Chapter 05.3

“Did you have a good time at the beach yesterday?” Dad asked the next morning in the kitchen.

“Yeah, it was great,” I said, and told him all about the day.

“She’s going to feed you salad sooner or later,” Dad laughed.

“I’m curious to see how that goes,” I said, drifting into thought.

“Dad,” I said a little later, ”I don’t want Jenny to find out about my mid-summer exams.”

“She won’t” Dad smiled “Adam organized a family trip to celebrate their marriage”. 

“Because of me?” I asked surprised. 

“You still have a lot to learn,”. Dad laughed. “Adam planned it together with Uncle Steve.”

“That is great, thanks.”

The weeks leading up to the group trip were all the same. Weekdays with Uncle Steve, weekends crammed with study sessions and short meetups with friends. Jenny didn’t come to every gathering, and she never stayed alone with me.

After work, Dr. Steve and I stayed late at the clinic, going through the books together. I took notes like I was in a private tutoring session. At night, I stayed up late reading.

“Son,” Dad said one evening when I was reading through dinner, ”I won’t take your book away because of the circumstances, but you really should talk to the girl.”

“Why?” I looked up from the page.

“Because if she knew how much you were pushing yourself, she’d support you.”

“If she forgives me and comes back,” I said, “I want to spend all my time with her. But if she finds out now, I can’t bear to see her flustered—that’s one of the things I love most about her. And I wouldn’t be able to focus on studying to transfer. In the end, she’d be disappointed.” 

“She wouldn’t be disappointed,” Dad said. ”But those late-night drunk calls might do it,” he teased.

“It’ll be easier after summer,” I said, ending the conversation.

—

The group trip started the usual way—with a long drive.

“Jessica and I have been fighting more and more,” Aaron started venting.

“Why?” I asked.

“Over everything,” he sighed. ”I’m starting to think I won’t end up like Daryl.”

“What do you mean, Daryl? What’s happening with you?” I asked Daryl.

“I’m planning to propose to Diane this year,” he said with a smile. “She’ll be finishing hairdressing school soon.”

“Aren’t you a bit young for that?” I asked.

“We’re doing great. Why shouldn’t we get married?” he shot back. ”Look at your parents—they married young and they’re still together.”

“Or mine,” Brian chimed in. ”They divorced because my dad messed up, but lately they’ve been seeing each other again.”

“Wait, are they secretly dating?” I laughed in surprise.

“Yep,” Brian grinned. ”They think we don’t know, but even Frankie’s noticed.”

“My parents married late and still aren’t doing well,” Aaron added. ”They’re only together because of the restaurant. They just live side by side.”

“Ever since Dad loosened up, mine have been doing great,” Paul said.

“So it’s not about age,” Daryl summed up. ”I just want Diane to be mine.”

“Well, good luck, man,” I said, glancing at him in the mirror.

“Jay,” Aaron asked, ”what about you and Jane?”

“I don’t know yet,” I said. ”But one thing’s for sure—if I get her back, I’m not letting her go again.”

“She won’t go for a long-distance relationship,” Paul noted. ”And you can’t expect her to wait for you for years.”

“I know,” I muttered. ”What do we know about that French monkey?” I asked Paul, glancing at him in the mirror.

“Benoît?” he asked. I nodded.

“Adam’s representing them in some negotiations with the Italians,” Brian chimed in. ”That’s why they need an interpreter. There’s another Italian translator, but Jane understands both languages, so she can help Adam. From what I’ve heard from my dad, the talks will go on for a few more weeks.”

“So Benoît’s going to be with us all summer,” I noted.

“Jay,” Paul said calmly, ”we promised Jane you’d behave.” He laughed.

“I try,” I said, mimicking Jenny’s voice. My friends burst out laughing.

We arrived at the tourist town we’d picked for this year’s trip and checked into our rooms.

It was a small seaside town, similar to the one we’d chosen last year, and the hotel had a familiar layout—large lobby with a restaurant. This time, our rooms were all next to each other, each with a sea view. Only Susy’s room and mine had twin beds. Every room had its own bathroom. 

The beach was directly accessible from the hotel and reserved for guests only. There were two simple restaurants at either end of the beach, also for hotel guests. Surfboards and other basic water gear could be rented for free, but more advanced activities—like the waterslide complex near the shore—came with a f*e. Hotel staff would set up umbrellas on request, adjusting them to guests’ preferences.