Page 64 of The Main Event

Now it was my turn to make a face. “What does James Bond have to do with anything?”

“He was a spy.”

“Oh.” I considered it for several seconds. “You know darned well that you’re not suave enough to be James Bond, right? You’re more like Inspector Gadget.”

Levi looked appalled. “That is the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

I wasn’t in the mood to smile, but one made it to my lips unbidden all the same. “Just get whatever information you can. I’ll track you down after I have dinner with my parents.”

“You’re going to drink with us?” Levi looked a little too intrigued at the notion.

“No, I am not. I’ll text you and you can meet me outside somewhere so we can exchange information.”

“That’s definitely not how James Bond would do it.”

“Somehow I think you’ll survive.”

“I can still look as cool as James Bond, though, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

MY FATHER WAS BUYING TONIGHT, SOhe went upscale when selecting the restaurant. My mother swore her marriage to my father wouldn’t have survived even if she hadn’t realized she was a lesbian because my father was not the sort of man who could just eat a hot dog for lunch. He needed an option for rabbit and ten types of side salads.

I’d always laughed at the description, but she wasn’t wrong. My father liked things fancy … and that included the woman sitting at the table with him and my mothers when I walked through the front door of Ledger.

I saw them before they saw me. The woman—she was younger than my father, but not as young as me, which was a relief—sat between him and Rosie. It was obvious they’d arranged the seating at the table, so the only open spot was between my mother and father. This was an attempt by them to control the situation.

All I could think was that I didn’t need this. I had enough going on in my life that this felt like too much. I mean … even his girlfriend was fancy. She had blond hair pulled back in anornate bun—seriously, that bun looked like it had taken longer to do than my entire Halloween costume—and she stared at my father with the sort of open adoration that had my stomach constricting.

I shouldn’t have been upset—I was an adult after all—but I couldn’t help it. All I kept thinking was that I didn’t like change. I didn’t want another change.

Because I was so surprised, I didn’t move. Instead, I pulled out my phone and immediately called Levi. He picked up on the third ring.

“I said I would try to get whatever information I can.” Levi sounded sullen. “Why are you torturing me?”

“She’s here,” was all I could say.

“Who? Your mom? Isn’t she always there?”

“No.” I was breathless. “The other one. The one we were joking about. It… I… I mean…” Why was this happening to me? I wasn’t prepared. Normally, I would take something like this in stride. Yet here I was panicking about my father, a grown man, having a girlfriend.

“Your dad brought a date?” Levi sounded as if he was practically salivating. “What does she look like? Is she blond? I bet she’s blond.”

He was killing me. “Levi, what am I supposed to do? You know I can’t deal with more change right now.”

“Is that what’s really fueling all of this?” he asked in a soft voice.

“All of what? I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re freaking out about your dad’s date, but that’s not what you’re upset about. This is all about George, and in some weird way it’s about Jax, too. I haven’t figured out how it involves Jax, but I will. You have my word.”

He was on my last nerve. “Let the Jax stuff go.”

“No. I know something happened the night of the party. I’m not an idiot. I have every intention of getting him drunk and finding out what that something is tonight. That’s your payback for making me be Inspector Gadget.”

“Whatever.” I couldn’t deal with Jax right now. That would have to wait. “What am I supposed to do here?”

---