“You’re in serious trouble, you know.”
“Yeah, I guess I am. But you’re hardly any better.”
“What have I got to do with this?”
“Come on. Do you really think I’m buying this whole story ofmaking friends?”
She blushes furiously and turns away.
“Let’s both just admit it, right now, in this car. We like nerds. And we’re both fucked.”
“So I can say ‘fucked’ now?”
“Only in this car, and only when we’re alone. But you’d better not say it in front of anyone else.”
She laughs. My daughter laughs at my bullshit. This is definitely something else I shouldn’t be proud of, but I’ve already made my peace with the idea that I won’t be winning any Father of the Year awards. As long as she doesn’t hate me, and doesn’t get herself into any more trouble. I want her to make friends: and Carter seems to be the only candidate right now.
“Do you have any idea how to win over a nerd?”
That’s hardly going to put me in the running for this fatherly prize, either.
“You’re askingme? Aren’t you the one who slept with the headmistress?”
Basically, yeah.
Wait a moment. “You’re not thinking of sleeping with Carter?”
“Oh, my God, Kerry!” she yells, offended.
“I was just asking. I just wanted to make sure. But if that day ever comes, would you tell me?”
“Do you really think now is the time to be talking about this?”
“I don’t think there’s ever a good time.”
“Exactly!”
Right.
“Is it because I’m a man?”
“It’s because you’re my dad!”
She says it angrily, but she still says ‘Dad’ – and that’s enough for me.
“You’re right – but I want you to know that you can come to me anyway, for anything. Even the most embarrassing stuff.”
“No way!”
Well, she made that perfectly clear.
“Can we please change the subject?”
“Yes, we can. Only if you promise me that you won’t have sex with Carter.”
“Kerry!”
I tried.
