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“Harsh, dude,” Val complains.
Sitting back up, I give Val the stink eye. “He’s only done that like, twice. And it wasn’t his fault.”
“How is him chowing down on a cell phonenothis fault?” Val asks, incredulity pouring from his tone. “Did you wrap it in bacon or something?”
An amused snort rips from my nose before I can stop it.Damn it.He always manages to make me laugh.
He gently knocks his elbow into mine atop the table, and says, “Okay, then what is it? You’ve been sitting in here staring at that folder for the last hour.”
“I haven’t found my guy yet. I checked his mom’s place, his girlfriend’s, his best friend’s, his favorite takeout, and his place. I got nothin’, nada, bupkis.”
Val already knows all this seeing as he had to accompany me, but sometimes saying it out loud can help me think of places I might have overlooked. This time, however, it doesn’t do a damn thing.
I drop my forehead on the folder and loose a dramatic groan. “I suck at this. I’m the worst bounty hunter in the history of bounty hunting.”
“Uh,” Val murmurs, then a beat later his big fat hand lands on the back of my head, petting me like a dog. “There, there. I’m sure there’s been worse than you, Keeds.”
Shifting my head so I can glare up at him with one eye, I mutter, “Gee, thanks.” Then I go back to feeling sorry for myself.
I’ve spentmy first week hoping to catch glimpse of Blondie, but it hasn’t happened yet. Work has kept me occupied during the daylight hours, but the minute I leave, I’m back to anticipating the next time our paths will cross again. I can’t stop thinking about her adorable frown when she realized I wasn’t who she thought I was.
Well, that and other things… Like the way it felt as she squirmed around on my lap when she was pulling her cell from her pocket. I think about that a lot. But it plays out different in my head, getting hotter and hotter each time. Clearly, I need to get laid because cracking a boner to thoughts of an over-the-pants shuffle is just pathetic.
Fortunately, work has been a great distraction, and I’ve spent the last few days getting a feel for how things are done around the here. I’ve gotta admit, I really like it. Carter is easy going, but he takes his job seriously. When it comes to the kids, nothing is more important, and I respect the hell out of him for it.
This afternoon I’m running a homework revision and catch-up session for a group of high school students. I’m a little nervous, as it’s the first one I’ll be handling solo. Carter has an information session booked in the conference room, so he won’t be stepping in to check on how things are going like he has been through the week.
The kids all know him, so the moment he appears, the atmosphere in the room changes. The way they respond to him and instantly open up just goes to show how much they trust him. It’s something I’m going to have to work for though, and I’m fine with that. I understand it. And I’m determined to prove to them that they can rely on me the same way they’ve come to do with him.
Arthur, the kid I met at the grocery store last weekend, is the first to arrive. His backpack has seen better days, and his coat is an inch too short around his wrists, but he’s smiling. I’m curious about his story, but I don’t want to ask Carter. It’s something I want Arthur to feel comfortable enough to share with me when he’s ready.
He grins at me as he approaches. “Hey, Mr. Blaine, how you doin’?”
“Ugh, don’t call me that. You’re making me feel old. Arlo is fine,” I tell him. “And I’m good. You?”
“Can’t complain,” he says, glancing around at the still empty area I set up with a few tables and chairs in the activity room. “I might be the only one showin’ up today. Just so ya know.”
I frown at that. Six kids showed for Wednesday’s session. “Why’s that?”
Arthur quirks a brow, his smile still in place. “It’s Friday afternoon. Nobody comes on Friday’s but me unless it’s comin’ up to finals.”
“Oh,” I murmur. I guess that makes sense. Studying was the last thing on my mind come the weekend when I was their age. “Did you want to do something else instead?” I ask, guessing he’d probably prefer not to be here either.
He shakes his head. “I’m a bit behind, had some nasty stuff go down last year and I missed a heap of school. If I want to graduate this year—which I do—I got some catching up to do.”
“All right then, anything you need, I’m here for it, man.” I hope he can hear the sincerity in my voice, but the skeptical look in his eyes tells me he has his doubts, even if he is still smiling.
With a hesitant nod, he drops his ratty backpack to the floor beside one of the desks then takes a seat. I drag out one of the chairs on the other side and straddle it, crossing my arms over the back as I wait for Arthur to pull out his textbooks.
We spend the next hour or so going over the requirements of an upcoming English paper and coming up with a very rough first draft. By the time we’re done, Arthur looks satisfied with the work we were able to cover.
“You think you’ll be able to do the rest on your own?” I ask. “I can always proof it before you hand it in if you’d like. To make sure you hit all the key points.”
He nods. “Yeah, sure. Sounds good.” He stuffs his notebook and papers back in his bag and then pushes to his feet.
It’s almost five, and I’m about ready to clock out, so I offer, “Did you need a ride somewhere? It’s cold as balls out there, and I’m nearly ready to leave.”
“Nah, I don’t have far to go.” He hoists a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve gotta go to work, it’s only up the block. I’ll be fine.”
