‘Wedding invitation. Brody Conway.’
‘Who’s Brody Conway?’
‘Son of Sam Conway? Grandson of Hank Conway? Owner of the Mutineers?’
‘Why are you invited to his wedding?’
‘Whole team is invited. I don’t know. You wanna be my plus one?’
‘You get a plus one?’
‘Weird, right? Guess that’s what rich people do. Invite everybody they ever met to their wedding. Wanna come?’
‘When is it?’
‘Week from tomorrow. Canyon Country Club. Free food and drink. All you have to do is wear a dress.’
River gives another shrug. ‘You sure you wouldn’t wanna take a date instead of me? One of those sexy girls on your Insta account?’
‘Prolly a little weird, taking somebody I’ve never met to a wedding.’
Mid-bite outta my sandwich, I hear the front door, and the unmistakable sounds of Bridget Walsh floating through from the hallway.
‘So far, we are loving it here. Everybody’s so friendly! And Jake’s had a great start on the team…’
My heart sinks because it’s definitely not Dad that she’s talking to.
‘Oh god, who the fuck is that?’ River hisses.
‘No idea,’ I say, still chewing.
‘You got mayonnaise on your chin,’ River says, and I wipe it away with the back of my hand.
‘Oh look,’ Mom announces as she enters the room. ‘They are here! Jake, River, this is Olivia Francis. Olivia just graduated from Cornell, majoring in meteorology.’
This is what my mom likes to do. She likes to introduce women of my age to me and include their credentials, like she’s tryna sell me a house. Like,this is Lisa. Lisa is a veterinarian and owns her own apartment. This is Cindy. Cindy went to grad school and her father is an oncology specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Olivia is tall and slender with a straight nose, light brown hair, wearing a green polka-dot dress and sneakers. What she’s doing hanging out with my mother is beyond me.
Olivia smiles shyly in my direction. ‘Hello,’ she says.
‘Hey,’ I say in return.
‘Hi,’ River says at the table.
For a brief moment, the air turns thick and it’s awkward. ‘So… why don’t we go in the back yard and sit by the pool with some iced tea?’ Mom suggests.
They go out back together and River raises her eyebrows in my direction. ‘King Midas, he need queen,’ she says, putting on her best caveman voice.
‘Quit it,’ I sigh.
A few moments later, my mother is back in the kitchen. ‘Jake, come drink iced tea with us.’
‘Ma. I’m tired. I just got back from practice.’
She looks at me like she’s already lost patience. ‘Did you not hear me?Cornell. She’s got an interview with WKRZ.’
‘The local TV station? So?’
