“I was looking forward to spending the weekend with you,” he said after a while. “I’m sorry; I don’t want to fight either.”
“It’s okay. You’ve been busy. I’m not going to hold that against you.”
He smiled. “I just—well, I really miss you. Lately, you’re almost like a stranger.” He took my hand and pulled me to him.
“I’m still the same person.”
“I know, and I’m proud of you. Okay? Don’t ever doubt that.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“No more arguments today.” He smiled. “Deal?”
I put my head down on his shoulder. There was a dull ache in my chest. “Deal,” I said.
Eighteen
I sent Rad an e-mail with my article about him attached before it was due to go to print. A few moments later, my phone rang. “Shit,” I swore, digging through piles of paper and other office junk to find it. “Hi?”
“Hello!” It was Rad. “Nice article. Especially the reference to my boyish good looks.”
“That was Sam’s idea. I think she has a crush on you.”
“Who can blame her?”
I laughed. “Did you read the bit where I mention how modest you are?”
“I haven’t got to that part yet.” He was quiet for a moment. “Hey, did I really say that?”
“Say what?”
“‘An author’s first novel is always, at least in part, an autobiography.’” He was quoting a line from my article, word for word.
“You did say that. I have a recording of it.”
“Wow, that’s profound.” He sounded pleased with himself, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“That’s the reason why it got the extra attention.”
“Yes, the red type really jumps out against all that other stuff I said.”
“Not to mention the bump up in font size.”
“And the generous application of semi-bold.”
We laughed.
“Hey, are you doing anything right now?” he asked suddenly.
“I just got into work.”
“Can you take the day off?”
“Uh,” I said chewing the end of my pen and surveying the office. It was abuzz with activity, but since it was Friday, I knew it would slow down toward the afternoon. “I have to finish up an article, but I can probably slip out just after lunch. Why?”
“I have a surprise for you.”
“You know I hate surprises.”
“I think you might like this one.”
I stood on the sidewalk outside the office scanning for Rad’s car when a pastel-pink Cadillac—top down—pulled up beside me.
“Hi,” said Rad, looking up at me from the driver’s seat.
“Hi.” I looked down the length of the car. “Something seems different about you today, Rad.”
He laughed and pushed open the passenger door. I slid into the seat beside him. It was a beautiful day. The air felt electric, like anything could happen.
“So what’s with the car?”
“Just doing a favor for my dad’s friend. He asked if I could drive his new Cadillac up to his house in the Northern Beaches. Want to tag along?”
“Sure—why not?” I put my seat belt on. “We’ll be back in time for dinner, right?” Duck was coming over for dinner that night, and I had planned to tell him I was hanging out with Rad again, before my article went to print. I wasn’t looking forward to his reaction, but I was sure he’d come around eventually. After all, Rad and I were just friends.
“Yeah, we can be back by dinner,” said Rad.
“How are we getting back, by the way?”
“There’s a rental car waiting for us at the other end.”
“Perfect.”
I enjoyed our conversation as we sped away from the city and through the streets of suburbia. I had never felt more alive, with the wind rushing through my hair and Duran Duran blaring on the stereo. “What’s this radio channel?” I called over the music.
“It’s a cassette. This car comes with a tape deck. There are stacks of them in the glove compartment.”
I pulled the latch, and, sure enough, there was a small collection of cassette tapes scattered inside.
“They’re ’80s tracks,” I said, delighted.
“I thought you’d like them. They were thrown in with the car. Dad’s friend is crazy about the music of that era.”
“I don’t blame him.”
“Neither do I.”
“It’s been ages since I’ve seen one of these.” I held the cassette tape in my hand like it was a holy relic. “Look at this compilation: the Bangles, Tears for Fears, Talking Heads.”
“Great mix!” Rad agreed.
I ruffled through the collection and picked out another tape.
“Oh my God. Dazzle Ships! I loved this when I was a kid.”
“By OMD?”
“Uh-huh. Can I put it on?”
“Sure.”
I fiddled around with the buttons on the dash and got the deck to spit out Duran Duran. I put it back carefully in its casing and popped in Dazzle Ships.
The sounds of orchestral trumpets rang through the cackling speakers in what sounded like the lead-up to a radio broadcast. Then a man said something in Czech before the track broke into an upbeat melody. I began bopping to the music, and Rad joined me as best as he could.
“Do you know this album basically killed them? OMD, I mean,” I said.
“I read something about that. It was the follow-up to Architecture & Morality, which was a huge commercial hit. Then they released Dazzle Ships, and it bombed. It’s such a shame. I’ve always thought it was underrated.”
“I suppose it was just ahead of its time. Now the album is getting the acclaim that it didn’t back then. It’s like when Blade Runner first came out: half the critics didn’t like it, but now it’s a classic. Isn’t that weird? You can create something that is pure genius, but you have to get your timing right. I always thought that was so unfair,” I said.
“Especially if you don’t live to see the applause. Like van Gogh.”
“That would be tragic. He died a failure, and look how revered his work is now, over a hundred years later.”
Rad shook his head. “Crazy, huh?”
We had almost reached our destination when Rad suggested we take a short detour.
“Isn’t your dad’s friend expecting you?” I asked.
“It’s cool. I’ll just send him a text.”
Moments later, Rad pulled over outside a quaint-looking general store with a wraparound porch and a grandfather clock by the entrance.
“So this is what you wanted to show me?” I teased.
“No, Audrey,” he said wryly. “I just thought we should pick up a few supplies.”
We got out of the Cadillac and walked up the steps and through the entrance. A blonde woman with her hair in a bun and wearing a blue sweater over khaki slacks was sitting at the counter, engrossed in a crossword puzzle. She looked up at us with a nod of acknowledgment and went back to her puzzle.