Page 49 of Holiday on the Rocks
“I’m just trying to get to the root of the problem.”
“You’re the problem. I just don’t like fish.”
“When was the last time?—”
“Fish sticks, okay?”
“Fish sticks?”
I dipped a fry into ketchup. “Yes, the last time I tired fish it was in stick form.”
He chuckled. “Are fish sticks really fish at all?”
“No clue, but they were mushy and disgusting.”
“You can’t swear off a whole world of ocean snacks based on a fish stick experience as a kid.”
“Sure I can.” I ate another fry. “I did.”
“Come on, you have to have a bite. It’s amazing.”
“Nope.”
“What can I do to persuade you?”
I spoke in a whisper. “Get off my back about aquatic eats, or I can guarantee you won’t be on my back later.”
“Wow.” His brow shot up.
“Topic transition. So, you live in Brazil?”
“Yeah, a few years now. After two failed attempts at college, Evan made himself the boss of me and got me through it. I worked construction and liked it a lot. But once I finished school I knew I needed to get out of the U.S.”
“Why?”
He looked down. “I was chasing ghosts and I needed to get away.”
My heart clunked; was I a ghost?
“I knew you’d be good academically once you applied yourself.”
“I don’t know how you saw that through what I was back then.”
“You were never bad.” It shot out before I could stop it. “I mean, you were a little wild and reckless, but you had all the tools you needed.”
He chuckled. “A little?”
My eyes rolled. “I’m sure somebody else concocted an experiment in chemistry that caught a desk on fire so they had to let us all out for the afternoon?”
“A little fire resulting in beautiful beach day in May? Hell yeah.” He sliced his fish. “That’s a talented student right there.”
“And the pool hopping?”
He nodded. “Midnight swimming with you on the rich side of town? Totally worth it.”
“I recall?—”
“Don’t you even say it, Langley. It happened once.”
