getting a tattoo, either.” Anna smiled at her daughter.
“I never said I wanted one. Besides, I don’t like needles. I’ll be just fine with plain skin.”
Mandy raised her brows. “Plain skin?”
“Free of tattoos. At least not yet. I might feel different when I’m eighteen.”
“I don’t think your aversion to needles is one of those things that suddenly changes when you become a legal adult. But when you are an adult, you can choose for yourself. Right now, since I’m your adult person, it’s time for you to hoof it upstairs and call it a night. It’s late, and I am tired.”
“I can take a hint. ’Night, Mandy, I’ll see you later. ’Night, Mom.” Christina hugged Mandy and gave her mom a kiss.
“’Night, sweetie,” she said.
As soon as Christina was out of earshot, Mandy started in. “All right, tell me what you really think. Are the kids weird, or what?”
“Mandy! That’s mean.” She remembered her earlier thought about school shooters and forgave her friend’s minor indiscretion.
“Well, are they? Just because you have the hots for the dad doesn’t mean his kids are . . . lovable. I can tell by the look on your face that something happened. You don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”
“It’s not that, really. Yes, the kids aren’t as friendly as Christina, which I kind of expected. Ryan said he’d had ‘issues’ with Patrick in the past. Didn’t say exactly what they were except that he’d been to several therapists, though they never diagnosed him with a physical or mental disorder. He told me that when we were on the cruise, that night at dinner.”
“You never told me that.”
“Mandy, I don’t always tell you everything, and I know you sure as hell don’t tell me everything you do. As is your right. We’re adults; we don’t have to explain or justify what we do in our personal lives. I just remembered that he said this, and he may not even remember telling me. When I met Patrick tonight, he was definitely aloof, quiet. He didn’t speak until Ryan forced him to. Then, later, when he learned I had a pool, he perked up for all of four or five seconds. What’s odd is that Ryan had told me on the ship that Patrick spent most of his high school years holed up in his room. At dinner, he told me Patrick was on the swim team in his freshman and sophomore years.”
“Why is that odd?”
“Why would you tell a total stranger your kid spent four years holed up in his room when he was on the swim team for two of those four years? I don’t think it’s a big deal, but it does conflict with what he said on the cruise.”
“Did you ask Ryan about it? You know how we adults can exaggerate things. So what if he was or wasn’t on the swim team? Why does that even matter?”
“It doesn’t. It just makes me wonder about Ryan. Either he’s confused or his years are off. I’m leaning toward confusion. He’s been nothing but a perfect gentlemen to me. We enjoy one another. In and out of bed. Don’t look surprised. You know I’m sleeping with him.” The world might know, sooner rather than later.
“I don’t care. As you said, that’s your personal life. As long as you two aren’t into any kinky shit that leaves marks on your body, you can do whatever you want. Just make sure you look good on film.”
“You’re crazy!” Anna said, then burst out laughing. “You’re a slave driver.”
“I can be. Look at all of this.” She tossed her hands in the air. “You earned this, without me—well, most of it. I’m looking out for you. I don’t want to have to call a damned makeup artist in if you two are into kinky shit.” Mandy grinned.
“Be quiet—I don’t want Christina to hear us. Trust that I’m not into anything weird.”
“But something about tonight bothered you. I know you too well. It’s up to you if you want to talk about it. And while I’m thinking about it, you haven’t been yourself lately. Is there something I need to know?”
Anna wasn’t sure if she wanted to voice what Ryan had told her in the parking lot to herself, let alone share it with Mandy, not to mention tell her what she suspected. Part of her was thrilled, yet another part of her was alarmed. She felt it was a bit too soon in their relationship to say the L