Page 16 of Mr. B

“You’ll need to talk to Mrs. Alpert. She’s in charge of the effort.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to her.”

“So, if Mr. Bishop isn’t going…” She glanced toward Cassandra’s office.

“No. I’ll find someone else to be my number two.”

“Okay.” She turned and headed for the reception desk.

Wes returned to his office to leave the paperwork on his desk, then went to Cassandra’s door. It was open, and she was at her desk, humming along to whatever song was coming through the earbud she wore.

When she didn’t hear him knock, he went to the desk and knocked on it. She looked up, startled, then pulled the earbud from her ear. “Oh my gosh, you scared me. Why didn’t you knock?”

“I did. Your music might be a little too loud.” He could hear the tune, but couldn’t quite make it out.

She paused the song on her phone. “Did you need something?”

“I um… Can I sit?”

“Sure.”

Wes sat down. “I just saw Bailey in my office.”

“She came to you again?”

“No. I called her in.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to make sure everything was okay between her and her father.”

She cocked her head. “Why wouldn’t it be? And why is it your concern?”

“If one of my students is having an issue, I like to get to the bottom of it.”

“What makes you think she has an issue with her father?”

Wes brushed a piece of lint from his pants, then crossed his legs. “You yourself said kids sometimes wish they had a different parent. In my mind, there is usually a reason for that wish.”

Cassandra leaned back in her chair. “He wants her to move to Seattle and go to school there.”

“Right, Cornish. She told me.”

“It’s a great school.”

“I agree. I don’t think the school is the issue.”

“She doesn’t like Seattle.”

“More specifically, I believe she doesn’t like the new girlfriend.”

Cassandra sat forward. “Girlfriend?”

Wes smiled. “You didn’t know.”

“Bastard.”

“Why do you care if he had a girlfriend?”