The Cousins(21)

“Burden?” Milly says, looking affronted. “And what hospitality are you talking about, exactly? We’ve barely seen her since we got here.”

Donald acts like she hasn’t spoken. “At the same time, an interesting opportunity has presented itself, and I wanted to share it with you. Are you familiar with the Agent Undeclared movies?”

“Well, yeah,” I say. “Of course.” The first Agent Undeclared movie—about two college students turned high-tech spies—came out when I was in eighth grade, and was such a surprise hit that there have been two more since. I’ve had a crush on the lead actor, Dante Rogan, for years. Sometimes when Thomas is kissing me, I close my eyes and picture Dante.



“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the fourth one is filming in Boston this summer,” Donald says. “An old friend’s law firm does legal work for the franchise, and he shared that they’re in need of some help on set. Young people who could assist with gopher tasks and occasionally be present as stand-ins or perhaps even extras in crowd scenes. I wondered if you three would be interested.”

“Would we ever,” I blurt out without thinking.

“No promises,” Donald says, cutting into his baked scrod. “But if you’d like me to look into it, I’m happy to. Housing will be provided, and the pay is quite good, I hear. More than the going rate for resort work. It would be quite a win-win.” He pauses to take a careful bite of fish. “You three get the experience of a lifetime, and your grandmother, who’s not in the best shape to play hostess at the moment, can enjoy a quiet, uneventful summer.”

“But we already have jobs,” Jonah says, looking pensive. “We can’t just leave.”

Donald waves a dismissive hand. “The summer hire program at Gull Cove Resort always has more applicants than it can accommodate. There’s quite a lengthy wait list. I’m sure your spots could easily be filled.”

“Would we get to work with Dante Rogan?” I ask breathlessly.

Milly stands abruptly and drops her napkin on her chair. “I need the restroom,” she says. “Want to come with, Aubrey?”

“I don’t have to go.”



She smiles through gritted teeth. “So keep me company.”

I don’t have much choice when she latches onto my arm and pulls. I follow her through the restaurant, weaving among mostly empty tables. Milly pushes through the door to the ladies’ room, steering me in front of a gilt-framed mirror above double sinks. The entire room smells like we just tumbled into a vat of potpourri.

My cousin leans against the pink-tiled wall and crosses her arms. “Don’t you think this is a little weird?”

Half of me registers her skeptical tone, but the other half is still imagining bonding with Dante Rogan over the coffee I’m going to fetch him this summer. “Working on a movie set? I think it’s amazing.”

“Really?” she asks. “Because it feels like a bribe.” I frown, stubbornly resistant to her ruining my fantasy, and she sighs. “Come on, Aubrey. This is Donald Camden we’re talking about. Our parents’ archnemesis. He doesn’t have our best interests at heart.”

“Archnemesis?” I almost laugh, but…she’s right. My father talked about Donald Camden constantly when I was growing up, always with a note of bitter resentment: Donald won’t return my emails. Donald says Mother’s decision hasn’t changed. Donald says it doesn’t matter that Father wouldn’t have wanted his children disinherited. All that matters is that he didn’t put it in writing. “So what are you saying? That Mr. Camden’s trying to get rid of us?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s what I’ve been saying, remember?”

“But why?”

Milly taps a finger on her chin. “I don’t know. But it’s interesting that he can’t, isn’t it?”



As usual, I feel like Milly is three steps ahead of me. “Huh?”

“Clearly, if it were up to him we’d already be gone. He wouldn’t need to dangle a plum job. He’d just have us fired. So whatever’s going on around here, Donald Camden and Mildred Story aren’t in sync this time. He can’t send a you know what you did letter and be done with it.” She peers into the mirror to smooth her hair, a small smile playing at her lips. “Which is kind of satisfying, isn’t it?”

“So, what?” I ask. “Now you think Gran did invite us?”

“No. Just because she’s willing to let us stay doesn’t mean she brought us here.”

I sigh. “You make my head spin, Milly.”

She grins and loops her arm through mine, pulling me toward the bathroom door. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”





Two days after lunch with Donald Camden, Mildred Story still hasn’t bothered to grace us with her presence.

It’s four o’clock on Friday, an hour before it starts getting busy at The Sevens, which is what passes for a sports pub at Gull Cove Resort. I’m a busboy here, and it’s not the worst summer job I’ve ever had. Especially since it comes with free food.

“What’s new, Jonah?” Chaz the bartender asks as I slide onto a stool across from him. Chaz isn’t nearly as much of a dick as the nickname implies. He’s an okay guy, actually, although he has a thick, dark, mountain-man beard that I’m surprised passed the Gull Cove Resort dress code. “You want the special today?”