Page 26 of Floodgates

When he turned, Jennifer moved quickly into his personal space. “You’re a DEA agent?” she asked him, clearly interested in his answer.

“Yeah.”

“I’d love to have you come speak to my fifth graders if you could ever find the time.”

I watched him get interested that fast. “Absolutely. Can I get you a drink?”

Shoving the barely sipped cosmo back at Ira, she smiled wide. “Oh yes, please.”

Alex took her hand to lead her down to the opposite end of the bar, where the bartender seemed stuck.

“Oh, that was smooth,” Eric agreed.

“Yeah, she picked him up like a pro,” I told Courtney, impressed. “Damn.”

“Fucking teachers,” her friend April complained. “Would he have been as impressed if I said I was a lawyer on the partner track?”

“No,” Eric assured her, putting an arm around her shoulders. “But you don’t want him, anyway. Working class, blue collar… who needs the irritation.”

She laughed with Eric, leaning into him.

“Besides,” Matt said after clearing his throat, “Tracy has a better brother.”

Courtney and April both turned to look at me.

“Evan’s not better,” I said, defending Alex; it was hardwired in me. “Just different.”

“What does he do?” April wanted to know.

“He’s an actor.” Eric whetted their appetite.

“What kind of actor?” Courtney sounded just as interested.

“Why do you care about this?” Ira asked his fiancée.

“Go get some more drinks,” Matt suggested.

“Somebody needs to drink Jen’s cosmo,” Eric reminded them.

“Pass it over,” Courtney said with a cackle.

“Spill about the brother,” April prodded me.

“He’s on a show on HBO,” I explained and watched them both perk up at the news. I smiled; I couldn’t help it. “It’s called Cape Cod.”

It was about a political family, loosely based on the Kennedys, and their machinations to get their youngest son in the White House. My brother was not the golden boy. He was the other guy, the villain, who had more fun; the one all the women wanted.

Several minutes ticked by as I watched them absorb the information.

“Ohmygod!” April squealed. “I never miss that! I watch it every week!”

“Me too!” Courtney looked excited, a drink in both hands, as she rounded on Ira. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It never came up.”

“You liar!”

“Shit, Tracy!” he groused at me.