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"But you’re taking an entire week?"

"I also took off last Friday, even though Yo, the day before Sukkoth"

"But…why?"

He leans forward "Because you’re the first person to question it"

I’m not sure whether I’led out I laugh, but even to my ears, it sounds apprehensive "Exactly how rins "All of theet aith it?"

"I did last year As the only student here of the Hebrew persuasion, the faculty feels uncoh, but this tiood thing I don’t believe in hell"

"Right That whole Jewish thing"

"More like that whole atheist thing" Josh sees my surprise and adds a verbal asterisk "Don’t tell the press My father can’t afford to lose the Jewish vote" But he rolls his eyes as he says it

"Your dad doesn’t practise, either?"

"No, he does My parents both do, in that whole go-to-temple-twice-a-year way But politics and ests that he’s quoting so they’ve told him at least a thousand times

I pause And then I decide to push the subject one step further "Your dad is running for re-election this year That must be weird"

"Not really In our house, there’s always so It’s just a pain in the ass, that’s all"

I expected this reaction I’ve always assumed that the dark shadow he carries – the one that defies the rules and manipulates the system, the one that’s inked into the very skin of his ar to do with his parents But I know better than to keep questioning hiivensomeone to open up Because of this, I’es

"You know," I tease, "you still haven’t toldabout getting a week off frolances out o out"

Holy

Shit

"I’ to a nearby co about that new Sfar earlier, I thought if you weren’t busy, you "

…Oh

My heart beats like a cracked-out dru the book about the shipwreck, so I set it down to wipeKurt in two hours for dinner, but yeah Sure"

At the htly Whichfor the opportunity, he leans over and nabswith a single raised eyebrow

"I like stories about adventure Especially if there’s some kind of disaster involved"

The eyebrow res, too"