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I had been remiss about not talking to her, my friend, a person I grew up with, and I wanted to know so many things about her, mainly what she had been doing and if she was single. There would be time enough for that, but I needed to do what I came here to do first.
“About what you came to discuss with me and my friends last night. I have a few more questions.”
“Now?”
“If that works for you, otherwise I can wait.” I turned and pointed towards the lobby.
“I don’t get off of work for another four hours,” Zoey said as if that would deter me from staying.
“That’s not a problem. I’ve waited in less comfortable places. I intruded on your time and work. I can wait. It will give me a chance to get to know Perla better.” I gave Zoey a dazzling smile as if I was perfectly happy with what she was suggesting.
It was a slight threat, a tease, to Zoey. She had seen how Perla had looked and talked to me when she came in. If she had any interest in me, she wouldn’t want me to be spending any more time with Perla than was necessary. It was a test of sorts, one that allowed me to see if Zoey was feeling any sort of attraction to me.
“Give me five minutes,” Zoey said and then turned and walked toward the back of the office.
She didn’t see my smile as she walked away. It was a small victory, but it was a victory nonetheless. She didn’t want me to spend any more time with Perla than I needed to. It wasn’t an admission that she was into me, but it was something.
“I’ll be here,” I called to her.
I walked past Perla and stood and looked outside the window. It was a beautiful day in the city. I was slowly learning that I was like most New Yorkers and found fall to be my favorite season. I loved watching the changing of the leaves and feeling the temperature slowly drop. It was the closest season to remind me of home, and instead of making me feel homesick, it made me feel closer to it.
“How do you know Zoey?” Perla asked.
I didn’t really want to engage in a conversation with Perla, but I turned to look at her and said, “We were recently reintroduced.” It didn’t give her an answer exactly, but hopefully it was enough.
She didn’t get to ask any more questions as her phone rang, and by the time she was done, Zoey had come back to get me. She looked like she had straightened her hair, and she might have even put on some lipstick; I couldn’t be sure. It didn’t matter. She still looked amazing to me.
“Are you ready?” she asked as she approached me.
“Yes. Where to?”
“Follow me,” she said.
She turned and walked to the back and past a row of desks that were lined facing each other. There were phones and portable laptops sitting on them. There were a few people at the desks, and they looked up at me for a brief second before going back to their work. There were offices that lined the outside, but otherwise, it was all an open-air concept with a few cubicles in the middle. There was a soft buzz of conversation that flowed around me, showing me what an impressive operation Zoey worked for.
When we got to a cubicle, she indicated for me to sit in one of the chairs, and she did the same. The cubicle wasn’t very big, with a small desk that held a computer and some paperwork. The chairs faced each other.
“How has your day been so far?” I asked.
“Can’t complain,” she said and opened up a folder.
“You could; I would listen.”
Something passed over her face, but it was gone before I could truly see what it was. “What did you want to ask me about Mr. Blackwell?” she asked and sat up higher in her chair. She clearly wasn’t in the mood to make small talk.
“Can you show me what you have on him and the information you gave us so far?”
“Here’s his file. Take a look. I should warn you, you can’t leave with any of the information, and I had to get permission before I could show it to you,” she said, explaining why she hadn’t brought me back right away.
She handed me the file, and I looked through it. It had most of the information that she had already told us about Robert Blackwell, but it went into slightly more detail about his arrest and some witnesses. It was evident to see that they had a case on the guy, and with his previous record, he would be wise to look for a plea deal or another way out.
“Where is he from?” I asked.
“Originally upstate New York, I believe,” Zoey said.
“How long had he been in the city?”
“I’m not sure, but his first arrest was three years ago, so at least that long. He has four kids. The oldest is in junior high. He seems like a family man and one who would want to give his kids a stable environment.”
