揧eah.?I don抰 look at him.
If I say anything more, he抣l be like a dog with a bone. I抦 also not sure he抯 smart enough to keep his yap shut about it in front of my daughter like he should.
It抯 only natural, I suppose, considering old times.
We were in the Navy together for four years before he came to work for me. We may have drifted apart over the years, but he still knows me better than almost anyone.
That happens when you share a bunk on a cramped spy ship and have to breathe another man抯 body odor every night.
And the fact that he knows me so well梠ld me梚s scary as fuck.
I look at Destiny. 揧ou and Eliza have gotten chummy, haven抰 you??
揅hummy??She stares at me like I抳e grown another head.
揊riendly.?
揙h, yeah. She抯 a badass. I like her and she seems good with you,?Dess says with a wink.
揝ee, Big Daddy??Troy throws a shit-eating grin across the table at me. 揝he抯 even in good with the kid.?
I glare at him.
Then my eyes trace to Dess again. I remember I抦 here to make peace, not snap his head off in front of my daughter.
揜ight, right.?Troy holds his hands up, lowering his voice. 揇on抰 think you抮e off the hook, my man.?
Destiny抯 gaze slowly sweeps from Troy back to me. 揥hat are you guys talking about??
揘othing important, baby girl. Did you email that turtle sanctuary to see if they抎 let you drop by one day??I change the subject swiftly.
Troy continues to look over his drink at me, damn him.
And about that time梡erfect timing?the waitress returns with a tray stacked with our food. She places a steaming plate down in front of each of us and smacks her head. 揙h, I抦 such a dummy. I forgot to refill your waters. Let me grab that.?
揘ot a problem,?I say politely.
I抦 so happy for the distraction that she could抳e poured the whole tray on my lap and I抎 still thank her.
揋od, I抦 starving!?Destiny cuts into her fish, scraping her knife loudly across the plate.
I can抰 even get after her.
With the kidlet gushing about the best fish she抯 ever had, I don抰 have to suffer Troy and his diabolical sense of humor. If I抦 lucky, I might keep Little Miss Science Chick off my brain for five minutes.
When the waitress returns with our water, I order a second bourbon to help take the edge off.
Am I really okay with Eliza teaching my kid to surf?
My stomach twists at the idea of Destiny梠kay, either of them梠ut there far enough on the water to get into trouble. I抣l scare up an extra lifeguard later and make sure they抮e discreetly waiting in the wings to step in if anything goes wrong.
Hopefully, I抣l also have another day to come up with whatever I抦 going to say about that kiss.
That goddamned kiss.
When my new drink arrives, I swallow half of it in one gulp.
It抯 been that kind of day. I tune out while Troy and Destiny make conversation.
揌ey, Dad, can I check out the arcade next door??
I glance over, about to tell her to eat first when I realize she抯 cleared her plate.
Damn. I抳e only taken a few bites.
It feels sinful to lose my appetite with such a delicious dinner.
揌ave you eaten today? Before now??
揂 few bananas and an acai bowl for lunch,?she tells me.
揧ou only ate fruit??My brow furrows, hoping I don抰 have an eating disorder masquerading as a new fad diet on my hands.
揑 was busy.?
揃efore your dolphins? And with things that aren抰 digital??I gesture to her phone.
She nods. 揟he signal out here kinda sucks anyway. Troy just told me it gets better in town.?
I smile. 揟here抯 a booster in the conference room if you need it. A little time off the grid could be good for you梐s long as you remember to check in. And let抯 try for three square meals tomorrow, okay, little bee??
揢gh, I抦 fifteen, Dad. Not five. Don抰 call me that.?She sits up straighter with an indignant look. 揅an I go to the arcade now? I saw some old-school pinball machines...?
揧our phone still gets a signal here, right??
She nods.
揟hen go. But don抰 talk to any strangers and you only leave to come straight back here. Got it??
揧es, sir.?She pushes her chair out and stands awkwardly.
Oh, right. Old-school, she said. That probably means the machines still take coins or tokens.
I fish a twenty out of my wallet and hand it to her. Her face twists like it抯 not enough, but she knows better than to keep milking me for more.
I watch her leave, noting that she looks too much like a grown woman in that dress with her pink bag swinging off her shoulder.
揌ow 抌out another round??Troy asks, hammering his empty glass down with a decisive clink.
揝ure,?I say, draining the last of my bourbon and liking how my brain fogs over.
He waves the waitress down and orders a couple shots of gold rum for both of us. No point in waiting for one to be gone to reorder when we抮e both in the mood to indulge.
揝o, tell me, man, now that it抯 just us... Is it going to be just you and Destiny forever??
I snort. 揝traight to the point, huh? Listen, I抦 either on the phone trying to convince a lit teacher my kid isn抰 the anti-christ or I抦 at work. I don抰 know how I抎 ever have time for anything else.?
揅抦on, Cole. Destiny seems way too chill to get in trouble.?
揑t抯 normal trouble, thank fuck. She uses her phone too much or talks during class, but it drives her English teacher crazy. Still, she has a four point oh. Unweighted. She landed a 1540 on her PSATs last fall梐 year earlier than most kids. I know I抦 lucky and I shouldn抰 bitch. Just wish she wasn抰 glued to her phone twenty-four seven.?
Troy laughs, his face as boyish and easygoing as I remember, despite the fact that he抯 started greying slightly at the temples. 揥elcome to the 2020s, bossman. Every kid on the planet stays glued to their phones梥o do most adults. That抯 nothing to sweat. She抯 turning out great. She抣l be out of the house soon, won抰 she??
揂 few more years, yeah. She was looking at Columbia or Cornell梤eally interested in seeing the other coast梪ntil this marine biology obsession cropped up recently.?
揕et her explore. You抮e only young once.?
揧eah, well, it抯 not like I have any choice. She抯 a smart cookie. I抎 planned on her working for me so she could take over the company someday. No sign she抯 interested, though. And maybe that抯 for the best.?I sigh. 揑 also don抰 think she抯 really found her calling yet, but that抯 another story.?
揝he still has time. Don抰 stress.?
Our shots arrive and Troy grabs one, holding it up for me. I take it with a friendly nod and toss it back.
I watch as he follows suit.
It抯 almost like old times, venting over booze with a close friend. A bizarre way to end a day where I feel like I抳e lived as someone else.
揝he has a couple years before she settles on a college. We抳e been joking about marine biology a lot lately. I hope she takes it seriously, though, because seals and dolphins are all she cares about besides her phone.?
揑f she likes her phone so much, she could make apps or be an influencer. Lots of fat stacks in that,?Troy says happily.
揑抣l have her in a submarine with the whales before I ever let my daughter be a TikTok sensation,?I snarl.
We clink glasses and down our second shots.
揑f she抯 off to school on her lonesome, and you抣l be alone in a few years,?he says quietly. 揧ou ever thought about finding another woman? I抦 just asking. Maybe the R & D chick??
Shit, we抮e back to this, again?
揑 told you, Troy, that抯 not happening,?I say harshly.
The fire in my blood isn抰 all booze. It tells me I抦 a filthy liar. It burns hotter every time I think of her.
揧eah, but棓
揝he抯 an employee,?I clip. As if I cared about that when I had my tongue down her throat earlier. 揂nd you抮e one, too.?
He pulls back, stricken, and I feel like shit.