

“I’m sure I don’t know everyone,” Rod offered. “But it’s a small island. I grew up here. You know how it is.”

After Ben poured their glasses of wine, Rod and Maxine were allowed a few minutes of normalcy. They chatted about the decorations in the restaurant, Esme’s commitment to veterans (which was displayed with a photograph of the members of the Sutton Book Club Veteran Dinner), and Rod’s work.

For a little while, Rod thought everything was going smoothly. That they were going to eat dinner, perhaps have some dessert, and maybe hold hands on their walk back to their cars.

Instead, Rebecca Sutton stepped out of the kitchen, dried her hands on her apron, and stared at Rod as though he were a ghost.

Rod’s heart thrummed in his chest as she approached. Maxine noticed his change and muttered, “Rod? Are you okay?” She refilled his water and urged him to drink it.

“I’m fine. Really,” Rod muttered before turning to look up at Rebecca.

“Rod. Hey.” Rebecca looked just as nervous as Rod felt.

“Rebecca, hello.” Rod’s voice sounded false. “This is a beautiful restaurant. Congratulations.”

Rebecca’s lips twitched. “Thank you. I, um. I didn’t know you still lived around here. I’ve been back for a while and haven’t run into you.”

“I just got back, too,” Rod explained. “I was at the University of Massachusetts, finishing my degree.”

“Wow. Congratulations,” Rebecca said.

Maxine glared at Rod fully. He knew the exchange with Rebecca was terribly awkward. More than that, Rod hadn’t warned Maxine about his connection to the Sutton Book Club prior to their entry. He was proving himself to be a skeezy character. His cheeks were warm with embarrassment.

Another figure emerged from the kitchen and raised her hand to wave. It was Esme, and her smile was telling—soft and sad.

“Hi, Esme,” Rod said, stumbling to his feet to shake her hand.

After a terrible pause, he said, “I was so sorry to hear about Larry.”

Esme’s hand felt very small in his. She bit her lip and said, “Thank you, Rod. And thank you for coming in. It’s been a while.” Her face was filled with pain as she added, “That daughter of yours seems special. And your darling grandson! I see them at the park sometimes when I go for walks.”

The air between them was taut with tension. Slowly, Rod returned to his seat and wrapped his hand around the stem of his wineglass.

“We’ll come back out after dinner,” Esme assured him, “so we can catch up a bit more.”

“Wonderful,” Rod said, tugging his hair as Maxine’s eyes practically bore holes through him. “Looking forward.”

After Rebecca and Esme disappeared in the kitchen, Rod forced himself to look up at Maxine. She was pale. She sipped her wine and then dabbed her lips with the linen napkin.

“Rod?” Maxine began tentatively. “What the heck is going on?”

Rod stuttered. He’d known Maxine for two hours and the Suttons for most of his life. How could he possibly explain the intricacies of their relationship? How could he tell her everything that had happened in a way that wouldn’t freak her out?

“I told you,” Rod said, “I was raised on the island. I know just about everyone.”

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