Page 25

‘You probably know more than you think,’ Mary said.

Carl pursed his lips. ‘Maybe. I’ll be sure to say hi. Anyway. I need to get out of here.’ He glanced at the door. ‘See you some other time.’

They watched him walk away.

‘I know you think he’s a nice guy,’ Ryan said. ‘But that is one weird motherfucker.’

Otis’s AirPods

They got into the car, Mary in the driver’s seat. There was something digging into her hip; she felt behind it and pulled out Otis’s AirPods.

‘Jesus,’ she said. ‘He leaves these lying around everywhere.’ She put them in her bag; no doubt her son would accost her when she got home, demanding to know if she had seen them.

‘Nine-thirty,’ Mary said. ‘And it’s time to go home. Can you imagine what we would have said when we met if someone had told us we’d be heading home, night over, at nine-thirty on a Friday, and we’d be glad of an early bedtime?’

‘We’d have said What? Nine-thirty in the morning? That’s a pretty solid night on the tiles. Surprised we’ll still be doing that in our forties.’

‘Exactly.’ Mary yawned. ‘But as it is, we’re on our way home already.’

‘At least we’re not driving Rona and Byron.’

‘They’re not that bad.’

‘You think? I find them unbearable. And I’m not the only one. I was talking to one of Byron’s friends the other day and he was laughing about how he acts like he’s a teenager. When he’s not slouching around speaking in age-inappropriate slang he’s boasting about his latest pair of sneakers or some shit like that. And that’s one of his friends.’

Mary understood. People were the same with Rona; nice to her face but vicious behind her back. It made Mary wonder if they were like that about her when she wasn’t there. It was an unpleasant thought, which she pushed away.

‘Don’t be mean,’ she said.

Ryan turned to her.

‘You know what it is about both of them? They’re so needy. If there’s something going on they have to be part of it, whatever it is. And if they’re not, they belittle it. Like the soccer. Byron was making out that he and his son don’t care but that’s bullshit. That’s all they care about.’

‘It’s hard for her, but Rona has good intentions.’

‘Really? You know how I judge a friend? If they have your best interests at heart – if they want you to succeed – they’re a friend. And Byron and Rona don’t. They want other people to fail. They think they’re the Kennedys – their kids are the best of the best and are going to out-achieve everybody else’s. In reality they’re a bunch of untrustworthy, entitled little shits that nobody gives a damn about.’

Mary puffed out her cheeks. ‘Enough,’ she said. ‘I don’t like to talk about people this way.’

‘They’re perfect for each other,’ Ryan said. ‘Fortunately for Rona. I can’t imagine there are many other potential suitors.’

‘You’d be surprised. Some men find her attractive.’

Ryan scoffed. ‘Who?’

‘A guy at the gym.’

‘Really? You saw this? With your own eyes?’

‘No. She told me about it. She said there was someone who was hitting on her, and asked me what to do if it happened again.’

‘Is it a gym for the blind?’

‘Ryan.’ Mary caught his eye. ‘I’m serious. Don’t be mean.’

‘OK. But that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Maybe there’s a guy at the gym who has a weird fetish and Rona fits the bill, but who “asks for advice”’ – he put the words in air quotes – ‘about it? It’s just a way to boast that someone hit on her.’

‘It did feel a bit like that.’ She wanted to change the subject. ‘Pretty amazing about Carl,’ she said. ‘I know you think he’s weird, but that’s a lot of money to give.’