“You brought a boy to brunch? Why don’t I remember this?”
“Probably because Julia’s boyfriend isn’t very memorable,” Evie mutters, and I roll my eyes.
“Drew is really nice,” I say. “He goes to Dickson.”
“Is it serious with this...?” My grandma pauses, already forgetting Drew’s freaking name.
“I’ve knownDrewsince freshman year, but we just started dating this summer so it’s still pretty new,” I add.
“Cassie met him at a party Gunnar threw at their house,” mymom chimes in. “She thought he was very charming and had clean fingernails.”
Damn, the night of Gunnar’s wild party feels like ages ago.
That’s probably because it was before everything with you and Ace went to shit.
“Clean fingernails?” Evie repeats with a furrowed brow. “I call bullshit. There’s no way in hell Aunt Cassie said he has clean fingernails.”
“Evie,” my mom chastises. “How about we keep the language PG? We’re at the Plaza, for goodness’ sake.”
Evie shrugs, but she doesn’t let up. “What did Aunt Cass really say about Julia’s new dude?”
Our mom sighs. “Does it matter?”
Evie grins and points a finger in Mom’s direction. “I knew she didn’t say clean fingernails!”
“Are you monogamous with Drew, hun?” Grandma asks. “Or are you giving yourself room for sexual exploration?”
“Really, Mom?” Mom sighs audibly.
“What? It’s a fair question,” Grandma says, munching on a croissant. “Julia isn’t exactly glowing with postcoital energy.”
I sigh. “How about we play a little game of let’s be silent while I eat my eggs in peace?”
Savannah narrows her eyes like I’m a patient in denial. “Julia, my sweetheart. Women always get a specific look when they’re in love and being sexually satisfied. Like their whole aura is humming. But right now, I’m sorry to say, you look more like dial-up internet than high-speed Wi-Fi.”
“I’m happy,” I say, but I can’t deny it feels like a lie coming off my tongue. “Drew is great. Clean fingernails. Amazing sexual prowess. Fully satisfied and happy, that’s me.” The last part is most definitely a lie. Drew and I haven’t done much besides make out, hug, and hold hands. Our relationship has maintained an incredibly PG status, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Girl, it’s a bad thing.
I refuse to entertain the thought and distract myself with a drink of orange juice.
“Mm-hmm,” Savannah comments, but her scrutinizing eyes say she’s unconvinced. “And what about my favorite college stud, Ace? Is he dating anyone? What does he think of your new boyfriend, Drew?”
Her question lands like a fork dropped on a glass plate.
I blink and swallow hard against the irrational emotion that migrates into my throat. “I…I don’t know. I don’t really know what Ace is up to these days.”
Even my own voice sounds wrong. Too light. Too practiced.
“What?” my mom questions, her eyes very much fixated on me now. “What do you mean, you don’t know what he’s up to? It’s Ace, Julia. The two of you have been inseparable since you could walk. He lives across the hall from you.”
When I look across the table, I see that Evie’s eyes are on me now too.Goodness, is it hot in here?You’d think the Plaza would keep their shit comfortable, not sweltering. “Isn’t Ace with Dad today?” she questions and Mom nods.
“Yeah. He’s playing golf with Kline and Thatch and Wes.”
“Well, if they’re golfing together, it’s safe to say that big fight between Kline and Thatch has officially come to an end,” my grandma chimes in. “Glad to hear that’s resolved. I know Thatcher is an emotional kind of guy. Always wearing his heart on his sleeve.”
“Yeah, he is, but he’s also a troublemaker,” my mom adds in defense of my dad. “It’s not every day someone tries to give you a crocodile.”
