‘Yeah, last thing you want to have to do is talk to me,’ said Ren.
‘It’s not that. It’s just …’
‘I’m kidding,’ said Ren.
‘I don’t know what to say to you.’
‘Same as what you’d say to anyone else …’
‘… who could put me behind bars for life.’
‘Come on. Why would I want to do that?’
‘Ask your Atlanta buddies.’
‘Oh, come on. Would I be sitting here alone with you if I thought you were … you know?’
‘It could be all part of your plan.’
‘I don’t have a plan. I’m just doing my job.’
They sat in silence. ‘So … how did you end up here?’ said Ren.
‘It was a long hard climb up the corporate ladder, but I did it. I made it.’ He hit his glass off hers.
Ren laughed. ‘I don’t know what to say to that.’
‘OK – let me think – how did I make it here? Do you know that song “God Bless the Broken Road”? Well, think of mine as a broken road, but maybe the devil blessed it.’
‘That song’s adorable. Was your road that rough?’
‘Yes.’
End of discussion. ‘But, like, how was it, growing up?’ said Ren.
‘It was a badly beaten, animal-murdering kind of childhood.’
Ren laughed loud.
‘Seriously, though – did my mom send you?’ said Billy. ‘You’re not really the FBI, right? She just wants to make sure I don’t blame her for anything.’
‘Well, obviously your childhood was just fine.’
‘It was. Crazy, but not bad. I saw some weird shit. But … I’m all right now.’
She smiled.
‘What about you?’ said Billy.
‘Ooh,’ said Ren. ‘This is where I lie and say my father worked in an office and my mother was a housewife. Or I tell the truth. Although, maybe you only deserve the pared-back truth, like you’ve just given me.’
‘What? That was all lies. Go with the lies.’
‘My father worked in an office and my mother was a housewife.’
‘Good for them.’ They clinked glasses again. And with the next drink. And the next one … all the way to the last one.
‘Can I ask?’ said Billy. ‘Is Ren short for something?’
Ren smiled slowly.
‘Ah …’ said Billy, ‘something you don’t want to say.’
Ren smiled big. ‘Yes.’
‘Now I really want to know.’
She paused. ‘OK… Renegade.’
‘What? Are you serious?’
‘No.’
He laughed loud. ‘I thought your parents might have been Hollywood movie stars or something.’
‘No – worse than that on both counts.’
‘Yeah? Go ahead.’
‘Orenda.’
‘Orenda. That’s … terrible.’
‘I know. She’s a sacred power … it’s an Iroquois thing.’
‘I thought there might be something like that in you … you have a very striking face.’
Shit. ‘Thank you.’ She moved quickly on. ‘The Iroquois believe that if you ignore your dreams, you’re in big trouble because your dreams are connected directly to your soul. But also that when you dream you can communicate with the sacred power … Orenda.’
Billy paused. ‘Mystical … but the name still sucks.’
Ren laughed. ‘All right, all right …’
‘Does your family still call you that?’
‘Some of them.’
Billy laughed again. ‘Yeah, well, I won’t. No way.’