“Yeah, Dad. I did. I’m here with my shiny new sister. And good thing too, because wouldn’t it have been awkward to go stag to my own wedding. Angie made quite the blushing bride.”
The sound of him coughing as whatever he’s drinking catches in his throat makes my day. “You went through with my wedding? Hope you got my money’s worth. Just tell me I don’t need to get my lawyers involved.”
“Nah, we took off before he made us sign anything and trust me, nobody is expecting us to make it final now. But this isn’t about my fucked up pretend marriage, it’s about yours. It’s about the money that went to Marie’s flower shop.”
“Who told you about that?” He listens, letting out his breath slowly in a deep sigh as I explain. “What the hell were you thinking? Do you know how bad you made her look? How bad you made me look?”
“Yeah, you know what? I’d give you a lecture about being a paranoid fuck and too suspicious for your own good, but I’ll wait and let Angie do it since she does it so much better. Maybe she learned it from her mom. You’re in for a treat.” I roll my eyes, and for a moment I get a glimpse into how she sees me. “But yeah, Marie didn’t know anything about it, so don’t blame her.”
“Oh, I won’t. I’ll blame you. You do some of the stupidest fucking things, you know that? When are you going to grow up, Gavin?” He’s on a roll now. This is his favorite topic, how useless I am. “Speaking of Angie, you could do a hell of a lot worse than her. She works hard, she has goals, she reads. Books, Gavin. With words. You should try one some time.”
“She hates my fucking guts right now, but good to know you approve. I didn’t know all I had to do to impress you was to be literate. Maybe I’ll try one of these ‘books’ you speak of.” He can’t see my air quotes, but I’m sure he hears them in my voice.
“Gavin...” he sighs. “You’re too smart to keep playing dumb forever. One of these days you’re going to find something you care about. I just hope it happens before you fuck things up beyond repair.”
I could be wrong, but he almost sounds paternal. Maybe it’s the scotch. “What can I say? Like father like son. If you fix things with Marie, maybe there’s hope for me yet.” It’s weird. Despite it all, I think this is the closest we’ve had to a real conversation in years.
He laughs. “I think we’d get along a lot better if we weren’t so damned alike, Son.” He pauses for a moment, weighing his words. “Thanks. Not for fucking up, but for letting me know. It sounds like I have some groveling to do.”
Yeah. Me too.
He hangs up without saying goodbye.
Are we really that alike? Suspicious, judgmental, quick to anger. Fuck. Guess I’ve learned from the best. I’ve spent so long running from what my father wants me to be that I didn’t even notice I was turning into him.
I don’t want to be that guy, but I’m not sure I know how to be anyone else.
Angie would tell it to me straight. She’d laugh and poke fun, but I’ve seen her talk about the people she cares about. She’s fucking loyal, and I could’ve had that. Instead I spit on it because I was too weak to deal with what it would mean if she was what she seemed to be.
Perfect. In a bitchy, sarcastic sort of way, but I’d get sick of anything else. I grin.
Perfect for me.
I drove her away, and I wasn’t lying. She probably hates me, but I have one thing working in my favor. The last of my scotch slides smoothly down my throat, and this time I don’t motion for another. I know where she is, and she’s not going anywhere until this cruise is over.
Time for plan B. Whatever the fuck that is.
Chapter 34: Angie
A loud thrum that doesn’t sound like typical engine noise invades the room. Is that a helicopter? Every time we heard one when I was little, my mother used to point it out and tell me to wave because it might be Daddy. I stopped waving long before he crashed, but I never stopped looking. Except now I look up and say a little prayer for the pilot when I see one.
I go out onto the balcony to look, just barely catching the blur of rotors from around the back of the ship. If I lean a bit over the rail I can see the tail as it swings around to land. I guess there’s a pad back there. Hopefully nobody’s sick.
The weather’s gorgeous though, so I push aside my melancholy thoughts and duck inside to put on my bikini and cover myself in sunblock. I haven’t run into Gavin yet since my talk with Joyce, but I’m hoping to get a chance to talk to him. I got a call from Mom last night letting me know everything was alright with her and Herbie again. Gavin must have talked to his dad, and no matter what happens with the two of us, I’m glad he manned up and fixed things with our parents.