“Yeah, so, how was book club?” Will asks.
Yikes. Maybe we should go back to talking about dead bodies.
“Lucy got kicked out her first night,” says Dad. “Betty Jean Collins was at The Bistro yesterday telling everyone who would listen how Lucy neve
r showed up and how she let everyone down because they were really counting on her muffins for the refreshments.”
Will looks surprised. “I thought you were looking forward to dissecting this new J.R. Quicksilver novel. What happened?”
“It’s J. W., not J.R.,” Mom corrects teasingly. “Will! You’re a librarian. You should know things like that.” She leans eagerly in my direction. “Was Betty Jean’s book club discussing Assassin’s Honor? I loved that book!”
My mom has read Assassin’s Honor?
“I planned to go to book club,” I say to Will. “But… I had to stay at the café to receive an important delivery, and I got busy and forgot to call Betty Jean.”
“I certainly hope she doesn’t ask me to join her book club. Not after kicking out my own flesh and blood. Still,” Mom muses, “I wonder how the rest of the group liked the book. I’m sure there were some lively discussions.”
“This one is J.W.’s best,” says Dad. “Assassin’s Creed used to be my favorite, but he outdid himself with this latest.”
Dad has read Assassin’s Honor too?
Ew! Chapter fourteen is totally ruined for me now.
Sebastian takes a sip of his wine. “This book sounds very popular. Maybe I should read it too.”
“No!” We all shout at the same time.
“Lots of violence,” says Dad, shaking his head. “Disgusting, really. You wouldn’t like it. You wouldn’t like it at all.”
Sebastian raises an amused brow. He turns to Will. “What did you think of the book?”
“You know Will doesn’t read popular fiction,” I say. “He’s too high brow for that.”
“I’m sure Lucy means that in a very nice way,” Mom says conciliatorily.
“No offense taken,” says Will.
Mom perks up like she’s just remembered something. “Sebastian tells me that the Young Catholic Singles are going up to Atlanta to attend a football game next weekend. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?”
I nearly choke on a piece of chicken. Young Catholic Singles is exactly what the name implies—it’s a bunch of desperate twenty-and-thirty-somethings who haven’t been able to find anyone on whatever online dating site is popular now. I wouldn’t know since I refuse to use one.
Will catches my eye.
Sebastian coughs into his napkin.
And Brittany says, “Oh, but, Lucy doesn’t—”
“Know if she’s going yet!” I interrupt giving Brittany a look that says shut up!
Miraculously, Brittany, who’s usually clueless with nonverbal communication gets the hint and snaps her trap.
“Well you should,” says Mom, “and when you get to Atlanta call your aunt Doreen.”
“Why would I do that?” I ask more out of curiosity than anything else, because I have no intention of going on this field trip.
“To say hello, naturally, since you’ll both be in the same city.”
I bite my tongue. Mom and dad were in their late thirties before they started having children. They’re not that old, and they both certainly know how to use a cell phone, but Mom still thinks that calling long distance will incur charges.