Page 83 of Swan Song

“Of course,” Kacy says.

Coco leads Kacy downstairs to the laundry room.

“Are there buckets for the ice or a cooler?” Kacy asks.

“Forget the ice. I want to talk about a couple of things.” Coco lowers her voice. “First of all, Lamont and I are sneaky-linking.”

Kacy nods. “I mean, yeah, I figured.”

“Nobody knows and nobody can know,” Coco says. “Leslee has a rule about her employees dating. We’ll both get fired.”

“So why do it?” Kacy asks. “Do you like him?”

“A lot,” Coco says. “I think…”

“What? That you’re in love with him?” Kacy asks.

Coco bites her bottom lip. “I’m not sure. Maybe. But, Kacy, you can’t tell anyone—not Eric, not Avalon, not your mom, not Delilah or Phoebe.” Coco holds Kacy’s gaze. “And there’s something else. When we were at the Box and I had your phone, I saw that you’ve been sending our selfies to Isla.”

Kacy’s mouth drops. “Oh my god. I am so mortified.”

“You sent her every single picture,” Coco says. “I thought you were documenting our summer together so you could make me a photo album, but really, you were using me as ammunition.”

Ammunition? Kacy thinks. She has messed this up so badly. “First of all, yes, I sent the selfies to Isla, and yes, I did it to make her jealous, and although I never specifically said we were together, that’s what I implied.” Kacy’s eyes are glassy with tears. “Because I’m in love with her and she promised me… then didn’t… but that doesn’t make any difference. I shouldn’t have used our pictures that way. It was gross, and I totally get it if you never want to hang with me again. I just need you to hear me say that I do genuinely care about you. You’re the best friend I’ve had this summer, the only friend I’ve had. Sending the pictures wasn’t calculated, Coco, I swear. It was something I did late at night during some desperate moments, and then, when it elicited the response from Isla that I wanted, I kept doing it.” Kacy feels physically sick. It is absolutely the most hideous feeling, fighting with your best friend. She wipes at her eyes. “I’m sorry, Coco. I hope you can forgive me.”

Coco isn’t sure what to say. She’s been away from the party too long; any second now, Leslee is going to text and ask where she is. “I have to go back upstairs,” she says. And she does.

Kacy has to decide: Stay or go? Her parents are her ride, so she’d have to call an Uber and wait for it in the pouring rain. To leave the party, she feels, would be running away. She heads back upstairs to sit in her discomfort.

Kacy bumps into Leslee, who says, “The buffet is ready, please start.” Kacy would really like another drink but Leslee ushers her into the dining room. There’s a tower of glistening golden spring rolls; there are platters of satay—beef, chicken, pork—with velvety peanut dipping sauce; there are individual cast-iron skillets of nasi goreng, each topped with a fried egg; there are rows of Chinese takeout boxes containing lobster dan dan noodles; and there’s a pyramid of shrimp burgers with sriracha mayo. The food is set up in tiers on top of banana leaves and garnished with tropical fruits and flowers, and all the guests start snapping pictures. Kacy would take pictures too except she’s decided she’s never taking pictures again.

She fills a plate and chooses a spot by herself on the curvy white sofa. A second later, Busy Ambrose plops down next to her.

“There you are, Kacy,” she says. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Busy Ambrose has been looking for her? Kacy barely knows the woman. They were introduced once by Phoebe, though of course Kacy knows who Busy is because everyone on the island knows who Busy is.

“You have?” Kacy says.

“My daughter, Stacy?” Busy says. She winds noodles around her chopsticks like a pro, and Kacy has to admit, she’s impressed. Kacy herself took a fork.

Kacy bites into a crispy spring roll. “Mmm-hmm?”

“She’s gay.” Busy whispers this like it’s a secret. Maybe it is a secret; Kacy isn’t sure how homosexuality is perceived at the Field and Oar Club. “And she’s coming for a visit next week. I thought maybe you two could meet.”

Kacy coughs. Her spring roll went down the wrong pipe. Is Busy Ambrose trying to set Kacy up with her daughter? Clearly she is. Then Kacy wonders: Is this such a bad thing? Kacy is presently low on friends, and sending the selfies to Isla, in the end, wasn’t that effective. Kacy hasn’t heard from Isla since the text saying there was something going on with Rondo.

Maybe Kacy should meet Stacy. Kacy and Stacy—they’d be such a meme.

Kacy says, “Here, take my number.” Then she excuses herself for the bar.

Delilah cleans her plate and considers going back for seconds. “Would anyone like more?” she asks.

Ed says, “I shouldn’t.”

“None of this food has any calories, Ed,” she says.

“I’ll have one more spring roll,” Andrea says. “Actually, maybe another cocktail instead.”

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