The Beast (22 page)

“Look, I’m sorry—”

“You lied to me, Gabriel. I trusted you, and you looked me straight in the eye and lied to me. You made a fool out of me.”

“What did you expect me to tell you, Peter?”

“How about the truth for starters?”

“That she asked to meet me at a motel and I said yes? And what would you have said if I told you that?”

“I would have insisted that you call it off and none of this would have happened.”

“
I
didn’t want to talk about it. You
insisted
. So to get you off my back, I told you what you wanted to hear. And for the record, I didn’t have to tell you anything. You’re not my
father
!” He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. “You’re not
even my
stepfather
.” He was making things worse. “You’re no relationship to me whatsoever! So why don’t you just go back to your wife and real kids and leave me the hell
alone
!”

His diatribe was punctuated by an angry slam of the door.

Perfect!

Decker was seething. Part of his fury was directed at Gabe, but most of his ire was reserved for the kid’s parents. Jaw clenched, he kept telling himself to breathe slowly as he walked away. Rina was waiting for him with a stifled smile on her face.

“Hungry now?” When Decker threw her a look, Rina took his hand and led him to the couch. “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll bring you something to drink?” An open smile. “Like a double scotch, maybe?”

“I’m glad you find this so darn funny.”

“I don’t find it funny, Peter, I’m just too old to take it to heart.”

“Don’t give me a line about being old. I’m twelve years your senior. Now that’s old.”

“So let a young chick take care of you.” Both of them heard Gabe’s bedroom door open. “Uh-oh! I think it’s time to make my exit.”

Decker grabbed her hand. “No way. We’re in this together.”

“I’m just getting a bottle of water. Why should I die of thirst while you two are having it out?” She broke away. “I
promise
I’ll be back.”

“Yeah, right,” Decker muttered. “No wonder I spend so many hours at the office.”

“I heard that,” she said from the kitchen.

“You were supposed to hear that,” he yelled back. He looked up and regarded the kid—a picture of dejection. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Decker stood up and began to pace. “For lying to me? Apology accepted. For speaking the truth? No need for apologies. You’re right. I’m not your father or your stepfather or any real relationsh—”

“Peter—”

“As a matter of fact, what I should have done in the first place is call up Chris, your
real
father, and take myself out of the equation.”

“Please don’t call Chris—”

“It’s not for revenge, Gabriel, but I have to tell him what happened. So if your ass winds up in jail, he’ll know the backstory. Because I’m sure not going to bail you out.”

“Don’t call up my dad—”

Rina had walked in. “He’s not calling up your father.”

Decker said, “Why not? Knowing Chris, he wouldn’t care a whit. He’d probably congratulate you and laugh at me for giving a solitary rat’s ass.”

“Peter, please!” Rina said.

“I’ll do anything, okay?” Panic behind Gabe’s eyeglasses. His voice rose in pitch. “Just
please
don’t call Chris!”

“Why? I would think you’d be
happy
to get me out of your life!”

“What do you want from me, Peter? You want me to
beg
?”

“Peter, enough!” Rina told him.

Decker pulled back. He pointed to the couch, and the boy fell onto the seat cushion and threw his head back. Then he looked at Decker with pleading eyes. “I’d much rather deal with
your
anger than with
his
ridicule, which is exactly what’s gonna happen if you call him up . . . ‘God Gabe, you can’t even fuck your girlfriend without screwing up.’” He looked at Rina. “Sorry about my language.”

“Have some water.” She gave him a bottle, but he didn’t open it.

“Do I get one of those, or is it only for poor little adolescent boys?” Decker asked.

Rina rolled her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”

Decker was still pacing. “Did you use protection?”

“Yeah . . . I’m stupid but I’m not suicidal.”

“You’re not stupid.”

“Yeah, I am. I totally screwed up. I’m sorry that you got involved. You don’t deserve that. I’m not your problem.”

“By facts on the ground, you
are
my problem.”

“Sorry.” A pause. Gabe said, “She didn’t have to call the police on me.”

Despite his anger, Decker felt himself smiling. He sat down next to the kid. “That was a little extreme.”

“
I
would have gone out for coffee. The motel was
her
idea. And don’t tell me I should have said no. No guy my age would have said no.”

