Page 67 of High Season
There was a tremor in his voice now. Something that threatened to break.
“Well, stuff came up.” Rocco sounded close to irritable. He eased another oyster into his mouth. Swallowed. “You know how it is, kid. Don’t make me feel bad.”
Blake pushed his plate away from him.
“We’ve been planning this for months.”
“Planning? Aw, come on, kid. We were spitballing. You know I’d love to take a trip with you. But I have to put the family first, you know?”
Blake opened his mouth as if to respond, and then closed it. Hefolded his arms across his chest. Hannah could see, in his eyes, the glint of tears. If Rocco noticed, he ignored it.
“So, Hannah,” he said mildly. “Where do you go to school?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but the sound of Blake’s chair scraping back against the floor drowned out her words.
“I’m not hungry,” he said.
Rocco’s expression didn’t flicker. He shoveled another oyster into his mouth.
“So cancel your main,” he said.
“This restaurant is shit,” said Blake. “Who the fuck builds a restaurant without windows right next to the sea?”
He reached out his hand toward Hannah’s.
“Come on,” he said.
Rocco leaned back in his chair.
“You’re not seriously upset about the road trip?” he said. “Come on. You’re supposed to be a man now, Blake. You need to start acting like it. Atticus and Aurora—”
“Fuck Atticus and Aurora.”
“Hey. I won’t have you talk about your siblings like that.”
“They’re not my siblings, though, are they? They’re yours and Flora’s kids. I could probably count on two hands the number of times I’ve met them. Just because we happen to have the same dad doesn’t mean anything.”
“Well, if you’d come to the vow renewal…”
“Flora didn’twantus at the vow renewal.”
“Well, now I think you’re projecting.”
Blake’s jaw was set so tight that Hannah could see a muscle twitch.
“Come on,” he said to her again.
She stood, slowly.
“Thanks for the wine, Mr. Mae,” she said.
Rocco didn’t look away from his plate.
“I’ll send you the bill for your steak, shall I?”
“Fuck you.”
Blake’s hand closed around Hannah’s.
