"Hockey's always fun, but l was looking forward to serving out the rest of my time." When I gave him a questioning look, he added, "As your maid."
I laughed quietly. "That's right. You had a little more time to go."
Tolliver lifted a brow. "Guess that means I'll have to make it up when I get back. With interest."
"Really?"
"Seems only fair. We made a deal."
"You're right. We did."
I put my hands on my hips.
"So, I'll see you when you get back," I said.
"Yeah."
Tolliver's smile was dimmer than usual.
"I'll miss you," he said.
Not as much as I would miss him.
"Don't hire any other page turners while I'm gone."
Instead of focusing on my true feelings, I narrowed my eyes.
"Save the sappiness," I said. "You better do well up there, Stone."
His smile grew. "Okay, but what if they're all better than me?"
I scoffed. "I highly doubt that. But you know what they say about lemons."
"Make lemonade?"
"No, you've gotta squeeze the juice into the eyes of your enemies," I said. "Until they cry. Show no mercy."
He looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Brutal."
"Show them what you've got, and leave it all on the ice."
"Yes, boss."
I sent him a smile as he turned to go.
"Oh, and Tolliver?"
Looking back, he said, "Yeah?"
"I'll miss you too," I said.
* * *
Even though I meant it, my words ended up being truer than I could've imagined.
It was crazy.
I'd gone almost my whole life without close ties outside my family. The only other people I was truly tight with were my music teachers. But we had a complicated relationship. Violin always came easy to me. My technique was a natural thing, and more than one of my teachers called it a "gift." I learned quickly, didn't require much correction, fell so deeply in love with playing, that after a time, they often left, not because I was a bad student but because they simply felt like they had nothing more to teach me. It wasn't true, of course. I could've learned so much from them. Their experience of the world was far greater than mine. Their knowledge of music and the instrument I loved was invaluable. But they moved on anyway to work with other young musicians. Ones who they said needed them more.
