Hm. Friends.Not the answer I’d wanted. “Well, we’re not.”
“Really? Why?”
I shrugged. “I decided he wasn’t the right material for my fling.”
“You’re running out of time. Summer’s half-over.”
Our eyes caught. It felt very hard to breathe, the air thin, my heart working hard. I was minutely aware of how close my arm was to his legs, how if my hand moved slightly I could touch his calf.Any suggestions?I almost asked, but I wasn’t brave enough. “Tell me what happened with your dad, Noah.”
He looked away. “My grandparents got in a fight.”
“Oh no. Why?”
He winced.
Guilt surged inside me. “My grandmother?”
“I don’t think it’s really about her. But. My grandparents’relationship has already been on thin ice for a while. Everything with Ruth... it struck at their weakest part. And they just...”
“Cracked?”
“Cracked and geysered.” He picked up Horse. “This guy seems a little tired.”
“He isn’t. He’s stalwart. Why did your dad get mad at you because of a fight between your grandparents?”
Noah sighed. “My dad thinks I need to be better about my responsibilities. Be a better grandson. Protect the family’s interests. It would ruin the family if my grandparents separated.” He gave me a half smile. “And it would be my fault.”
“First of all, it couldn’tpossiblybe your fault, and second—what do you mean ‘ruin the family’?”
Noah draped an arm over his eyes. “My grandmother’s family brought in money when she married my grandfather. Alotof money.”
I sat up. “What?”
“Enough to push Barbanel from a local firm to a national one. Enough to turn it into what it is today. My grandmother’s brothers got stock in return. Not enough to control the company—unless my grandmother votes with them. She never does—she always votes with my grandpa.”
“Jesus, Noah!”
He winced. “Yeah.”
“So—what? If she votes with her brothers, what happens?”
“The Barbanels lose the controlling share and it goes to the Danzigers, and they could do whatever they want—oust my dad as CEO, give the control to his cousins, anything.”
Wow.This was like a TV show. “So—it’s about power? And money?”
“They do make the world go round.”
“What do you want? Maybe if the Danzigers were in control, you wouldn’t be forced to go into the business. Maybe some second cousins or whatever could take over.”
“Yeah.” He sounded unconvinced. “But my dad would be miserable. And he’s my dad.”
“And you don’t want to disappoint him.”
He nodded.
“Look.” I hesitated. “I’m not saying youshouldn’tgo into business and become the CEO of a vast empire of men in expertly tailored suits. But. Your life goal shouldn’t be making your dad happy. You’re eighteen. You don’t need to map your entire life out.”
He made a face.
