Page 35 of I Knew You Were Trouble

I stare at him. I can’t give away that I have no idea, but Aidan is watching me. Heat warms the base of my neck.

I swallow. I’m going to have to guess. ‘Francois.’

J.B. leans back, a smirk on his face. ‘Non. Henri. Francois is my father’s name.’

My eyes flit to Duncan. He sips his beer, and gives me a look that says I have brought this all on myself. And he’s right, I did.

‘Question four,’ Ravi says. ‘When is my birthday?’

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, Rav,’ Aidan snaps. ‘You’re not supposed to make this easy on her.’

I ignore Aidan and look to Meredith. She gives me an encouraging nod.

‘Twenty-eighth of September.’

There isn’t even an acknowledgement that I’m right, Ravi just moves on.

‘And what are the names of my parents’ restaurants in Toronto?’

‘Rav!’ Aidan groans. ‘Seriously!’

‘The Mumbai Flyer and Bengal Dreams.’

‘Correct.’

‘That’s four outta five, Lex,’ Miller says.

It’s Cal’s turn again. ‘Question six, what’s Miller’s favourite dish? And you need to get all the elements right.’

My lips twitch, but I’m scared I’ll miss something out. ‘Buttermilk pancakes, with bacon, strawberries, squirty cream and chocolate sauce on top. And he won’t eat it if it has maple syrup because he doesn’t like maple syrup.’

‘Because he’s a heathen,’ Ravi adds.

‘She’s good,’ Miller concedes. ‘Five outta six. You gotta get three more right to stay.’

Duncan crosses his arms, moving closer. Meredith follows.

‘Question seven,’ Ravi says. ‘Who is older, Aidan or his sister Paige, and how many minutes are between them?’

I inhale. I’ve read the answer. ‘To the nearest minute?’ I ask.

‘To the nearest minute,’ Ravi confirms.

I pause. If I get this wrong, I’m screwed. ‘Aidan is older than Paige by seventeen minutes.’

‘Aid?’ Ravi says, looking to his bandmate.

I look to my right. His eyes have darkened. He grits his teeth. ‘Correct,’ he mutters.

I lightly punch my fist. Aidan shakes his head in disgust.

‘Next question, question eight,’ Miller says. ‘Which French soccer team does J.B. support?’

‘Too easy,’ Aidan complains.

‘Marseille,’ I say.

‘C’est vrais.’ J.B. smirks and I notice Meredith is grinning from ear to ear. ‘Question nine,’ J.B. continues. ‘What is the name of the beach where Cal lost his virginity?’

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