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“Razor?”
He shook his head, took a swallow of his beer, draining it. “Never heard of it.”
It was a pretty big company. Most people in tech had heard of it, even if they weren’t sure exactly what they did.
“Cybersecurity. Government contracts,” she said. “We don’t talk about work much. Some of his projects are classified.”
“Hmm,” said Mako. “Interesting. Well, as long as he makes you happy. That’s what counts.”
He looked away.
“He does,” said Cricket.
She looked toward the door, then glanced at her phone which rested on the side of the hot tub. Wherewashe anyway? It was weird that he’d just taken off into the night, wasn’t it? If she wasn’t so buzzed she might be worried or annoyed. Instead she just felt woozy.
Mako heaved himself from the water, creating a tsunami over the sides. “I think it’s time I went up to check on my wife.”
He was doing that to punish her; she’d broken the spell between them, or Hannah had. And now he was playing the role of devoted husband.
“What about the light?”
“Forget about it, Han. It’s nothing.” His tone was a little sharp, a little bossy. He was like that.
Hannah gave her brother a look, but said nothing.
It was fine that he was going inside. It was good even. Mako and Cricket were bad together. He put on the good husband show sometimes after their random assignations. Cricket would get a text, meet him at bar, he’d be down about something or another. She’d talk him through it. He’d come back to her place. Afterward, he’d often leave with an attitude, as if she was the one to blame.I have to get home to Liza, he’d say, her name pronounced with a kind reverence, even though he’d just fucked Cricket raw. As if to say, Ifuckyou, but Iloveher. He’d hurt Cricket so many times; in ways even Hannah didn’t know about. And she still came when he called. Why?
My brother,a sixteen-year-old Hannah had warned, always wise beyond her years,he’s not always a nice guy. Be careful.
She hadn’t been.
Her phone pinged.
Sorry!Read the text from Joshua.On my way back!
She felt the sting of shame for how she was acting with Mako, a wash of relief, and then vowed to drink less and not be alone with Mako, not at all, for the rest of the trip.
She was kicking that habit for good.
And no more gummies. Wow, were they ever strong.
“Crick?”
Cricket looked up from her phone and Mako was disappearing through the door leaving wet footprints on the wood behind him. Hannah was watching her.
“All good?”
“Joshua’s on his way back.”
“Oh, great.” Hannah glanced up toward the second level where she and Bruce were staying in the only slightly less luxurious second bedroom. Cricket and Joshua had been given what was surely the room intended for guest children—in the basement. They’d pushed the two single beds together.We’re going to have some fun down here tonight, said Joshua with a smile. The guy had no ego. Whatever message Mako was trying to send, Joshua had not received it.
“Bruce?”
“He’ll be back down soon—maybe. He gets swallowed up in work.”
“You okay with that?” asked Cricket.
They could not be as perfect as they seemed. No one was. They just seemed—easy with each other, accepting, loving, considerate. She watched at dinner as he’d filled her wineglass, she’d picked a piece of lint off his shirt. They weretogetherin a way she’d never felt with anyone. Maybe it was the baby. That made them a family, not just a couple. There was this powerful bond that could not be broken. She envied it.
