Page 38 of A Night to Remember

“Look,” he says, taking a step closer to me. I want to back away from him, but, perhaps stupidly, stand my ground. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but Gabe’s been through a lot.”

“Iknow?—”

“And he needs to get back on his feet, not waste time with someone like you.”

“Someone like me? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t play dumb,” he huffs. “You know very well that he should marry someone from the Kentwood fifteen. Or at least someone from a… similar family somewhere else. Not someone who’s about two weeks from being homeless.” He gives me a nasty smirk.

“Fuckyou,” I snarl, seriously considering squirting ketchup in his eye. I am deeply insulted. And also deeply alarmed that Adam, like Meg, is assuming that my fling with Gabe is anything more than just that. I cross my arms and take a deep breath. “For your information, I have no intention of marrying anyone.”

I see something like relief in his eyes. He takes a step back.

“So you’ll stay away from him, then?”

“I never promised that,” I snap. This isn’t just contrariness. I have spent the entire morning slipping back to my purse to check my phone for his texts, which probably explains the ketchup emergency out front. I can still feel his lips on my skin. The thought ofnotseeing him again is almost as scary as anything Meg or Adam has insinuated.

Anger flashes across Adam’s face again. “If it’s money you want—” he chokes out.

“Money?” I almost laugh in disbelief. “I don’t wantyourmoney. I just want to keep a little more ofmymoney, which as far as I understand I’m entitled to do.”

“Listen,” he says, in an obvious effort to remain calm, “If you promise to leave him alone, I’d be willing to?—”

“I don’t want your money,” I repeat through clenched teeth. “Now if you’ll please get out of my way, I have work to do.” I try to get past him again, but he’s not backing down. I feel my heart start to thump in my chest. But before I have to shout for help, Jeff the cook appears at my elbow.

“Everything all right, K?” he asks casually. He leans against the wall of the narrow hallway, staring Adam down. Jeff is shorter than Adam, but he’s wiry and tough, his body stained and pockmarked by DIY tattoos and piercings. He grins at Adam, revealing teeth that have been seriously compromised by his life choices. He exudes a kind of feral energy. Most likely the worst thing Adam would have done is whip out a checkbook, but now, with Jeff in the mix, it feels like anything could happen in this hallway. Adam seems to sense this. He sizes Jeff up, like he’s calculating the probability of Jeff having a shiv in his pocket. He takes another step back, almost involuntarily, and nearly bumps into Meg.

“Mr. Wilson!” she says cheerfully. “So nice of you to come in today. Unfortunately, the health department won’t let us have guests in the kitchen. So if you’re done paying your compliments to our chef, can I invite you to rejoin your family in the dining room?”

Adam takes one last look at me, then allows Meg to lead him back to his table.

“Thanks,” I say in a shaky voice to Jeff.

“No problem,” he says, gracing me with his ruined smile. “Besides,” he adds with a wink, “I figure it’s in my best interest to be nice to a girl who’s dating a lawyer.”

19

Gabe

Tryingto meet up with Kayla is proving difficult. For starters, she worksallthe time. She won’t let me come toherhouse because she claims her mom will hear wedding bells if I’m there just to hang out. Andmyhouse isn’t an option because I want to spare her my snoopy, snobby family. Meanwhile, I’m desperate to see her. We spend all of Sunday, Monday,andTuesday exchanging texts. But because of Kayla’s schedule, there are often long lulls between her responses. Sometimes I have no choice but to Google “Star Wars controversies” in order to provoke a reaction:

So Greedo definitely shot first, right?

OMG NO, Han TOTALLY shot first, what is the point of him transforming from a scoundrel to a hero if he’s basically a hero to begin with?! WE NEED CHARACTER ARCS PEOPLE

Jar Jar Binks: lovable source of comic relief, or spectacular error in judgment?

If you ever want a repeat of Saturday night, you had better already know the answer to that question

“New girlfriend?” Nancy asks with a smirk as she drops some paperwork on my desk on Wednesday. I had been thisclose to telling Kayla exactly how much I want a repeat of Saturday night, so I can’t help but blush and guiltily stash my phone the minute the receptionist walks in. Which is all the confirmation she needs. She grins at me.

“Couldn’t’ve happened to a better guy. I hope she’s a keeper.”

“Who’s a keeper?” Mark pokes his head out of his office.

“Gabe’s got a girl,” Nancy calls to him.

“I don’t—she’s not—we’re just—” I have no idea how to finish any of these sentences. Kayla and I rekindled our friendship and fell into bed together at more or less the same moment. I’d love to call her my girlfriend, but seeing how she ghosted me for eight years the last time I tried to move things forward, I’m inclined to go slow now. Though Mark and Nancy are acting like they’ve just received our wedding invitations.

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