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Me: I’m not worried because you’re around my dad.
“Grabbed another bottle,” Dad announced, setting down a glass in front of the space beside me on the sofa and filling it with freshly opened wine. Adrian hesitated before sinking into the couch a healthy distance from me.
Me: Okay, that’s a lie. I am a little worried because of that. But mostly because you look like you just got hit by the metro.
“Thanks, Dave,” Adrian sighed. He picked up the glass of wine and leaned back into the cushions. With one hand, he shot me back a reply.
Adrian: I had to shut down an event while it was happening.
Adrian: Your dad’s business was one of the sponsors. I had to speak to him.
Adrian: I’m sorry for worrying you.
“Aves and I were chattin’ about her matchmaking schtick before you turned up,” Dad said, filling the dead silence as Adrian and I stared at our phones. “How’s that goin’ for ‘ya, Adrian? Heard you were on a date earlier.”
I nearly choked on my sip of wine.
Adrian looked across at him, his thumb hovering over his screen. “How did you…?”
“When I got the call earlier about the conference, I asked to speak with ‘ya but Andrew said you were out galavantin’ with some girl,” Dad laughed. “Figured I’d let ‘em sort it out and speak to you if it got worse.”
Me: Adrian.
Me: Adrian what the fuck do we say to that??
“Oh. Andrew was who called you?”
Me: ADRIAN.
“Yeah, seemed real worried ‘bout the whole thing. I told him to do whatever was necessary and I’d worry about the ramifications later,” Dad explained.
“Right. Got you,” Adrian said.
Adrian: I’m working on it.
“Yeah, it was a second date, actually,” he continued, shutting off his screen and shoving his phone into his pocket. My hands went clammy, and all I could do was pretend they weren’t and that it wasn’t getting increasingly hard to hold a glass of wine in my hand. “All of Ava’s choices after we went to the Hamptons have been spot on. That was a great suggestion. But I’m really liking this one.”
“Oh, that’s fucking great news!” Dad boomed, pitching forward in his chair in excitement as if he’d won the goddamn lottery again. “What’ser name?”
“Heather,” I interjected. “Her name’s Heather.”
Dad’s grin only grew. “See? Told ‘ya she’d do ‘ya right.”
Do not read into that, Ava, oh my God.
“And I told ‘ya that trip would help,” he chuckled. “I could see it all from a mile away. You’re goddamn lucky I trust ya, Ade, ‘cause that never woulda happened with anyone else.”
My throat closed in.
“Even after today?” Adrian asked, a breathy, barely-there laugh tainting the words.
“Of course.”
————
“Are you going?”
The words flew out of my mouth as Dad and Adrian rounded the corner from the kitchen. They’d migrated there ages ago to talk business, leaving me alone and anxious in my boredom for two fucking hours. The clock was ticking toward ten in the evening, and I just wanted to go back with Adrian, wanted to spend the time I had left with him before Lucas came back tomorrow.
