Page 62 of Crystal Iris
Sawyer keeps glancing at Akira. By the third time, shedemands, “Just say it!” She looks right at him. I freeze, feeling the tension.
“Where did you get that shirt?” Sawyer asks.
“From the closet,” Akira replies.
“Well, it’s not yours.”
“And?”
I watch them, feeling very uncomfortable with their tone. I knew she shouldn’t have.
“It’s my sister’s,” Hoyt says. “And you’re welcome to anything in there; she wouldn’t care. She... left them here.”
I look at all of them as the mention of a sister, whom I’ve never even seen a photo of, is brought up.
“Now, please, Sawyer. Some manners, they’re my guests.”
“This is delicious,” I say, trying to break the awkwardness. Hoyt smiles at me, picking up on my gesture.
Hoyt sits to my right, at the head of the table, while Akira sits to my left. I work hard to make sure no parts of my body are within touching distance of his.
“It really is,” Broc says.
“And what exactly am I eating?” Sawyer asks.
“Braised pork,” Hoyt answers.
“The sauce?” Akira asks.
“Calvados and heavy cream. French-style.” None of us knows what that is, but we all clear our plates.
“How do you both know Hoyt?” Maeve asks, helping us clear the table.
“We met at... an event... a party... in Boston,” I reply.
“You guys live there?” she asks.
“They’re Harvard professors,” Hoyt says, returning with dessert.
The girl looks surprised by his answer. The comment seems to tone down her... aggressiveness.
“Where did you learn to cook like this?” I ask him, taking a serving of the mousse.
“Self-taught. Books and cooking shows.”
“Remember the first things he made?” Sawyer asks Broc.
“That garlicky chicken? Inedible,” Broc says with a face, and they all laugh.
“I needed a... distraction after Dad left me with all this,” Hoyt explains. “It was either cooking or drinking.”
“I’m glad you picked cooking,” Maeve says from the other side.
Hoyt nods at her.
“You cooked, let me at least do the dishes,” I say to Hoyt in the kitchen.
“See this thing here?” He points at the large dishwasher. “It’s my best friend.”
