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“What, I thought we were going down memory lane?”
“Today you are the most beautiful and happy I’ve seen you since I got here,” he replied, changing the subject completely.
“Nice try but—”
“You don’t laugh like that at home,” he said, still not looking up at me. “At home you… You’re the princess of the mafia; bloody-thirsty, ambitious, cold, and ruthless. That’s beautiful in a tragic way. But today, you are just beautiful. You saw another person and decided to change their lives for the better. You gave them hope and you enjoyed it. You laughed with her, teased her, and even made faces.” He laughed to himself before turning to stare at me. “You were beautiful in an organic way.”
“What happened to accepting me at—”
“I do accept you. I accept the darker parts of you and the brighter ones. You weren’t acting out of character today. That is who you are under those conditions. That was you, too.”
Reaching over, I grabbed one of the napkins and reminded him, “That was me working. It’s good to make sure people think we are generous.”
“True, but there were other kids sitting alone. Other kids there who could have used that generosity. You chose her because there was something about her you liked. That’s why you sat down with her, too. If not, you could have just bought the drawing and left.”
Sighing, I nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Gabriel. Are you going to become my new primary shrink?”
“Do you want me to be?” he asked blankly.
I frowned. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Act as if you’re willing to do or become anything I need you to be?”
“Because I am. That’s what people do in relationships.”
I rolled my eyes. “We aren’t in a relationship.”
“Only because you’re so damn stubborn.”
“Thank you very much.” I bowed to him, and he knocked on my head.
“Did you just…”
“What?” He grinned, taking a chicken bite and stuffing it into his mouth. Leaning over, I smacked his head and he smacked my thigh. “Do you really want to start a war right here, Donny?”
“Do you have alcohol in that magic bag of yours? I feel like I’m going to need it to survive however long we are here.”
He reached in and pulled out two bottles. “Red or white?”
“I thought you knew everything—”
“Both then,” he cut me off to say. Gabriel uncorked them both and then handed me one bottle. “We’ll switch back and forth.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk?
“Do you change when you get drunk?”
I nodded, lying. “I get much more violent.”
When he reached over to take the bottle away from me I moved back, drinking straight from the bottle for the first time.
“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
“Here’s to being young and stupid,” I said and drank, and so did he.
“If we are going to be young and stupid, then let’s go all the way,” he said, rising up and pulling me up with him. He spun us around.
