Page 146 of The Hunt

Ev’s theory was correct. The Wilder app on my father’s phone appeared to be filled with files that my own app didn’t contain. I scrolled to the very bottom, where an ‘Export to new device via Bluetooth’option was available. The app developers had added the feature for situations when society members upgraded to new phones and needed to transfer all their data.

I clicked on the small button, and a popup appeared.Scanning for nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices. Please wait.

“I always have the staff arrange your mother’s birthday dinners,” Dad said, peering at me like I’d lost my mind.

“Well, that’s kind of my point,” I said, looking back up at him. “It’s just so impersonal. Don’t you think it would be nice if we organized it instead? It would be more special that way. More meaningful.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another popup appear on the phone screen.Transfer to: ‘Rhett’s iPhone 16’?

I quickly tapped ‘confirm’.

My father was still staring at me with a frown etched on his face. For a second, I worried he was onto me; knew I was stalling him so I could hold onto his phone as long as possible. But then he exhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

“You’re right,” he muttered. “Absolutely right. Sometimes you just get so used to having things done for you that you forget how to be a decent person. Or a decent husband, in this case.”

I stole another glance at the phone screen.Export progress: 2% complete.

Fuck. This was going to take a while. I would need to drag this restaurant conversation out for as long as I possibly could.

“Could you look up that Italian place by the marina?” I asked. “I think the name is Amore something.”

Dad nodded and sat down. Once he’d opened up the laptop, he glanced at me over his shoulder. “Where did you say it is? The marina?”

“Yup.”

He turned back to the computer and typed rapidly. “There’s one called Ciao Amore on Victor Street,” he said. “It’s not at the marina, but it’s close. Is that the one you mean?”

“Maybe,” I said, dragging the two syllables out as much as I could. “Whatever the place was, it had some sort of truffle arancini that Mom absolutely devoured last time we were there. That’s why I’m thinking we should book it for her birthday.”

Dad nodded, peering at the screen. “I’ll look at the menu,” he murmured.

While he did that, I looked back at his phone screen.Export progress: 13% complete.

Goddamn, this was fucking slow.

I gritted my teeth and sucked in a deep breath. I had to stay calm, or else my father might begin to suspect I was up to something.

“I don’t see any truffle arancini,” he said.

“You might be looking at the takeout menu. Sometimes it’s different to the regular one.”

He leaned in a little closer and clicked something. Then he nodded. “Ah, yes, you’re right. I didn’t even notice that,” he said. “All right, here’s the in-restaurant menu. Let me see… ah! Yes, here we go. Truffle arancini.”

“Great.” I kept staring at his phone screen.Export progress: 29% complete.“Oh, shit. Wait.”

Dad glanced back at me. “What’s wrong?”

“I just remembered. I went there with some of the Wilder guys last year, and JJ ended up getting food poisoning. He shit his pants right there in the restaurant. It was fucked.”

“Oh, no. That sounds awful.” Dad grimaced. “And disgusting.”

“I can’t believe I forgot about that,” I said, shaking my head. “Anyway, we don’t want to expose Mom to a straight-up health hazard on her birthday. So what’s that other place she really likes down at the marina? The Greek one.”

Dad frowned slightly. “I don’t remember going to a Greek restaurant.”

“We went there a couple of years ago for Erin’s birthday. Mom really liked the spanakopita and said she’d like to visit again someday.”

He turned back to the laptop. “Let me see,” he said, typing again. “Is it Dionysos? That seems to be a Greek place, and it’s at the Havenport marina. Although I don’t remember ever going there.”

---