“Their band has a gig,” Lana told him. “Our own personal Spinnerbait.”
“Hate Spinnerbait,” I said. Colin’s friend Owen, a radio DJ, had taught me this was the proper response to hearing this.
Ben looked at me. “Exactly. And I hate this.”
“Who’s got a gig?” Kasey asked from the table. Jeremy the Tides guy and my mom were now having their own conversation, low enough so I couldn’t hear.
“Ben’s band,” Lana said.
“A band?” Liz asked. “How fun!”
Geralin came in then, carrying a glass of water and my mom’s pills. As she bent over, putting them on the table, I watched Jeremy’s eyes follow her. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said smoothly, setting the glass down beside my mom. “Just need to have Cat take these real quick.”
Now my mom reddened again, but this time, she was embarrassed. I could just tell. It made me feel awkward for her. A quick glance at Liz, who was biting her lip, confirmed I wasn’t the only one.
Once back in the kitchen, Nurse Geralin began chatting with Clark. “…thoughtyou looked familiar!” she was saying. “I’ve seen you at the library at Bly Community. You sit in that corner by the computers.”
“Fewer distractions,” Clark said. “Are you still in school there?”
“Graduated in June.”
“So you wanted to talk about the land?” Kasey asked Jeremy. “I’m pretty sure I’ve told the Tides everything already.”
“Of course,” he replied. “But I’d just love to pick your brain for a moment… if you can spare it.”
“Sure,” Kasey told Jeremy, pushing out her chair. “Now’s good.”
“Great!” He dabbed his forehead again as she came around the table, then said to my mom, “It was great to see you, Catherine. I’ll, um—”
“Yes, take care,” my mom said curtly.
Kasey left, Jeremy—after another look at my mom, who did not turn her head—following. Lana trailed along behind them, clearly to get intel.
“Shoot.” Ben looked at his watch. “We should go.”
I turned to my mom. “You okay if I go out for a while?”
“Of course,” she said, waving me off. “I’m fine. Everyone can stop asking.”
I followed Ben, who was moving at a fast clip as we headed through the kitchen, passing Clark, who was still talking to Geralin. Hadn’thebeen in a hurry?
“… right across the road,” he was saying now. “Really good breakfast sandwiches. Award winning, actually.”
“I love a breakfast sandwich,” she replied.
“We open every day at seven,” he said as his phone buzzed on the counter. I glanced at the screen.STUDY GROUP,it said, a row of unanswered messages beneath. “You should come by, have one.”
“I will,” Geralin said, adjusting her big glasses. “What days are you there? I mean, just so I can be sure I get the right thing.”
He flushed, opening his mouth and then closing it. Clearly, he was rattled. Something, I realized, I had never seen. “Every day,” he said after a moment. “Just look for the food window. Can’t miss me.”
As Ben and I went out onto the porch, Kasey and Jeremy were walking across the grass to the cabin, him gesturing, her with a hand cupped over her eyes. Lana walked closely, but not too closely, behind them. I looked at Ben, who was getting into the truck, remembering another afternoon not very long ago, when I’d found myself alone with him, drunk and feeling lost. It wasn’t like I was found now. But it did feel different.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to happy hour! We’re Sudden Constellation.”
Ben shot Hector a look. If he didn’t even want this to be a band, I was pretty sure he felt the same about naming it.
