“Cullen,” Cynthia said, sitting down with a smile.
Dex had to bite the inside of his lip not to burst out laughing, but he still squeezed Hammer’s hand.Cullen. Like the vampires fromTwilight. He couldn’t wait to tell Hammer all about it once they were on their own again.
Cynthia used tongs to place a generous portion of food on each of the plates. “It’s good I chose this dish. I had more of all the ingredients in my pantry,” she said, smiling at Hammer, who cleared his throat.
“It smells delicious.”
“I’m actually trying to put together a cookbook,” she said and picked up a paper-wrapped block of cheese, which she then grated above her dish. “Now that Wolfgang is more independent, I have more time to myself, and our new neighbor works for a big publisher.”
“We invited her and her husband over, and she encouraged Cynthia,” Peter added with a smile. “Who knows, maybe I’m living with the new Martha Stewart?”
Dex watched them, amazed. Even if he didn’t fit in all that well, wasn’t this connection worth fighting for, for Hammer’s sake? At the best of times, his family had never been put together like this. His sister had always been out with friends, and before his mom got ill, she was barely home, always busy at her high-stress job.
He drank some wine, then started cutting his pasta to make it easier to eat without making a mess. He was happy to just listen and be a part of the conversation in a passive way, because he didn’t want his mouth to get him in trouble as usual.
“You’re all grown up and don’t know how to eat pasta?” Wolfgang asked, and it was as if an invisible string had pulled Dex’s head up. Hammer’s whole family was staring at his plate with long ribbons of noodles wrapped around their forks. One glance at Hammer’s plate told him he was the only one who’d made this mistake.
“Wolfgang, it’s rude to say such things to people,” Cynthia said to chastise him, but she didn’t bother to apologize for her son’s behavior, which spoke volumes about her opinion.
Dex felt so damn small and inadequate. He came here to help Hammer make a good impression yet was fucking things up regardless of his choices.
Hammer cleared his throat. “I don’t see an issue with people eating their meal however they feel most comfortable.
“Maybe if you sit on the sofa on your own. If there’s company, people will judge your manners,” Peter said, glancing to Wolfgang, as if this was a teaching opportunity.
“People who judge you over something so silly are not worth being around,” Hammer answered. “What matters is how you treat others, not whether you know which fork to use when eating fish.”
“Rules exist for a reason,” Peter insisted.
Dex swallowed, glancing at his cutlery. “Butthisis the right fork? It’s okay, your parents clearly know more than me about these things. I’m happy to be instructed.” Happy was one word for it. Miserable and dumb would have been much more fitting.
“Some rules are just about filtering out who you associate with, though, and don’t have any practical value,” Hammer said before looking up at Peter with a tense smile.
Dex followed how everyone else ate as he put food in his mouth, but still wanted to join the conversation to praise Hammer and show him in a good light. “And it’s not like Ham—Florian doesn’t follow any rules. He can be quite strict about certain things. He never eats his food out of plastic. Even if it’s a TV dinner, he’ll put it on a plate. He always uses condoms too.” The last one wasn’t true, but was sure to appeal to these rule-abiding people.
Cynthia’s fork fell onto her plate with a loud clatter as she placed her hands on both of Wolfgang’s ears. “This is not a topic to discuss around a child,” she whispered, going red.
Dex’s brain felt like a pulsing mass, and he choked out, “Sorry I—”
Peter raised his hands. “Maybe let’s just focus on food for now, and then Wolfgang could play the piano for us?”
Dex nodded. He nudged Hammer’s foot in a silent apology.
Cynthia rubbed her forehead, ignoring Wolfie’s inquisitive gaze. “That’s a fabulous idea. Do you still play?” she asked Hammer.
Dex choked on a piece of fish. Hammer? Playing piano? What the hell?
He did his best not to spit his meal out, but his eyes watered so hard he had to rub them with a napkin.
Hammer shrugged. “You know I never liked it.”
“And that’s how you end up with the kind of company you keep,” Peter said.
“Maybe I should show myself out, if I and my company aren’t wanted here?”
Dex’s heart sank. “I don’t know much about the piano, but I’ll happily listen to Wolfgang play.”
The kid sat straighter, beaming. “Yes, please stay. Mommy, I’ll even skip dessert if need be!”