“Are you guys getting divorced?” Tamara asked, her hands balled into fists at her side.
“No!” he laughed, “What would be the point after all these years? I don't want to talk about her. I want to talk about you.”
“Oh.”
“You've been acting weird since you started Chess Club,” he said, glancing at his daughter through the rear-view mirror.
“It sucks, sort of,” Tamara said.
“Well, I know you're upset over the coach and volleyball,” he said, “but are you okay?”
“Yeah, I'm fine,” Tamara nodded, “There's just a lot of things going on.”
“Like Amber getting a serious boyfriend?”
“This isn't about Amber!” Tamara said, feeling bad that she hadn't tried to call Amber since third period.
“No, it's about you,” he said, “I know how it is when the person you've hung out with forever suddenly starts dating and gets serious about someone. It can leave you feeling left out.”
“That's not it,” Tamara shook her head.
“Then what is it, Tamara?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, you know you can ask me anything. I might not always know the answer, though,” Mr. Page chuckled.
“Should you believe a guy when he apologizes?”
“Is this about Doug?”
“No, I haven't talked to Doug since the dance. He's old news.”
“Then which guy are we talking about?”
“You don't know him. He's new at school.”
“What's he apologizing for?”
“Well, saying some stuff.”
“Stuff?” Mr. Page arched a eyebrow in question.
“Nothing, like that. No, he's not starting rumors about me. I'd slug him if he was doing that,” Tamara laughed, “That would make things easier.”
“Well, since you're not wanting to tell your ole dad what's going on, I'll say this. If he's made an ass out of himself, it's probably because he likes you. Most guys just don't know what to say to a pretty girl, who's also smart, athletic, and nice. That combination can really intimidate a guy.”
“Maybe,” Tamara laughed.
“No, really it can,” Mr. Page said as they pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. The law firm always rented the ballroom out for dinner parties after winning a big case. Although, since they had to rent it weeks in advance, sometimes they had a pity dinner if the case was lost, thankfully this wasn't one of those times.
Tamara's dad let her out in front of the door before parking the car. To escape the howling wind she waited inside the lobby. She tapped her foot and then bounced on the balls of her feet. Was Hayden already inside? Would he be wearing a suit like the sons of the other lawyers? She tried to imagine him in a suit, but failed.
“Ready?” her dad asked, appearing at her side.
“I'm starving, so I hope they get to the point and don't talk our heads off,” Tamara laughed.
“Me too,” he nodded, “but I think we're early.”
“We're always early.”
“I like it that way,” he said as they entered the ballroom.
The ballroom was crowded with lawyers from both Mr. Page's firm and others, most of whom seemed to have brought along their families. Through the crowd Tamara spotted Hayden standing beside a man whom he looked very much like. Hayden had inherited his broad shoulders, mess brown hair, and brown eyes from his dad. The man laughed at something and Tamara added his smile to the list. Hayden must have felt her staring at him, because he turned in her direction and grinned. She smiled back and gave a tiny wave, hoping her dad wouldn't notice. Hayden was wearing a suit, but had discarded the jacket somewhere along the way. His tie had some design on it, but she couldn't tell what it was from where she was.
“You know that kid?” Mr. Page asked.
“Yeah, he's in the Chess club too.”
“He's the guy you were talking about in the car.”
“Why would you think that?”
“He looks like the sort of kid that would make a fool of himself if he tried to talk to a girl,” Mr. Page chuckled.
“Shh!”
“What? Afraid your old man is going to embarrass you?”
“No, I know you will before the night's done. Should I resign myself to the fact?”
“Nah, I'll try to behave.”
“Please do.”
“His dad's a good lawyer. I worked with him on this case.”
“Good to know,” Tamara said, “Can we quit talking about it now? He's walking our way.”
“Fine. I'll shut up,” Mr. Page laughed.
“Hey,” Hayden said, pulling her into a quick hug. Startled, Tamara almost tripped over her own feet, but manage to right herself by the time he pulled away.