“You can’t see her anymore.”

“I know that.”

“Tell me the truth, Gabe. How long have you been in contact with her? And don’t tell me you haven’t been in contact with her because I know you have been.”

“I never said I haven’t been in contact with her.”

“Yes, you did.” Rina handed Decker a bottle of water. “You told me that you haven’t e-mailed her, texted her, called her, or talked to her on Facebook.”

“That part is completely true.” Gabe paused. “Snail mail. She has a POB.”

“You
write
to each other?” Decker asked.

Rina smiled. “How quaint.”

Decker said, “You can’t contact her anymore, Gabe. Even by snail mail. No more contact!”

“I can’t do that. You just don’t understand—”

“I don’t understand?” Decker shook his head. “Can you at least be a little more original than that?”

“No, you really
don’t
understand.” His eyes were on fire. “You weren’t
there
!”

Decker was quiet.

Gabe was all passion. “That day, I laid it on the line for
her . . .
but she laid it on the line for
me.
And that’s a lot more than I can say for my own freakin’ mother, okay.” He balled his hands into fists. “When she left me . . . the way she left me . . . you’ve never been abandoned so don’t say you
know
how I feel.”

“I don’t know how you feel . . . exactly.” Decker held up his hand. “And before you jump down my throat, I will explain. I was adopted. When I was an adult . . . after I married Rina . . . by chance I met my biological mother. It was traumatic. It was especially galling to me because she had five other children. In my childish mind, I felt
it wasn’t that she didn’t want kids. It was she didn’t want
me
. I knew at the time it was stupid, my biological mother was a pregnant and panicked teenager. I’m not saying it’s the same thing as you, Gabriel, but I do have an idea of what it feels like to be given up.”

The boy drummed his fingers against his leg. “So we’ve both experienced betrayal. So then you should know why I have to talk to Yasmine again. I don’t want her to think that I’m breaking up with her.”

“Gabriel . . .” Decker thought about his words. “Once she’s a legal adult, you’re off the hook. But until then, you’re stuck. It’s only a couple of years until she’s eighteen.”

“If her mother doesn’t ship her out to Israel or something.” Gabe shook his head. “I don’t know why her mom hates me so much.”

“She doesn’t hate you—”

“Yes, she does, and I do know why. I’m the wrong ethnicity and the wrong religion. I can’t change my origin of birth but I told Yasmine I’d convert to Judaism. Actually, I’ve already started to look into converting. I’d probably convert even if there was no Yasmine.”

Rina sat down next to him. “Really?”

Decker said, “Boy, you really know how to get on my wife’s good side, Mr. Charming.”

“Stop it, Peter.” She looked at Gabe. “Why would you want to convert, Gabriel?”

He thought about the question. “I dunno. I like you guys. I guess I’d do it to feel closer to my make-believe family.”

“Gabriel, we are not make-believe.” When he didn’t answer, Rina said, “And you know you always have a home here.”

“Thank you for saying that.” He checked his watch. It was past nine. “I don’t mean to sound pedestrian, but is there anything to eat? I’m starved.”

“I’ll go set up dinner.” She went back inside the kitchen.

Gabe looked at Decker. “That was babyish . . . saying that you’re not my father.”

“It was juvenile, but you’re still a kid. Forget it.” Decker patted his knee. “You’ll feel better once you’re back in school.”

“I’m not going back,” Gabe said. “At least not for the next couple of months.”

“Okay,” Decker said. “Can I ask why?”

“I’m not in a good place right now. I think the trial affected me more than I thought.”

“You need downtime,” Decker said.

“Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. I have to go on tour in six weeks. I just got an e-mail from my agent. He’s booked me in two more cities where I have to play a couple of pieces that I don’t know all that well. I called up Nick. He said he can help me out, so that’s the good news. I’ve e-mailed the school. The only thing I have left to do this semester is a couple of performance finals. I can pick that up anytime. If I’m too much for you guys, I can stay with my aunt. But I’d like to use the piano . . . in the garage . . . that you rented for me . . . when you still liked me.”

“Stop it already.” Decker smiled. “You’re welcome to stay here anytime you want for as long as you want—with your make-believe family.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, Gabe. You’ve played the sympathy card very skillfully. Even I feel bad. If you stop milking it now, you earn the victory.”

