Page 117 of On His Team

“It’s pasta sauce.”

“It was pasta sauce twenty minutes ago.”

He laughs, throws the container in the sink, and heads for the stairs. “Whatever. I’m leaving in ten.”

Blue shuts off the blender.

I remember the two theater vouchers Prasad gave me after one of the alumni events months ago. They’ve been folded inside my wallet ever since because I don’t go to the movies enough to remember I have them.

“I have two tickets,” I tell Blue.

He looks over. “To what?”

“The theater.”

“You don’t want them?”

I shrug. “Who the hell am I taking?”

The answer comes to mind fast enough that I almost laugh at myself. G. But I already asked her to come here.

Blue wipes the edge of the blender cup with his thumb. “Melly wanted to see that horror movie.”

I take my wallet out, pull the tickets free, and slide them across the island. “Take them.”

He looks at them, then at me. “You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks.”

I repeat Benson’s line. “Good for morale.”

He tells me to fuck off and takes the tickets upstairs.

I stand there for a moment with the refrigerator open.

Aspen has something at seven that Stanley is driving her to. Percy told me at breakfast that Penelope wanted him to see one of her studio presentations tonight, which means he’ll disappear around five-thirty and probably stay with her afterward. Benson is going out with Lucy. Blue now has plans with Melly.

I close the refrigerator.

I did not exactly plan this, but I’m not mad about it.

At quarter past five, Stanley comes downstairs wearing a jacket while Aspen talks behind him about an email he apparently forgot to send.

“I sent it.”

“You drafted it.”

“I drafted and sent.”

“You showed me the draft.”

“That doesn’t mean I didn’t send it afterward.”

Aspen stops in the foyer and stares at him.

Stanley slowly takes out his phone.