“Skippo? What’s up, mate?” I asked.
Skip pacing wasn’t always an emergency, sometimes he just got caught up in his head a little too much and just needed me to talk him out of there. But it was never a great sign. He scratched at his hair.
“I’ve been trying to call,” he said.
“I’ve been out showing Roxy the zip line. I told you I was going. I didn’t have a missed call. Sorry, mate.”
I led him to the couch where Roxy and I had held hands. I definitely wouldn’t smile about that now but the reality of the progress we’d made settled fully on me. After this week, she was open to dating. She was into me. That fucking amazing kiss told me that and so much more. I daydreamed of a time where I’d be able to take her places and hold her hand it public. And what if we did decide to open a branch out here? I could live in the same city as her. We could see each other any time we wanted. What a gift that would be.
But I needed to focus on the here and now.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I said when we were settled.
He ran a hand through his hair. “Ford’s Fosters wants to do a camping trip.”
“Fantastic. How many kids?”
He shook his head like that wasn’t important.
“Explain?” I asked calmly.
“They can only go this week,” he said.
I understood immediately. “And did you tell Ford that it couldn’t be this week because of a prior client?”
“He said that he understood but he was in a bind because the other volunteer vendor pulled out last minute and the kids were really looking forward to it. They had the buses reserved and everything. He said he knew it was a last-minute shot in the dark.” Skip’s leg was bouncing so much it shook the whole couch.
“Why don’t you do the camping trip and I’ll do the MooreTek event. Serendipity that you’re here, then, hey?”
“I knew you were going to say that.” His thumb immediately went back to his mouth to chew.
“What am I missing here, mate?” I gently pulled his hand from his mouth.
This happened a lot too. Re: the ten steps ahead. Skip sometimes forgot that the rest of us were still in the present while he mapped out every possible series of events like Dr. Strange.
“I talked to Ford today,” he started. “I guess the company that cancelled heard that some of the kids had been in juvenile detention … which is just such bullshit. Kids like that need to experience the outdoors more than most. Statistics show that once a kid has—”
“It sounds like Ford needs help?”
He nodded. “I told him Outside the Box would help him.”
“Which is great. You know I want to help. But since I am otherwise engaged, you agreed to help?”
He nodded.
“Okay, so tell me where things went south.” I tried to meet his gaze but he wouldn’t focus on me.
“Ford hadn’t planned to go. He and Suzie are out of town for the week.”
I let out a breath. “I understand. You don’t want to take a bunch of kids you don’t know into the forest. I totally understand. I’ll talk to Roxy, there might be something else—”
He shook his head. “Jack is going. In Ford’s place. He’s—his friend Jack is going instead.” He glanced at me and looked away.
Okay, this time I really understood. I remembered how Jack and Skip were at each other’s throats. He didn’t want to be trapped in the woods with him when they couldn’t agree on anything.
“No worries, mate. You don’t have to go. Like I said, I bet Roxy—”
“I want to go,” he said. He looked at me and looked away. “It’s just two nights.”
