“It’s best enjoyed with food, Chas. Tell you what. One of these nights when my parents are going out, you’ll come over to have dinner with me, and we’ll drink a good wine.”
“Just you and me?”
“Probably,” I said. I knew what she was hinting at.
“Probably,” she repeated. Then she told me about some of the gossip she had picked up from Carol Lee. Nothing passed through the school as quickly as news about a new romance, and with Evan’s popularity, ours went right to the front page. From what she was telling me, it sounded as if most of the girls were just plain jealous.
“I don’t care what they say,” I told her. “You don’t have to bother telling me any more you hear them say, either.”
“Whatever. So what are you doing today? I can come over later, and we can take a walk up to you know where.”
I told her about Evan coming to take me to lunch and going to the park. She was very quiet and then suddenly burst out, “See you someday. ’Bye.”
Less than an hour later, Evan was at the front door. Papa put his newspaper down and got up quickly to greet him.
“Good morning, Mr. Wilcox. How are you?” Evan asked. “I mean, comment allez-vous?” He smiled at me.
“Bien,” Papa said. “So, I understand your father is going to run for Congress.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mama came into the entryway, and Evan greeted her completely in French.
“You’re learning well,” she told him.
“I have the perfect tutor,” he said, nodding at me.
“When is your father going to announce his candidacy formally?” Papa asked him.
“Very soon.”
“You have to be right on everything now, son. Nowadays, when someone runs for a political office, the whole family runs.”
“Yes, sir,” Evan said. “We already discussed that, sir.”
I didn’t think that Papa could see how Evan was pretending to be military in his posture and his voice, but I knew that if Papa sensed he was being mocked, he would be very, very angry.
“We’re going. I want to get back to finish my homework and study for a math quiz,” I said, more to impress Papa than anything else.
“Have fun,” Mama said, and we left.
“It’s funny,” Evan said as we started walking toward the park, “but I can’t help feeling like I should salute your father.”
“He has that effect on people,” I admitted.
“He doesn’t blow a bugle in the morning, does he?”
“Practically,” I said, and he laughed.
“I like him. I like both your parents, and you know why?” he asked, taking my hand.
“Why?”
“They made you,” he said, and leaned over to kiss my cheek.
Would I ever be happier with someone than I was with Evan at this moment? Maybe all of those risks and dangers I was envisioning last night were foolish after all. Maybe I could be intimate with him and not regret it ever because this was very special. I was so pensive that he asked if I was all right.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just enjoying the day.”