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“Holden,” Mom says, coming over to the bed and sitting on it so we can see each other’s reflections in the mirror. “I love that you’re taking interest in your Dad’s business and going to work every day. I mean you’re actually meeting a client for brunch, that’s commendable, sweetheart.”
I start setting my hair. “Thanks.”
“But can we talk about something that you’ve been avoiding ever since you found out about it?”
“What?”
Mom gets up and corrects some invisible crease from the suit by pressing lightly along my shoulder. “Your Dad’s real business,” she says. “The one he wanted you to take responsibility for.”
“What’s the matter, Mom?” I say, sarcastically. “Tired of shooting holes through people’s bodies and want me to get my hands dirty now?”
“You know it’s not as simple as that, Holden.”
“I know,” I say. “But can we take this up another time, please? I’m really getting late for the meeting.”
“Holden,” Mom says. “Your father wanted—”
“Mom!”
“Fine.”
She almost leaves the room and then stops. “You’re still going to see him?”
“Who?”
“Zaff, Holden. Are you going to continue seeing him?”
I can hear my phone vibrating on the nightstand but I make no move to pick it up.
I know it’s my biological father calling to confirm the brunch meeting. “No.”
I don’t know if Mom actually bought the lie, or if she’s simply exhausted fighting with me but she leaves at last and I close the door.
I go to the nightstand and pick up my phone. There are several missed calls from Zaff’s number just as I’d expected and I call him back. “Hey, kid!” Zaff said, the same excitement in his voice that he has every time he sees me. “Hurry up! I’m getting a little lonely here all on my own!”
“I’m on my way,” I say, and place the phone in my pocket.
As I’m leaving I take one last look at the mirror.
But I can’t even recognize the face that I see.
The Brunch
HOLDEN
My father has really gone all out with the whole brunch meeting. Expensive wine, expensive food, expensive place—Harlow is nowhere to be seen but I can see Ronnie lingering about in the restaurant area of the club.
Zaff meets me the same way, a big warm hug and lots of smiles. But I can’t give him any of that back.
“How’s your weekend going?” Zaff says and I can tell that he’s had to delete the word ‘son’ from the sentence after a lot of effort.
“Not bad,” I say. “I had to lie to Mom about you.”
“I’m sorry,” Zaff says. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble between you two.”
“We’re fine. I guess secrets have kind of become my lifestyle now.”
“The business we’re in, secrets can be both valuable and dangerous. You spill to the wrong person, you don’t spill to the right person, and you find yourself in a tight spot that you will never get out of. Secrets have power, Holden. If you know how to use it.”
