AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not exactly,” Theo says. “He’s mostly been making Angus annoyed and irritable.”
Reese laughs. “That’s a novel approach.”
I tell him, “It’s working brilliantly, thank you very much.”
“I bet,” my dad says. “Until you get Theo fired.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
My dad looks at me, unsmiling. “You don’t know what’s going to happen.”
To ease the tension, Theo says, “We went out on a double date the other night with Angus and Jessica Kate.”
“Jessica Kate!” Reese chortles. “I know her.”
I groan. “Please tell me you haven’t slept with her.”
“Not a chance. She’s got that look like she’d bite your head off and drink your blood afterward. Or take a pic of you naked and sell it to TMZ.”
“Well, notyouprobably,” I say. “But someone more famous…”
“Ha, ha.” Reese lifts his chin. “Laugh while you can ‘cause this show is gonna be?—“
“Your big break, yeah, yeah.” My dad and I could finish that sentence in our sleep.
“It will be!” Reese says with infinite confidence. Hope springs eternal in my brother’s breast—or delusion.
“I can’t wait to watch the pilot,” Theo says kindly.
“Are you actually going to be in it this time?” My dad finishes his second fajita in one monstrous bite.
I explain to Theo, “Last time Reese made us go all the way downtown for a premiere, his scene was cut from the movie.”
“Nobody told me,” Reese scowls. “But it happens to the best of us. Did you know Harrison Ford played the school principal in ET? His whole scene ended up on the cutting room floor.”
“Happens all the time!” Theo says. “Paul Rudd had the funniest scene cut fromBridesmaids —you can still watch it on YouTube.”
“Really?” Reese delightedly searches his phone.
“Don’t encourage him,” I warn Theo. “He’ll do this for hours.”
“I don’t mind,” Theo says. “I love movie trivia!”
“Iusedto.” I glower at Reese.
Reese smiles back at me, unperturbed. “Dad’s got the best stories—stuntmen see the craziest shit. You ever miss it, Pops?”
“Hard to miss it when I still feel it every morning.” Dad presses his hand against his lower back.
My dad picks up odd jobs now, mostly in construction. He hasn’t worked anywhere steadily for more than a couple of months.
“So how did the double date go?” Reese circles back around.
“It was lovely, actually.” Theo says. “Jessica couldn’t bully me as much with Sully there.”
She gives me a warm and amused look, the sort that’s full of meaning and shared memory. Reese sees the look and shoots me one of his own that I pointedly ignore.
“Sully’s a nice guy,” Reese says, with way too much irony. Now he’s getting a look frommethat is quite unfriendly. “And how long will you be staying with us, Theo dear?”
