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“What else made her so insufferable?”
He takes a sip of beer. “She had this attitude, you know.”
Aaron stifles a sigh. “What kind of attitude?”
“Like she was better than me or something. As if I was the one hitting out of my league. And, honestly, she wasn’t that hot. A six-and-a-half. At best.”
Aaron has long recognized that Graham’s issues largely stem from a chronic sense of inadequacy, a lifetime of being the lesser brother, the lesser son. “What did she do to make you feel that way?”
“Do?” Graham’s face scrunches. “I dunno. She just gave off that vibe.”
“But how? What did she say?”
“Lots of shit.” He snaps his fingers. “OK, I mentioned something about Nate being in med school at Columbia. And then she got all worked up. As if it were some big fucking deal or something.”
Aaron summons a smile. “Did you ever think she might be showing you how impressed she was because she thought it reflected well on you, too?”
“Nah. She knew exactly what she was doing.” Graham takes a swig and smacks his lips. “Anyway, who cares? I was glad she didn’t stay for dinner. That I got to see her true colors before I wasted any more time or money on her.”
Aaron is too tired to argue. “That’s one way of looking at it.”
“It’s not like it was back in your day, Dad. When it comes to online apps, first dates are as plentiful as sand at a beach. The biggest challenge is juggling all the options. You know?”
“I really don’t, Graham.”
“You should! Even guys as old as you are getting lucky with these dating apps. Might save you a lot of the will-she-won’t-she grief that you keep reliving with what’s-her-face.”
Aaron takes a breath. “Why do you do that?”
“I’m only looking out for you, Dad,” Graham says with a smirk.
“It’s just like with your date. Rather than give people a chance, you always assume the worst. As if they’re always out to hurt you.”
Graham screws up his face. “This isn’t about me! Look at Holly’s track record with you. How many times has she left you since you’ve been together?”
His son has a point, but he doesn’t understand that for Holly, it’s more of a coping mechanism when she feels overwhelmed. One that is inextricably related to the traumatic and sudden loss of her father. “It’s a bit more complicated” is all Aaron is willing to say.
“Speaking of complicated, Dad…”
Aaron cocks his head. “Yes?”
Graham waves away the suggestion. “Nah, never mind.”
But Aaron can tell in a glance his son is up to something. Graham is wearing that same sheepish look that he always did when he’d crossed a line at school, and Aaron would know to expect an angry call from a teacher or the vice principal. “What is it?”
“You’re going to be pissed.”
“Just tell me, Graham.”
He shuffles in his seat. “This Justine Jang woman… the one in the news who took a header off her balcony?”
Aaron lowers his glass to the coffee table. “What about her?”
“She was also a patient of Holly’s, wasn’t she?”
Aaron’s toes curl inside his shoes. “How do you know that?”
“I told you that you were going to be pissed.”
