Darren’s parents lived in a brick Colonial home near the Chicago border in Evanston. The lawn looked well-maintained and neatly trimmed hedges surrounded the front windows.
“Are Deena and Ashley coming, too?” I asked as he parked in front of the house.
“Nope. Deena told me she and Ashley were not invited. She was quite pissed about it, too.”
“It would have been nice to have another ally at the table.”
“Mom and Dad want you all to themselves tonight. If you make it past the first round, maybe they’ll welcome you back for round two.”
Darren started to get out of the Blazer when I stopped him.
“Should I be worried?” I asked. “I mean, are they gonna rip me a new one?”
He laughed. “No. Even if they hate you, which I doubt they will, they’ll never say it to your face. They’ll just talk ab