“So I can stay here, as long as I don’t see Yasmine.”

“Yes. That is the condition. Sympathy or not, I’m not bailing you out of jail.”

“I need to talk to her about it, Peter. You can understand that, right?” Silence. “Can you talk to her mom for me?”

“You’ve
got
to be kidding!”

“You’re right. I’ll talk to her mother myself.”

“That’s not going to happen.” Decker tapped his foot. “Give me a couple of days. I need time to think about how to handle Stormin’ Nourmand.”

Gabe’s smile was genuine. “God, I don’t envy you.”

Decker threw his arm around the boy. “I’ll do what I can. That’s all I’m saying. In the meantime, no contact with her. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.” Gabe laid his head on the shoulder and didn’t
talk. It was nice to be protected by someone big and strong. It was also nice that someone cared.

Even if it was only make-believe.

GAINING A SECOND
wind over dinner, Gabe ranted about the injustices of the world. He turned to his best ally—Rina. “I’m so damn angry. How would you feel if Peter’s mother tried to have you arrested?”

Decker said, “My mother is ninety-five. Pick another example.”

Rina said, “Gabe, I really do get how you feel. But as a mother, I understand how Sohala feels. She doesn’t know how wonderful you are.”

“Can you tell her?”

Decker said, “I don’t think either one of us have clout with her right now.”

The doorbell rang. Rina got up and glanced through the peephole. She took off her apron. “Oh dear. It’s Sohala.”

“I’m outta here,” Gabe said. “Does she look mad?”

“I can’t tell. You live here. Just stay put.” Rina opened the door. Sohala was dressed in party attire—a glittery black slinky sweater, black leggings, and boots. Her hair was up, and she had on a full face of makeup. As she gave Rina a kiss on the cheek, she sneaked a glance at Gabe and asked to come in.

“Of course you can come in,” Rina said.

Another look at Gabe. He said, “I think I’m going to take a shower.”

“Please, Gabriel, you stay here.” Sohala’s voice was soft. “May I sit?”

“Of course,” Rina said.

Decker said, “Well, if I’m not needed, I think I’ll clear the dishes.”

Sohala dashed him of his hope of a fast getaway. “You stay here, too, please. Everyone stay. Please.”

The teen sat on the couch between Decker and Rina. Sohala sat across from them. She gave the boy the full force of eye contact. “I want to tell you something. Gabriel. I am very sorry for my behavior
this afternoon. There is a Persian bakery right near the motel. My friend told me about Yasmine’s car in the parking lot. I got very scared. Yasmine doesn’t answer her phone. I think maybe it is a kidnapper.”

“Ah,” Rina said. “That explains a lot. I’m sure you were shaken up.”

“Yes, very much.” The woman was happy to have found a sympathetic ear.

“I understand,” Rina said. “Are you all right now, Sohala?”

“Not so good, but who cares about me? Certainly not my daughter.”

“She loves you,” Gabe muttered. “That’s the problem.”

“I don’t care about her love, I care that she listens to me. She don’t listen to me.”

Gabe looked at her with soulful green eyes under his specs. “Why do you hate me so much?”

“Gabriel, I don’t hate you. How could I hate a boy who saves my daughter’s life? I’m sorry I tell the police to arrest you. I think you are a marvelous boy. But I want you to listen to me.” She stared at his nearly bald head. “You really make a movie?”

“I was in a movie. I didn’t make it.”

“What kind of a movie?”

“Some stupid independent film.”

“So why you bald?”

“Because I play a psychotic who has a breakdown. In the final scene, they put me in a straitjacket and shave my head. Until a month ago, I had long hair.”

“You get paid for the movie?”

The boy was confused. “Yeah, I got paid.”

“How much?”

The boy stared at her.

Sohala said, “Never mind. Doesn’t matter. Gabriel, I know you love my daughter.”

“I do, Mrs. Nourmand. I really, really do.”

“If you do, you want what’s best for her. That’s why I ask you this. You have to tell her you don’t see her anymore.”

“I really don’t have a choice, do I? If I get caught again, you’ll have me arrested.”

“No, I don’t have you arrested anymore. But you still need to stop seeing Yasmine. You have to tell her that you want to break up.”