“I had a game. And then we went to get pizza.”
“What if I had been trapped underneath a burning car?”
“Then, I hope you would’ve thought to call someone else after I didn’t pick up twice.”
“You know, that’s a pretty good point.”
Lotte was three years younger than Bash, and they were good friends. She was, simply, the definition of the word “cool.” She was brilliant, top of her cohort at the University of Groningen. A year ago, she had interned with the United Nations. She had won international equestrian competitions, played in a rock band, and spoke six languages (two more than Bash, who spoke Dutch, English, German, and French). He was convinced his sister could, if she wanted to, take over the world.
But she was also his little sister, and that meant he was allowed to be annoyed with her.
“I miss you,” Bash said, softening a bit.
“I miss you, too. We missed you at Mom’s dinner the other week.”
“Thank you for taking my spot.”
“Any time.” There was a pause. “You know, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to come home soon.”
“You miss me that much?”
“I do…but also, it’s Dad.”
Bash tensed. “What about him?”
“He’s working too much, and it’s not good for his health. He won’t listen to his doctors.”
Bash rubbed his face. He’d expected this. “Any updates from the doctors?”
“Just that his liver and arteries are fucked, and he doesn’t seem to care, and if he keeps working the way he does, he’ll have another heart attack. And he might not walk away from this one.”
Bash’s jaw tensed. “Is he drinking?”
“Of course.”
“Just drinking?”
“It’s not like I’ve been checking his pockets for cocaine,” Lotte snapped.
“Maybe you should.”
“I’ll pay off a maid.”
“That’s my sister.” He sighed. Another patron stepped out of the restaurant and lit a cigarette. Bash approached the patron, a middle-aged woman. “Hi,” he said. “Could I have one of those?”
She sized him up and then passed him one. He used her lighter and stuck the cigarette in his mouth. He didn’t often smoke, but he wanted the buzz of nicotine.
“Are you smoking?” Lotte asked.
Bash nodded his thanks at the woman and retreated away from her. “So what if I am?” he continued in Dutch. The woman watched him out of the corner of her eye.
“That’s bad for your lungs.”
“What? I didn’t know that.” He blew out a stream of smoke and thought for a second. “My fall break is in a couple of weeks, and then the season starts after that. I was going to stay here for break, but maybe I can come home.”
“I think you should.”
“I’ll try. I promise.”
