Seven Days in June(63)

“No, I get it,” he said, pressing his face into her curls. Coconut and vanilla. So heady.

“We’ll just tell her we’re reunited old friends. Which isn’t a lie,” she whispered, sliding her arms around his neck, pulling him even tighter. He groaned at this and, without breaking their embrace, walked her backward, till she was up against the wall.

“Just friends,” he repeated.

“Yeah,” she breathed.

Leaning in close, Shane pressed his lips to hers and softly sucked her tongue into his mouth, drawing her into a slow, deep kiss. Lightly, he nipped her bottom lip with his teeth—and the jolt was so intense, her legs buckled.

“Okay,” he whispered against her mouth before abruptly letting her go and stepping away. She blinked, a bit unsteady on her feet.

Pleased, he stuck his finger into her cheek dimple. “Boop! Let’s go, friend.”



Shortly thereafter, Eva, Shane, and Audre were sitting at the Mercy-Moore kitchen table. There was fresh light coming through the garden-facing window, and daisies sprouted from a ceramic vase Eva and Audre had picked up on their summer vacation to Barcelona two years ago. The table was a vintage number Eva had found in a Williamsburg shop that was going out of business. This was about five minutes before Williamsburg became a thing. It was a delicate, thin slab of raw redwood sitting upon iron legs. Over the years, it had acquired weird grooves and nicks, nail-polish smears, paint smudges, ancient Sharpie scribbles. It was a living Eva-Audre timeline. No man had ever sat there.

And judging by the way this is going, this’ll be the last time.

Shane had thought that reasoning with Audre would be a breeze. After all, he successfully managed an average of twenty-five kids most days of the week. But this one was different.

“I want to start by reminding you that I’m your mother,” said Eva. “I don’t have to defend anything I do. But because I don’t want you to ever breathe a word of this insane story to anyone at Cheshire Prep, we’re gonna clear this up. Right, Shane?”

Shane swallowed. He’d never been so intimidated. “Right. Right.”

“Mr. Hall here is an old friend from high school,” continued Eva. “He’s in town for the week, and we met for an iced coffee. I didn’t use my feminine wiles to get him to teach at your school next year. I don’t even know if I have feminine wiles. Maybe I did once and misplaced them. In any event, there were no wiles.”

“I see.” Audre adjusted her wizard hat and gestured at Shane. In her most official debate-team-captain voice, she said, “You may speak, sir.”

In his most official prep-school-English-lit-teacher voice, Shane said, “I know this is our first time meeting. And you have no reason to trust me. But all I did with your mom was platonically chill. Really.”

“Really? Really, Shane Hall?” Audre spat his name like she’d recently found unsavory trivia about him on Google. Which she had.

“I can assure you, I’m too gentlemanly to…agree to…what you’re suggesting.”

“Do you or do you not have several DUIs?” Audre folded her arms across her chest.

“Audre Zora Toni Mercy-Moore! You apologize to Mr. Hall right now.”

“Shane,” said Shane.

“Mr. Hall, I’m sorry. That was rude,” Audre allowed. “But, Mom, you’re being a hypocrite! You went crazy on Coco-Jean’s brother when you thought we were being inappropriate. As if I’d crush on a client.”

“A client?” asked Shane, surprised. “What services do you provide?”

“And now I can’t react when you’re inappropriate?”

“I’m. Your. Mother.” Eva clapped with each word, for emphasis. “I’m supposed to interrogate sixteen-year-olds consorting with my twelve-year-old. It’s my business. But even if I did trade sexual favors to keep you in school, it’s none of yours.”

“But you didn’t,” said Shane.

“Of course I didn’t.” Eva grabbed Audre’s hand. “How’d you even dream up such a tacky idea? Is this ’cause I let you watch Empire? Honestly, sweetie. Can you see me doing this?”

Audre glanced at Shane and then back at her mom.

“I guess not,” she said, with weary acceptance. “No. I guess I’m doing the most. But imagine my confusion! You tell me you’re not dating. And the next day, you’re booed up with some guy—a guy whose help you need. It didn’t add up. Until you said you’d do anything to keep me in school.”

Shane nodded. “Reasonable conclusion.”

“The only thing happening in those photos,” said Eva, “was two old friends catching up.”

“Good friends,” added Shane, who had thought he’d be far more articulate and helpful during this conversation but was tongue-tied in the presence of Eva and her dynamo baby, who had the energy of a great auntie judging neighborhood antics from her front porch. It was fascinating, seeing his Eva this way. A mother!

It had been decades since he’d spent time with a family. He was dazzled.

Meanwhile, Audre had propped her chin in her hand, eyes darting from Shane to her mom and back again. Her indignation was slowly turning into curiosity.

“So how come you’ve never mentioned Shane before?” asked Audre. “And in which city did you go to high school together? I know you moved a lot for Grandma’s modeling jobs.”