Page 71 of Off the Grid
“With a Mai Tai.”
“Isn’t it like”—he paused to glance at the clock, doing the math—“9 a.m. your time?”
“It’s five o’clock somewhere, bro. And I only have another twenty-four hours before I fly to Hong Kong. I’m milking this vacation for all its worth.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“Taking a walk.” He could practically hear the shrug in his brother’s voice. “Last I saw, she was holding her phone about two inches from a flower, snapping a photo. I’m teaching her how to use Instagram.”
“Good Lord.”
“Want me to go find her?”
“No, no.” Leo waved his hand through the air, as though his brother would somehow see. “I’ll talk to her later.”
“So, how’s that work thing going? You find that girl?”
Leo pursed his lips—this, right here, was why he’d waited two days before calling his family. He never knew what to tell them, about his job or his life. He didn’t want his mother to worry. He didn’t want his brother to think he didn’t have all the answers. He didn’t want either of them to know how dangerous the path he’d chosen could be, not when it would only stress them out. But he didn’t want to lie either. “Oh, I found her all right.”
“What was that?”
Leo scrunched his brows. “What?”
“That voice,” Manny continued, an edge of excitement infiltrating his tone. “I know that voice. That’s the voice you used when Missy DaLuca shot you down for prom, when that girl who lived in the apartment down the hall—oh, what was her name? Lucia! When Lucia said she didn’t think it would be a good idea to date her neighbor.”
“No, it’s not—”
“Wait!” Manny interrupted. The giddiness in his tone brought a frown to Leo’s face. “Areyoucallingmefor dating advice?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You are! Has hell frozen over? Is the apocalypse upon us? Have I been flung into an alternate universe?”
“You watch too many science-fiction movies.”
“Andyoumust seriously be desperate to be calling me for help.”
“I wasn’t calling you for help,” Leo retorted, trying and failing to keep the growl from his voice. “I was calling to make sure you and Mom were okay.”
“Because Hawaii is such a dangerous place.”
“Hey!” His nostrils flared. “Those islands are teeming with active volcanoes.”
“So, who is she?”
“I’m hanging up.”
“Can I tell Mom? You know how she’s always harping on one of us to give herbebés pequeños. Last night at dinner, all I heard was,Nietos, Manuel. Quiero nietos.”
“If you value your life, you’ll shut your mouth.”
“Ooh, I’m scared.”
“Manny.”
“Oh, wait. I think I see her. Mom!”
“Manny. Manny!”
