“This is how I remember it,” Byon said. “This camaraderie.” He looked at Clive. “I didn’t think about...about the others.”
They looked at Clive, waiting for one of his poor-me statements. Instead, he said, “I have some really rich clients. I bet they’d love to meet you. Maybe they’ll back your new play Love and Death at Oxley.”
It was seconds before the others could react.
Byon recovered first. “Jack will star in the show.”
“Like hell I will,” he said. “I have enough trouble trying to get Kate when I live with her. If I left her alone I’d never get her.”
The other men burst into laughter.
“What?!” Jack demanded.
“Should we tell him?” Byon asked.
“If he’s that dumb, I vote no,” Chris said.
“I agree,” Clive said.
“What does that mean?” No one answered Jack’s question.
Byon looked at Chris. “You can play your father.”
“No thanks. I’m going home, and I’ll marry Teddy and have three kids.”
Clive snorted. “Won’t happen. She’ll stay with her mother.”
Chris leaned forward. “It’s already started. The women are planning to open a Renewal studio in Sydney, and Teddy is going to run it. Nadine is going to become the manager here in the UK. The idea is to give Wilhelmina time off because she plans to marry the lawyer and have kids. Adopt or IVF. They haven’t decided which.”
The men were staring at him.
Chris shrugged. “If you grow up with two mothers, you learn the female language.”
“I always suspected there was one,” Jack said.
Clive spoke. “You’re going to leave your farm and move to Sydney?”
“I was born into farming,” Chris said. “I didn’t choose it. But I do like the animals. I might look into zoo work.”
“Job satisfaction over money,” Jack said. “I like it.”
“Teddy will earn more than you,” Clive cautioned.
Chris smiled. “You old men and your egos. My generation doesn’t believe in that sexist lunacy.”
* * *
That night, Jack asked Kate what was going on.
“Just making plans.”
“For Teddy to move to Australia and run a Renewal branch? And for Nadine to stop looking for a rich husband and support herself?”
The look of surprise on her face gave Jack great satisfaction.
“Who told you?”
“It was my clever deduction,” Jack said.