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So much so that it was embarrassing I’d thought it was anything else at first.
Perils of being exposed to a constant parade of the absolutely worst in humanity, for so long.
“How can I prove myself?” I asked her, not even knowing why it mattered, but… it did, kinda.
“You can’t. The more you prove you aren’t, the better your cover must be,” she shrugged, then looked to her father. “Can I get back in line for my lemonade?”
“Yes,” Tristan sighed, shaking his head. “But hurry up, so we can get you to school.”
She opened her mouth to say something else, but Tristan gave her a look of censure I never would’ve known he was even capable of if I hadn’t seen it for myself. Kiara trudged past us, muttering more aboutassassins making her late– an insistence that might’ve concerned me a little if Tristan didn’t say…
“Please don’t mind her – she’s been watching some spy shit she’sreallynot old enough to be watching, and she’s obsessed,” he explained, shaking his head. “Her and her mom.”
“How old is she?” I asked.
“Thirteen. Going on goddamn twenty.”
I met his gaze. “And how old areyou?”
He blinked, the briefest flash of shame crossing his face before he answered the question. “Thirty. Yes, I had a kid young, but we’re doing right by her, which not everybody can say.”
“Are… you really used to being judged about that or something?” I asked. “Cause… you don’t have to be defensive about it. I was just asking, because I didn’t know. Youdon’tseem old enough to have a teenaged kid, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. And I didn’t mean any harm.”
Running his tongue over his teeth, he nodded. “Yeah… my bad. Iamused to people getting weird about it, so… yeah.”
“You good?”
He smirked. “I’m good.Yougood?”
“I’m great,” I answered. “Thanks for the drink,” I said, holding up the mug he’d come close to having put through his head. “Ireallydon’t need that, though.”
“Not about what you need. Did it make you smile?”
Instead of answering, I dropped my gaze, which only made him chuckle.
“See… you can’t even help yourself,” he teased. “What are you doing tonight?”
My eyes shot up. “What?”
“What are you doing tonight? As in, with your free time, after eight o’clock? It’s open mic. You should slide through.”
I frowned. “I don’t…hm.”
I had to stop short of saying I didn’t think I would be into it, because… I kinda didn’t know whatIwas into. I had to experience it, to figure that out.
“I’ll think about it,” I told him, earning myself a grin and a parting wave before he moved on to join his daughter.
And then I moved on, back across the street, back to the sweet solitude of my apartment above the shop.
I had no problem finding sleep this time, even with the caffeine in my system.
It had been an eventful morning for me.
