Watch your mouth when you’re talking to me
Make me.
You don’t know what you’re asking for
Would love to find out
That could be arranged
Alright brat. I’m signing off. Too long of a day with another right behind it tomorrow
Wait
Yes?
My brain scrambled. I was being a selfish little prick. I just wanted . . . attention. If she stopped chatting, I wouldn’t get it anymore.
“Leroy, you wanna get a drink? I’ll buy,” Mikey said.
“Yeah, drinks on Mikey!” came a shout from the back of the bus.
“Um, ah, yes. But I need to . . .”
Can I call you?
Sure
The bus was pulling in at the hotel and I stood and raced to the front as soon as it was stopped, hopping off without a backward goodbye. I took the stairs to my room, ripping off my tie as I went. I got in my room and flung my suit jacket on the bed, already dialing her number.
Mara’s voice was tired when she answered. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
Silence hung between us, and I realized I didn’t have a plan for how this was going to go. I just knew she implied she had a bad day and I needed to know why.
A quiet chuckle came through. “What’s up, Jack?”
“You had a bad day.”
She snorted. “I sound that bad, huh?”
“Who?” I asked.
Her smile was in her voice. “I love how you assume someone wronged me.”
“Well, probably,” I said. “Who was it?”
“This is an awful lot of care for someone who’ll never love me,” she teased.
I winced, called out on my bullshit. “I said I’d take care of you, Mara.”
“You said you’d take care of me if I married you.”
“Offer hasn’t expired,” I said. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“You’re not going to like . . . put a hit out on somebody, are you?”
I laughed. “I don’t even know how I’d do that. But to be fair, you did ask me to beat up your ex.”
