“If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.” He winks and saunters from the room as if he hasn’t a care in the world. I stare at the closed door long after he’s gone.
Lifting my hand to my face, I place a finger on my lips. I can still taste and feel him there. And I like that sensation to the point where it’s dangerous.
What kind of Pandora’s box did I open this time?
As if this day isn’t confusing enough, my phone rings. My boss is calling. Charles is the definition of persistence. If I ignore the call, he’ll blow up my phone until I answer out of self-preservation. I sigh and answer the phone, resigned to my fate.
“Good news. I’m sending you to Colorado on Sunday to cover the first two playoff games.”
“Why?” I’m confused. Charles has never done this before. “Can’t Colorado’s reporter handle both teams?” Being a cheap bastard, Charles usually has the home team’s writer report on their games.
“It’s a big deal, expansion team in their first playoff. I want the scoop, everything you’ve got. The team arrives in Colorado tomorrow. I want you there. We aren’t going to miss a thing. I need a provocative story. Follow the young guys around, or Drakos, and uncover a scandal.”
“What if I can’t?”
“You will. I know you. Those kids will be partying it up. No good comes from that. They could be arrested, hire prostitutes, do drugs. I want you there. We’ll unearth something.”
“We?”
“You will.”
“I have a child to take care of and no one to leave him with.”
“Find someone, or I’ll find another sportswriter. They’re a dime a dozen.” He abruptly ends the call with that threat.
I sigh. Mrs. Martin, who watches Noah in the evenings if I’m at a game, isn’t an option. She’s in her eighties. While in good shape, three hours keeping up with Noah takes her a day or two to recover.
If Gardenia was still speaking to me, she’d be an option—my only real option, but I don’t have her. In fact, I don’t have anyone.
I also don’t have a choice.
Reluctantly, I call Gardenia and pray she doesn’t hang up on me. The phone rings so many times I fear she won’t answer, but she does.
* * *
“What do you want?” She’s making no attempt to conceal her disgust. All I can do is grovel and appeal to her for Noah’s sake.
“Please hear me out.” I explain the position my boss has put me in without detailing the types of news he’s forcing me to report on. “I know I’m asking a lot. I also know you’re a fair person, and you like Noah. He can’t help who his aunt is and shouldn’t be punished because of my behavior.”
She’s silent for an uncomfortably long time. Fearing she’s going to say no, I begin blabbering. “I know I have no right to ask you this, but I’m desperate, and I can’t afford to lose this job. I’m—” In debt up to my eyeballs, but I don’t say that.
“Okay, enough.”
I do know to shut up when necessary, and I lapse into an anxious silence. She’s not happy being put in this situation, but she’s a good person and doing the best for her boys. I’d probably ban me from their lives if I were her. The sad thing is that her decision affects Noah, Rowen, and Ryder the most, and it can’t be an easy one to make.
“I’ll make you a deal. Rowen and Ryder miss Noah. I hate the idea of punishing the boys for adult problems.”
“Anything. Name your price.”
“You’re going to be sorry you said that.” Her words are ominous, but I won’t back out now.
“I’ll do what it takes short of breaking the law.” My laugh is hollow and does nothing to calm the tension between us. She befriended me, and I betrayed her trust. She’s the last person I should be asking for a favor, yet the only choice I have.
“I’ll take Noah if you?—”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” I’m gushing and realize too late that I’ve interrupted her. I snap my big mouth shut.
“If,” she repeats with a degree of irritation, “you agree to my request.”
