Page 19 of Indebted

I didn’t think it was possible for someone to be irritated at the influx of work. It was kind of admirable.

“You do realize I’m not good with people, right?” I took the clipboard he handed me.

Other than Zoe, I didn’t really have much of a social group.

“I’m aware.”

Well, can’t say I didn’t set myself up for that one.

We worked in silence prepping the room.

“Plans for the weekend?” Justin broke the silence, setting out a handful of brochures with different nose structures on them and varying operation styles.

My stomach turned. “Work.”

“What about for fun?”

I didn’t know where this chit-chat had come from, but I found myself answering anyway. “Work is my fun. My schoolwork. Programming.”

My answer had him lifting his head, brow cocked. “There has to be something else you enjoy?”

The question shouldn’t have flustered me, shouldn’t have stumped me, but it did, and heat rose to my ears.

A knock on the door saved me. Justin’s part-time receptionist showed in a tall blonde followed by a timid teenager with brown hair that fell to her waist.

“Dr. Kingston,” the woman crooned and did that rich thing where she air-kissed his cheeks, her greedy hands squeezing his arms.

My fingers curled around the clipboard before I could stop them.

I peeled them off, I shouldn’t care that a woman wanted to touch him.

I don’t care.

That’s what was normal, a woman closer in age to him than me being interested.

This ugly feeling inside me had no right to be here, bubbling up my throat.

The fact that the woman didn’t once acknowledge her daughter put my back up. The girl couldn’t be any older than seventeen, if that. She huddled into herself and without prompting, went to the chair in the middle of the room, the paper crinkling under her as she took a seat.

“You remember my daughter, Winny?” The woman only had eyes for Justin, she didn’t even notice the way Winny flinched when she spoke her name.

Justin noticed and the irritation lingering at the corner of his eyes disappeared as he stepped around the Barbie mom and approached the patient chair. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.” Taking the rolling stool, Justin lowered himself to it.

It made him less intimidating and I knew he’d done it on purpose.

“It’s nice to meet you, Winny. My name is Justin,” he smiled and Winny’s cheeks turned bright red.

Unlike with Barbie mom, her response to Justin made me smile.

“Hi,” her voice was soft as I’d imagine a cloud.

“How old are you, Winny?” Justin asked, shooting me a pointed look.

Remembering I actually had a job to do, I shook myself and readied the pen in my hand.

“Fifteen.”

I wrote it down.