When I put her down, she turned to them. “Aren’t you guys happy for me?”
Tati shrugged. “I guess. Yeah, Grace I’m happy for you.” She stood up and grabbed her bag. “Listen, Brandon has a paper to write and I was going to meet with Pornsake about the summer thing.”
Something flitted across Grace’s expression. “So you’re officially going?”
“Well, you got into grad school. Why does that bother you?” Tati asked wryly.
“It doesn’t. We don’t even play the same instrument. What do I care?”
“Seems like you care a little. Not sure why, though. You’re the one who turned him down.”
“I didn’t exactly turn him down.”
“He bought you an eleven hundred dollar bow, Grace.”
“So?”
I scowled at Tati. “She’s going to grad school. That’s why she’s not going to Europe with Pornsake.”
“No, she’s waiting around for you, Matt. For when you come back to New York.”
“Tatiana!” Brandon scolded her.
“What? It’s true.”
“I’m going to grad school because I want an advanced degree. You can gallivant all over Europe with Pornsake for the next year and a half. I don’t care.”
Grace turned and stormed off toward the chess tables.
I turned to Tati, furious that she had ruined Grace’s big announcement and our afternoon. “I didn’t pressure Grace to stay, if that’s what you think.”
“You guys can’t be away from each other for a whole year, even though this traveling orchestra would be an insane opportunity and experience for her.”
I looked at Brandon and then back to Tati. “You think you two can be away from each other for that long?”
“We’re solid, Matt. Brandon and I can spend five minutes away from each other and not go crazy, unlike you guys.”
“If you guys are so solid, why don’t you marry him then?”
“Oh grow up, Matt. What are you, five?”
“I’d marry Grace in a heartbeat. That’s how solid we are.” I looked back to see Grace halfway across the park, playing chess with a short, gray-haired man.
Tati smirked and then stuck her hand out. “I smell a challenge.”
“What are you talking about, Tati?” Brandon said, suddenly shaking loose from his high.
“Oh shut it, Brandon.” She looked back at me. “You don’t think we’d do it?”
I laughed. “I don’t know, Tati, Brandon doesn’t seem all that keen on the idea.”
She turned back to Brandon, who stood wide-eyed behind her. “You’d marry me wouldn’t you? I mean, the things we’ve done . . .” She arched her eyebrows in a knowing way.
“I . . . I guess.”
Turning back around, she said, “See, Matt. You’re the one who’s all talk.”
I stuck my hand out. “I bet we do it before you guys do.”
“It’s on.” She glared at me.
“What are we even betting on?”
“Loser buys the married couple a night out,” she said.
We shook on it. “I’m in,” I said, although I would have done it for nothing.
16. I Should Have Told You
Matt
I left Brandon and Tati near the tree and headed for Grace with a new mission in mind. Sitting on a bench near the fountain, I smoked a cigarette and waited for her to finish playing chess. I blew smoke rings into the air while I thought about how I would get her to marry me.
I needed to get her drunker.
Grace came walking toward me with a smile. It looked like all the tension was gone and I was relieved.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“Orvin. The man who made my bow.”
“Oh. The one Pornsake bought for you?” I scrunched up my nose.
“Would you stop that?”
“What did the old man give you?”
“The number for a guy in a band who plays down at that place on Allen Street. They’re looking for a cellist and I could probably make a few bucks. Did Tati and Brandon leave?”
“Yeah.”
Grace looked disappointed, as if she hoped this thing with Tati would blow over by the time her chess match was over. “All right, let’s go.”
“Wait, you haven’t seen me double dutch yet, have you?” In my drunk brain, this was how I was going to win her over and get her to marry me. It was a brilliant plan.
“What? You don’t double dutch.”
“I do, too. See those girls over there? I met them two days ago. I showed ’em up.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t need to. I’m gonna prove it.”
We walked toward the girls and the one who was jumping stepped out when she spotted me. With her hand on her hip, she said, “Oh yeah, Matty, Matty Double Dutch is here.”
I looked over at Grace, “See?”
Her eyes were as big as sand dollars. I began stretching, touching my toes, and bending to the side. Grace doubled over laughing.
“You’re not gonna . . .?” she started.
“Oh yes, I am. Watch me.”
I got ready. The two girls starting turning the ropes and I did a goddamned flawless cartwheel into the center and started jumping. It was a risky move. I had only pulled it off once before but I knew it was time for the big guns. I did everything the girls sang out: “Matty, Matty, turn around. Matty, Matty touch the ground. Matty, Matty, show your shoe.”