“I worry that I’m going to end up disappointing him.” My thoughts slipped out. It was honest and true. “It’s weird being here. Away from my life, my job, and Dad. I feel like I’m in a weird dream and when I wake up, I’ll have to go back to everything.”
“Does that bother you?”
“I don’t belong here.”
“Says who?”
I looked at him with a smirk. “Just people with working eyeballs.”
“All I’m saying is, be open to change. You never know what will fit.”
“Okay.” I nudged him with my foot. “Question.”
“Yes?” Jack grinned at me.
“Does Ford own a razor?”
Jack shook his head with a laugh. “I see an idea forming, little miss, and I don’t want to be here when you see it through.”
“Sure you do!” I shot up off the couch. “Now, it’s time for me to give Ford a little taste of his own medicine.”
“I want no part in this,” he called out, but I was already on the move.
I ran upstairs and collected what I needed before trotting back down to Ford’s office. I was filled with giddy excitement.
“Hiya, Ford.” I popped my head into his study a huge smile on my face.
“Why do you look scary?” Ford looked up from his laptop, his glasses perched on his nose.
See now, it was times like this I couldn’t possibly buy that I was older than Ford. He looked like a grandpa. His hair was salt and pepper. He liked classical music and did crosswords to relax. He wore sweater-vests for crying out loud.
“I need to borrow you for a hot minute.”
He glanced at his watch. “Why?” He dragged out the word like he was scared.
“You said that ball was this weekend?”
“Yes?”
“We need to get ready.”
He looked around his office as though it could help him. “Right now?”
“Yes.” I sauntered up to his desk and tugged at his arm.
“I’m busy.”
“Oh come on, scaredy-cat.”
“I don’t like the look in your eyes.”
A few minutes later, I had him leaning back on a chair I put in the bathroom with a hot towel on his face.
“I did not picture this.” His words were muffled.
“Nice, huh?”
He moaned an “mmm-hmm.”
