Jonah could believe it. Rebecca kind of scared him, actually. She was a force – a force not to be heckled with, it turned out, and Jonah had made the mistake of singling her out last Hanukkah during his improv ninja act. She put him in his place pretty damn quick in front of an audience, who ate it up. He might have been mortified – had he been sober that night.
She and Jay had been dating for a year now, making her an integral part of their posse. But Jonah still wasn’t sure where he ranked on her list – somewhere between “tolerable” and “total douchebag,” no doubt.
“…Seriously! She’s cutting it close.” Nora was saying to Talia, who just shook her head.
“Who? Libby?” Jonah wanted in on the hot goss. “She’s still in Florida?”
Avi blew an errant Talia curl off his cheek and leaned an elbow on the table. “She’s flying home tomorrow morning.”
“She’s giving me the grays, what she is.” Jay scratched out something on his list in frustration. “Like you did last year.” He pointed his pen at Avi, before turning to Nora. “And you started it, before him. At least Eli tells me he’s not coming ahead of time, and doesn’t pull the last minute, hey-Jay-hold-the-boat-for-me card.”
Nora slunk down in the booth, but she had a smile on her face at the memory. “I had my reasons.”
“Can’t wait to hear Libby’s. Or, should I say, shake the guy’s hand?” Jonah joked.
“No jumping to conclusions,” Talia warned. “She’ll have her own story to tell, in due time.”
“Libby’s been averaging every other year, Baller-wise.” Avi slid an arm across Nora’s shoulder, then Talia’s. “But we three win the prize of never having missed one.” Jonah threw a kick under the table in the direction of Avi’s shin. “Ow. Oops. The four of us.”
“Stick to singing, sweetie. Not math.” Nora kissed Avi’s temple. “You’re forgetting someone.”
The table went quiet.
Doubtful.
Sylvie Shapiro – and what had happened between her and Avi on the boat last year – no doubt still weighed on his best friend’s mind.
Everyone, even Jonah, had assumed that their resident rock star had had a girl in every port, and Sylvie had merely been his in New York. Every Baller, every year. To think it had gotten to the point where Avi had actually proposed, and Sylvie had said no? No one had seen that coming.
No one currently at this booth, anyway. Maybe Eli had been the keeper of their secrets, their vault. He was the first and only one Sylvie could tolerate being around after…
Because after Sylvie, had come Leah. Coming to Avi’s rescue when he’d needed it the most. Leah was so good and obviously so right for him. And not even Sylvie could find fault with that. But Jonah wondered if this was the first big splinter in the faction that had been solid since the Year Course in Israel that had brought all eight of them together.
“She’ll be back on the boat next year.” Now Talia kissed his other temple. “Who knows? Maybe she will even drag Eli with her. Hanukkah miracles, after all.”
Jay slid his pen behind his ear. “Oh, he’ll be there. I’ve got an airtight reason he won’t want to miss.”
Everyone leaned in. Jay let them hang in anticipation, before slapping his palms down on the table. “People. Seriously? It’s the tenth anniversary next year. A decade of Baller greatness!”
Everyone murmured their agreement, raising whatever was left of their drinks and clinking them together. Another milestone, Jonah observed, coming at them fast.
“Speaking of airtight…the boat is ready to sail? No last minute fryer oil needed?”
Talia would never let her brother forget the time he had forgotten the one crucial ingredient that greased, literally, the Hanukkah machine and churned out all the delectable holiday food.
“Ready as we’ll ever be at this point. You and Asher are officially off the payroll this year. And you –” Jay aimed his empty glass at Jonah. “ – no harassing my paying customers with your drunk stand-up.”
“It was your idea to have me roaming with a mic in the first place. Past the many bars you have on board. And it was for charity, remember? We cleaned up!”
“Yeah well, I don’t want to lose a penny of tzedakah to a walking work comp case. So don’t bomb out,” Jay warned.
“I hear you, brother. Loud and clear.”
Jonah had learned his lesson. And he hadn’t, at least, harassed Kara Koff. She had been cool about it, and kind. As had her doctor friend, who he realized now was probably someone significant in her life. He hoped this year he would have the chance to apologize to both of them. Or at least thank them.
Nora nudged his ribs. “Gotta pee.”
And since ladies always seemed to travel in pairs, Talia squeezed past her brother, leaving the men on their own. But not for long.
